6th Annual Golf Ball Drop

We’re putting our thinking caps on! The 6th annual Golf Ball Drop planning process has begun. Be on the lookout for super cool changes to this year’s strategy.

The Golf Ball Drop has provided Independent Living Services with over $60,000 in donations over the past five years and continues to help Independent Living Services match grants and other opportunities that make transportation, housing, employment, as well as other programs possible that are offered to our consumers.

Location

The Development Office is meeting with UCA’s Athletics Marketing Director Matt Jordan next week to discuss a possible location for the 6th Annual Golf Ball Drop.

Date

To be determined.

Read about the golf ball drop by visiting http://indliving.org/give/golf-ball-drop.

Just a reminder that the Sunshine Optimist Club and Profiles, both programs of Independent Living Services, are in their final week of the Book and magazine drive for Conway Regional Hospital. Please bring any new or gently used books/magazines that you would like to donate to 1105 Deer Street, Suite #9.

So far we have collected 214 magazines and 56 Children’s Books!

…

Clara’s Garden

…

…

…

…

…

Independent Living Services is set to celebrate 40 years of service and support at Simon Park today in Simon Park at 5:30pm.

Guest speakers will include Executive Director Jackie Fliss,  Al Coleman, State Representative Linda Tyler and State Senator Gilbert Baker.

Free hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided by our friends at Centennial Bank. Drinks, sno cones, cotton candy and pop corn will also be provided.

Mark and Tammy Kleczka from Music Man Entertainment will  provide the music.

From what started as a small group home for eight men run by a small group of volunteers in 1970, Independent Living Services has grown to be one of the largest non profit organizations in central Arkansas.

Throughout its 40 year existence, Independent Living Services’ mission has remained the same, to help people with developmental disabilities live as independently as possible in the community.

#6 Jackie Fliss

Greenbrier Apartments

“I aim to gather talented, caring people and give them the tools, the direction and timelines they need to do their jobs,” Fliss says. This simple management philosophy, albeit simple, has proven to be the catalyst that has propelled Independent Living Services from a small nonprofit organization to one of the largest employers in Faulkner County.

Since she took over as Executive Director in 2000, Jackie has guided Independent Living Services through considerable growth. In the past ten years Independent Living Services has grown from a staff of 85 employees to over 375, a caseload of  70 consumers to over 200 and annual revenues of $2.1 million to $6 .3 million.

Jackie oversaw the development and construction of Greenbier Apartments and Florentz Estates in 2007. Since its completion, Florentz Estates has become the model for indoor apartment construction for people with intellectual disabilities in Arkansas. Profiles Productions, a recycling facility offering gainful employment to people with intellectual disabilities, was also started during Jackie’s tenure at Independent Living Services.

Florentz Estates

Jackie also played a significant role in starting the Sunshine Optimist Club, the first of it’s kind in the world.

In 2009 Jackie was honored by Arkansas Business as a finalist for the Nonprofit Executive of the Year Award.

Jackie can be reached by phone at 501.327.5234.

..

..

….

..

..