Learning about the Good Earth: Gardening with Cognitive Challenges ~ Marbridge Center ` For more information, Please see websites below: ` Organic Edible Schoolyards & Gardening with Children http://scribd.com/doc/239851214 ` Double Food Production from your School Garden with Organic Tech http://scribd.com/doc/239851079 ` Free School Gardening Art Posters http://scribd.com/doc/239851159` ` Increase Food Production with Companion Planting in your School Garden http://scribd.com/doc/239851159 ` Healthy Foods Dramatically Improves Student Academic Success http://scribd.com/doc/239851348 ` City Chickens for your Organic School Garden http://scribd.com/doc/239850440 ` Simple Square Foot Gardening for Schools - Teacher Guide http://scribd.com/doc/239851110

1. MarbridgeLIFE Learn • Experience • Achieve
2nd 2nd Quarter Quarter 2010
2010
• Time for summer camp fun! - pgs. 2-3 • Learning of gardens and earth’s goodness - pgs. 4-5

2. FEATURE STORY > pg. 2
MarbridgeLIFE Learn • Experience • Achieve
is a publication of Marbridge
P.O. Box 2250, Manchaca, Texas 78652
Voice: (512) 282-1144 Fax: (512) 282-3723
DADS license numbers 000706, 005191, 000520
Web: www.marbridge.org
E-mail: info@marbridge.org
Editor/Designer: Cathy Cabrera
To subscribe contact:
editor@marbridge.org
Board of Trustees:
H. Eddie Dick, chairman
J. Mitchell Bell
Thomas P. Douglass
John D. Head
Stephen T. Matthews
Tom M. O’Brien
C. David Perry
W. Norm Phillips
W. Barry Schneider
James F. Stacey
Advisory Board:
Aubrey L. Carter
Jonathan D. Levy
Steven J. Thiel
Administration
James F. Stacey
President & CEO
Scott McAvoy
Vice President of Operations
Craig Wojtowicz
Vice President of Support Services
Michelle Levy
Vice President of Development
Will Hoermann
Director of Admissions
Steve Larson
Villa Director
Brian Haddock
Ranch Director
Sally Fletcher
Village Director
Janis Bennett
Human Resources Director
Jerry Nicholson
Facilities Director
Jana Kay
Director of Training & Education
As birds herald a new day,
counselors begin rousing campers
from their sleep. What new
adventures await them on this
bright, summer day?
A trip to town, maybe? Tours
of Austin occur regularly during our
week long sessions. Campers may
visit the Texas Capitol Building, then
take in a show at the IMAX Theatre,
followed by a Duck Tour through
town in a bus that becomes a boat as
it plunges into Lady Bird Lake and
floats over for a look at Austin dam.
Or the day could include
horseback riding and a few lessons
on how to groom and care for our
equine friends. After a morning of
horsing around, campers are ready
for a swim in the pool.
In addition to providing a
week of fun, camp also gives them
a peek into daily life at The Ranch
and The Village communities. There
are opportunities to enjoy meals,
build friendships and participate
f It’s an active, exciting
We sw im almost everyday!
week at Camp Marbridge!
l Swimming
l Horseback riding
l Arts, crafts, music, games!
l Sports
l Community outings
I love to groom and ride the
horses in Marbridge’s
Equine Therapy Program!
Drum therapy is a blast!

3. pg. 3
Wish you
were here!
Our summer camp
cottage is so cozy!
We have big trees
all around us.
We visit t he Texas capito l
and other places around
Au stin. It’s so much fun!
in activities with many of our
residents. Camp can be beneficial
to young adults who may be
considering a future transition into
our post-secondary programs.
It’s a full week at Camp
Marbridge, one that many young
adults with special needs look
forward to summer after summer.
“Steven is living for the
moment when he can return to
Camp Marbridge,” says Debra
Moreno, mother of Steven Moreno,
who is featured on the front cover
of this issue. “You can tell how
happy he is with Camp Marbridge.
He feels very comfortable and loved
there, and I love that end-of-session
party, where the kids share what
they’ve done all week.”
With lots of room to roam
and many activities to choose from,
Marbridge Summer Camp offers
young adults a unique opportunity
to step out on their own in a safe
environment. They make new
friends, experience new activities,
and have fun in the process.
When it’s time to go home,
some are sad to see the good times
come to an end—but there’s always
next summer to look forward to!
2010 Summer Camp
Schedule
l Session 1: June 13-18
l Session 2: June 20-25
l Session 3: June 27-July 2
l Session 4: July 11-16
l Session 5: July 18-23
l Session 6: July 25-30
l Session 7: August 1-6
l Session 8: August 8-13
l Session 9: August 15-20
Our summer camp employs a full
time camp coordinator and full-time
counselors with experience
and/or training in special education
or related fields.
For more information,
visit us online at http://
www.marbridge.org/
admissions/summer-camp-
application.php
In Horticu lture Therapy, we learn about plants
and how to take care of them.

4. FEATURE STORY > pg.4 Learning about
The garden is our teacher.
We learn lessons about our relationship
with food, and that helps us make
healthy eating choices.
This year, residents in our Gardening
classes are hoping for a good, rain-filled
summer. Instructors Bryan
Webb and Mark Knox teach the
classes. They worked with our
facilities team last year to transform
the grounds around the Training &
Education office building into an
organic vegetable and herb garden—
and a classroom for residents.
As it turns out, the garden has
become a good teacher for everyone.
Bugs, weeds and drought plagued
their efforts in 2009.
“Gardening mirrors life, in
that there are successes and failures,”
said Knox. “We enjoy our successes
and try to learn from our
failures. Residents
also can learn
how plants
grow and what some of the foods
they eat look like while they are
growing. Gardening also provides
lessons in patience, commitment and
teamwork.”
Slowly, but surely, they are
learning to garden. Despite setbacks,
last year they produced a harvest that
helped residents in the independent
cottages learn to cook. But last year’s
drought did convince the instructors
to install a rainwater collection system.
Two large barrels now flank the herb
garden. Pipes running from the
barrels to the roof collect the
rain for days when none
will fall.
This spring,
the two Garden classes
planted a variety of herbs
and vegetables, most of
Above, the capable hands of Jesse Russell
help residents start most of the plants that
grow in our vegetable and herb gardens,
including the row of Boston lettuce at
right. Here, resident Sarah Shepherd
and instructor Bryan Webb add
basil plants to the
herb garden.

5. pg. 5
Our new butterfly
garden teaches
us about the
beauty of
nature.
Worms and compost help us understand
the natural cycle of life.
which were started from seed by
our Horticultural Therapy classes.
If you meander down the
neat rows of Swiss chard, basil and
lettuce, you’ll see a large mound of
dirt on the right. That’s our worm
garden. It serves the lofty purpose
of supplying bait for our Fishing
Class, but it also provides lessons
on how worms help prepare and
enrich soil for plants.
Beyond the worm pile, in
the corner of the back lot sits our
compost bin. Residents regularly
add garden clippings, damaged
vegetables and other organic
matter. They learn about the cycle
of life and how it helps keep the
earth healthy.
After months of work,
harvest time brings residents a
sense of accomplishment. Those
in the independent cottages turn
the garden into their grocery store,
picking fresh vegetables and herbs
for the nightly meal.
“A lot of residents in the
Gardening classes like to eat the
produce right off the plant,” said
Webb.
And why not? It’s all from
the good earth.
Above, Ken Holfus examines an earthworm from
the worm plot; Doug Dillman harvests collard greens
in the middle photo, and John Perry adds to the
compost pile below.
This spring, residents in our
Horticulture Therapy class re-purposed
a small garden plot
beside the greenhouse. They
germinated purple, red and
yellow butterfly weeds to plant
there, and they learned the
importance of creating habitat.
“As humans, we take
from the earth, and this is a way
to give back,” said horticulture
instructor Jesse Russell. He said
the butterfly garden will also
serve as a place
where residents
can gather, relax
and watch the
butterflies.
Color attracts
butterflies, and that’s
why the class planted seeds of
many different colors of butterfly
weeds. Since the flowers are
perennial, the class doesn’t expect
to see too many butterflies until
next spring when the plants will
finally begin to bloom. But they
know that this spring they gave
back by planting the seeds for a
new wildlife habitat.
Horticulture instructor
Jesse Russell shows
Amy Morby
the bloom on a
butterfly weed
they will soon plant
in our new
butterfly
garden.

6. OUR COMMUNITY > pg.6
As warm weather arrives, we celebrate with Inside/Out
and the Village Block Party!
Blue skies and warm sun brought residents out in droves
for Inside/Out, a celebration that provided a fun alterna-tive
to the classroom setting.
“By taking the lessons outside, we allow residents
to participate in training they haven’t taken,” said Jan
Meeks, art instructor. Residents enjoyed drum therapy,
healthy snacks that reinforce
healthy food choices and
a variety of activities
that represent
lessons commonly taught in skills-based training sessions.
“This event demonstrates how instructors are able
to teach a vast range of skills while keeping residents
active and engaged,” said Meeks.
In addition to the change of pace offered by
Inside/Out, residents also “jived” at our springtime
Block Party held at The Village community on April 10.
The Backtracks band, accompanied by resident pickers,
jammed through the cool spring evening while many
took to the pavement to dance.
Seth Felder accompanied the band at the Springtime
Block Party while many residents danced. Dancers
include, from left: Rob Battin, Jonathan Mettke, Ronnie
Reed, Kyle Gaeta, Matt Landry (partially visible) and
Kevin Vogt.
Above, Amy Koch leads residents in Drum Therapy at Inside/Out.

7. pg. 7
Resident employees on our grounds keeping team
spend extra time cleaning beds and installing plants—
all to restore warm weather beauty to our campus.
Residents who work on our
landscape crew learn the value
of employment, but they also get
lessons on the impact of weather.
Last summer’s drought
took a toll on many areas of our
campus landscaping. It increased
the amount of irrigation needed
and decreased the amount of
mowing. This winter and spring
abundant rain fell, and now the
crew is back to mowing everyday.
It’s a busy time of year
for the team. Not only do they
mow more, it’s also time for
spring cleaning. The record low
temperatures during the winter
created a landscape of frozen
plants that required cutting back.
Fallen leaves must also be cleaned
from flower beds and new plants
added.
This year, the landscape
crew decided to refurbish the
Senior Dorm garden and add a
new landscape bed behind the
Marbridge chapel.
“We never had this bed
looking this nice and clean,” said
Dan Beckmeyer of the work he
and Mike Kolb did in the Senior
Dorm garden. The two removed
thorn bushes and replaced them
with an avocado bush grown
from a seed by the Horticulture
Therapy class.
“We like to help out,”
said Mike Kolb, “It makes people
happy.”
For resident John Hunter,
the landscape crew provides a job
he truly enjoys.
“I really like this job,”
he said. “I’ve worked on the
landscape crew three months, but
it seems like yesterday when I
started.”
John is reaping the
benefits many residents receive
through employment­—
a sense
of value and purpose along with
opportunities to learn new skills.
“They rely on us to make
the property look better,” he says
of the residents, staff and visitors
to our campus.
Thanks to our landscape
crew, we can rest assured that
the grounds and flower beds at
Marbridge will continue to add
beauty and color to our days.
Above, a newly landscaped area complements the backside of the
Marbridge Chapel. At right, John Hunter and other members of the landscape
crew cleaned beds and added new plants in the Senior Dorm courtyard,
including an avocado tree planted by Mike Kolb, left, and Dan Beckmeyer.
Residents in Horticulture Therapy grew the tree from a seed.

8. RESIDENT LIFE > pg 8
Resident
Employment Update
Sarah Shepherd
began a new job in
April as a lunchroom
monitor at Tobias
Elementary School.
Good luck, Sarah!
Through equine therapy she experiences success—
and builds confidence
Even though she is legally blind,
Sylvia Hermes wanted to prove that
she could compete in the showman-ship
event at the Golden Stirrup
equine competition held at the Austin
Rodeo in March. Horses’ hooves
create many pits and gouges in the
ground of the competition arena,
and Sylvia knew she would have to
guide her horse and make turns as
the judge circles around the animal.
For a person with limited sight, it
would be a difficult challenge. But
Sylvia felt she was up for it.
She practiced all semester,
gradually convincing equine coordinator
Shonda Corn that she was ready for
the event.
Sylvia began her journey
to the Golden Stirrup competition
three years ago, when she began to
take Equine Therapy classes. At first
she was shy around the big animals,
but gradually, as she learned how to
approach them, touch them and then
groom the horses, she gained
confidence.
“We were a little surprised to
learn that she was into horses,” says
Mary Hermes, Sylvia’s mother. “She
went to the state competition last
year, which was a big step up for
her.”
The culmination of her
success finally came at the Golden
Stirrup competition. Sylvia took first
place in her division!
“Sylvia enjoys the horses
and looks forward to riding,” said
Mrs. Hermes. It’s a wonderful
program and very worthwhile.”
Sylvia Hermes holds her first-place
trophy and ribbon won at the Golden
Stirrup competition in March.
Barrett Minor
landed a job in the
Ranch Dietary
Department helping
with food prep.
Way to go, Barrett!
Daniel Stevenson
started a new job in
April as a dish-washer
in the Ranch
Dietary Department.
We wish you well,
Daniel!
Buda YMCA marks one
year as a Marbridge
employment partner
Congratulations to the Buda YMCA
for reaching the one-year mark as our
employment partner. Resident Lynn
Thomas was hired one year ago to help
maintain the workout facilities, women’s
locker rooms, and family locker rooms.
Lynn’s supervisor, Travis Green, says
that Lynn does an excellent job and has
become a special part of their community.
Like many other employers, the Buda
YMCA recognizes that Marbridge
provides well trained employment
candidates!

9. pg.9
Our 2010 Project SEARCH graduates, from left: Brooke Duren, Kyle Leyden, Brendan Kelly,
Justin Dick, Bryan Barnett and Luke Stenftenagel.
Project SEARCH graduates third class of interns
Project SEARCH at Seton Medical
Center Austin is the first program
of its kind in Texas. The partnership
between Marbridge and the Seton
Family of Hospitals began in
the fall of 2007 with six interns
and three participating hospital
departments—Environmental
Services, Food Services and Sterile
Processing. Out of this first class,
three Project SEARCH graduates
found employment at Seton, while
others took their newly developed
skills to search for employment
opportunities in the community.
In its second year, Project
SEARCH developed internships in
several new departments, including
Supply Processing and Distribution,
Clinical Lab, Surgical Services, and
Medical Administration. Four of the
six graduating interns in the class
of 2009 found positions at Seton,
and all received important job skills
training and lasting professional
contacts.
Now at the end of its third
year, Project SEARCH interns and
graduates work in 11 departments
throughout the hospital. Six
Project SEARCH graduates have
maintained employment with Seton
Medical Center Austin.
Six more residents are ready
for competitive employment!
Individual Updates
Each issue of Marbridge LIFE contains a
progress report on some of the residents who
currently participate in Project SEARCH. Last
issue we reported on Brooke Duren and Bryan
Barnett. Here’s the progress made by the four
remaining residents in the program:
Luke Stenftenagel
tried his hand in
the Food Services
Department during
the second rotation
of Project SEARCH.
Each morning, Luke
worked in the dish room
loading the industrial
dish machine. He was the first Project
SEARCH intern to have been given this large
responsibility, and he did a great job, taking
ownership of the task. Luke also worked on
the fast-paced patient tray line, which requires
great attention to detail. Luke mastered the
skill, and learned the importance of teamwork.
Brendan Kelly
completed his second
rotation with the
Health Information
Management. His main
responsibility was to
sort and file patient
records using tertiary
ordering. Brendan met
the challenge and learned the department’s
complex filing systems. The transferable skills
Brendan acquired during this rotation will
help him as he moves into the competitive
workplace.
Kyle Leyden met
a great need in the
Environmental Services
Department by keeping
the flu season kiosks
clean and stocked with
hand sanitizer, face
masks and tissues.
Kyle’s thoroughness in
this task was essential and was one of many
efforts to keep both the H1N1 and seasonal flu
under control.
Justin Dick worked in
Supply Processing &
Distribution (SPD) for
his second rotation.
He restocked linen
carts throughout the
hospital and made sure
the other departments
were fully stocked with
linens needed for a full day of patient care.
Justin proved himself to be a truly valuable
member of the SPD team and impressed his
coworkers and supervisors with his strong
work ethic.

10. OUR VOLUNTEER ARMY > pg.8
Scott Cary
Volunteer of the Year
Scott Cary has volunteered as a Special Olympics coach at Marbridge for 16 years and
has served as master of ceremonies at our Sports Banquets. This year, he received the
esteemed Volunteer of the Year award for his selfless gifts of time over the years. Scott,
center, was presented his award by Scott McAvoy, vice president of operations, and James
Stacey, president of Marbridge.
The 2010 Volunteer Appreciation Banquet
provided a time to relax in a creek side
setting, visit old friends and make new ones
and reflect upon the tremendous gifts of
time, treasure and talent that our volunteers
give to the residents of Marbridge. Last year,
more than 178 individuals and 28 groups
donated in excess of 13,580 hours of service
that saved Marbridge an estimated $283,143.
But their greatest gift is the joy they bring
to the lives of our residents. On behalf of
them, the staff and the families connected to
Marbridge, we extend our most sincere
Karen Little belongs to The Oak Leaves, which traces its service to Marbridge back 25
years. She has volunteered at Marbridge for nine years. She also serves on the Benevon
Development Team and participates in our monthly JAM (Just About Marbridge) Sessions to
introduce visitors to Marbridge. For her contributions, Karen was presented the Outstanding
Commitment award. James Stacey, president of Marbridge, presented the award to Karen.
The members of Come Drum for Fun bring a fun energy to our
campus and have taught us the value of drum therapy for people with
special needs. From left: Sandy Smith, Nick Batik, Mae Stoll
and Margaret Weston.
Karen Little
Outstanding Commitment
Come Drum for Fun
Volunteer Group of the Year

11. pg. 9
Current
Volunteer
Opportunities
Office Assistant
Ideal Time Commitment:
2 to 4 hours weekly or biweekly
Area of Involvement: Administration
Role: We need help with light office work
such as mailings, filing, and other duties.
Office hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm M-F,
and volunteer time may be flexible within
those operating hours and days.
Greenhouse Care
Ideal Time Commitment:
Weekly: Tues., Wed. or Thurs.,
Area of Involvement:
Horticultural Therapy Center
Role: We are in need of assistance with
weeding and general care for plants in
our main greenhouse.
Grocery Shopping & Cooking
Mentor
Ideal Time Commitment:
Weekly: Thursday afternoons
Area of Involvement: The Village
Role: Many of our Village residents cook
their own meals. Volunteers are needed
to assist them at the grocery store
once a week and help them with meal
planning and learning new recipes.
Personal Mentor
Ideal Time Commitment:
8 to 10 hours per month
Area of Involvement: Campus-wide
Role: Mentors work with one resident
and commit to spending time each week
or every other week with the resident to
act as a positive role model. Volunteer
mentors may assist with fun town trips
to movies, restaurants, shopping, sport
events and other leisure activities.
Top photo:
The Bourgeacq Family, who volunteer at
The Villa, greets their friend, Bud O’Neal.
2nd row, left photo: The Rockin’
Chairettes lead the way in a line dance to
excellent music provided by The Derailers.
Right photo shows a gathering of people
early in the event, which was held at the
Salt Lick Pavilion.
3rd row, left: Matt Cabrera took a stroll
down to watch the creek tumble over an
embankment. Middle: Chairman of the
Board Eddie Dick dances with his wife,
LouAnn. Right: A group of volunteers
checks the evening line-up while visiting.
Bottom: Destinee Greene was an easy
choice for Outstanding Gift of Time. To
date, she has donated more than 600
hours to the residents of The Villa. Steve
Larson, Villa director, presented the award.
Destinee Greene
Outstanding Gift of Time
Many thanks to
The Derailers for providing
excellent music for both
dancing and listening at our
Volunteer Appreciation
Banquet.
You were awesome!

12. MIRACLE OPPORTUNITIES > pg.12
The Dream Team launches an effort to build Victory Hall,
a much-needed facility for athletic training and special events
The Marbridge Dream Team includes residents, family members, business people and Marbridge staff. From left, front row: Cathy Cabrera, Bell Cabrera Marketing
Services; Kevin McCutchon, Village resident; Dr. Teri Albright; James Stacey, Marbridge president, Michelle Levy, Marbridge vice president of development; Tom Leyden,
associate executive director of the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals; Dan Beckmeyer, Village resident; Luke Sanchez, Byram Properties. Second row,
from left: Craig Nasso, architect; Jennifer Walker, director of marketing communications, Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau; Brent Kelly, community representative,
Austin Police Department; Hughie Shaw, Marbridge coach; Cindy Kirby, director of high school services, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals; Scott McAvoy,
Marbridge vice president of operations; Gary Manley, president, Iron Cactus Restaurants; Jeff Kauffmann, assistant vice chancellor, UT Systems. Not pictured: Mark
Tester, director, Austin Convention Center; Pam Owens, I Live Here/I Give Here; State Representative Valinda Bolton.
A group of concerned and committed individuals met in
January of this year to discuss the pressing need for an
athletic facility at Marbridge. The sale in 2006 of
Mabee Village included the gym facility that coaches and
instructors utilized for exercise classes and team practice
sessions. At the end of the meeting, each person in at-tendance
committed to becoming an active participant in
the Dream Team. They would dream it, then build it.
Leading the team is Tom Leyden, the principal
organizer and father of Kyle Leyden, a resident of The
Village at Marbridge. Tom knows firsthand the tremen-dous
challenges that the Marbridge coaching staff now
face in trying to find and procure athletic facilities for
team practices. Exercise classes had to be moved around
as well, with some taking place outside and others at
earlier hours to avoid the heat on hot weather days.
“Tom has done a tremendous job in organiz-ing
the Dream Team, and the team itself is an amaz-ing
group of highly qualified individuals who bring an
impressive depth of experience and knowledge to their
various areas of service,” said James Stacey, Marbridge
president.
As initial architectural plans are firming up, the
team has also begun to develop fund-raising and com-munication
strategies to get the dirt moving to build
Victory Hall, a modern athletic and event center that will
serve residents and the community for many years.
The Dream Team seeks to build a facility that will replace the existing gym, which was constructed in the 1950s and is
neither heated nor air conditioned and is far too small to meet current resident needs. The rendering below envisions
a facility that would include a basketball court, an indoor track, a weight and wellness room, staging for performances
and offices and multi-purpose rooms. The facility is planned to serve Marbridge residents as well as the community.

13. pg. 13
The
Important Item
Wish List
The Village
• George Foreman Grill or Panini Press
Why: We need it to prepare grilled foods for
residents with special dietary needs.
The Ranch
• Gift cards or donations to purchase twin-size
sheets, pillow cases and comforters
Why: Our bed clothes need to be replaced!
The Villa
• Cookie Baker
Why: The residents would truly enjoy a snack
break with chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies!
Training & Education
• Repairs and a small addition to horse barn
Why: With new construction in the area , last
summer’s drought and this spring’s rainfall, our
barn now experiences flooding when it rains.
For other donations,
contact Michelle Levy,
vice president of development,
at 512-282-1144,
ext. 1006, or
mlevy@marbridge.org
Friends of Marbridge in
Texas now have another
way to provide financial
support—at no extra cost—
while you grocery shop!
Focus Groups provide helpful input for design of
a new dormitory facility
Above, the footprint of the complex includes
two courtyard areas for outside gathering
and leisure activities. The layout provides
optimal placement of staff in relation to
resident rooms, as well as ample office
space. The facility will incorporate a fully
functioning kitchen and dining hall, as well
as a recreational room and all-purpose room
for events and meetings.
The resident rooms, at right, feature a suite-style
arrangement. Each resident will have
his/her own room with a shared bath. The
rooms will also include large, walk-in closets
for ample storage of clothing and other
personal items.
Randalls grocery stores offer
customers a way to donate
dollars simply by linking their
Remarkable card to Marbridge.
A portion of each purchase will
then be donated to Marbridge.
“We are thrilled!” said Amelia
Mettke, parent of Jonathan, a
Ranch resident who lives in the
Winters Dorm. She has participated
in two focus group studies to provide
feedback on plans for a dorm to
replace Winters, which was built in
the 1960s.
“I think it’s going to be
a beautiful complex. Jonathan is
already excited about it.”
Mrs. Mettke particularly
likes the location of staff areas,
which provide improved supervisory
capabilities over previous plans.
She also likes the green areas and
outdoor gathering spots that were
incorporated into the design. But
her favorite part is the suite design
of resident quarters, which feature
two individual rooms, a large
shared bath and ample storage.
“We’re thrilled,” she repeated,
“that something new like this is go-ing
to happen at Marbridge.”

14. STAFF & FAMILY NEWS > pg. 14
Sixty-nine and
counting--that’s
how many families
have joined MPFA
so far this year! We
are very pleased
with that number,
but we hope those of you who
haven’t joined yet will do so.
We are planning an MPFA
Family Day on Saturday, June
12th, and we would love for as
many of you as possible to attend.
We will meet in the chapel on the
Marbridge campus from 10 a.m.
to 12 noon. The Marbridge staff
will do a presentation on all the
exciting happenings at Marbridge.
More than likely you will hear some
interesting facts about Marbridge
that you were not aware of
previously. Immediately following
the staff presentation, we will have
a brief business meeting.
After that we will pick up
our loved ones and go to lunch as
a group. We will be going to the
Salt Lick, a renowned barbecue
restaurant close to Marbridge—with
lots of character and good food!
The menu and costs can be found
at their web site http://www.
saltlickbbq.com.
Come and join us for food,
fellowship, and fun on MPFA
Family Day! We hope to see you
there and look forward to getting
acquainted with you.
Lana Levins
Treasurer
Weaves an e-Tapestry
These days, Suzanne Johnson’s
favorite tune may well be the old
standard, “Getting To Know You.”
That’s because she has spent the
past nine months getting to know
the residents, family members and
friends of Marbridge contained
in our old database to make sure
the information is correct. It was a
herculean effort, all aimed toward
an eventual upload of the records
into a new and more efficient soft-ware
system called “eTapestry.”
Unlike most database
systems, eTapestry was designed
to run on the Internet. It employs
the latest technology and provides
a sophisticated system that is
simpler to maintain, costs less to
operate and provides the ability to
customize features to meet spe-cific
needs.
Suzanne loves the new
ability to plan events and track
attendance through online regis-trations,
and she’s equally excited
that e-Tapestry integrates well
with the Marbridge Web site.
“It can process donations
made online through our site,
and it’s available 24/7, 365 days
a year,” she said. The security
is a plus, too, as is the back-up
service—double back-ups occur
daily to two separate off site
locations in the U.S.
Volunteer John Crosby
also played a vital role in the
conversion.
“He was very instrumental
in helping us through this transi-tion,”
said Suzanne.
“It’s one more way people
who support Marbridge can be
assured that we know them as
people, that we know their wishes
and honor them.”

15. Staff News pg. 15
5-year service recognitions
Rita Marchan
Lead Housekeeper
The Villa
Rita is a valued Villa employee who
always comes to work enthusiastic
and full of energy. She motivates
other employees and is always look-ing
for ways to improve upon her
work. Rita has been very support-ive
in sharing ideas that will help
solve problems or fix areas of con-cern.
Her dedication, hard work,
patience, and care for our residents
have made Rita an important part of
the Villa team. She truly goes above
and beyond what is expected.
10-year
Service Award
Sandra Miles Hicks
Nurse Assistant
The Ranch
Sandra’s knowledge of
her area and the residents’
personal histories makes her
a cornerstone in the Ranch
Nursing Department. She helps
maintain continuity of care and
demonstrates a high level of
commitment to the residents.
Her attention to detail and her
efficiency ensure we maintain
supplies of needed medications
and her support of our medical
staff is invaluable. Sandra is
a dedicated and responsible
employee and a valued member
of the Ranch team.
Kristen Boswell
Instructor
Training & Education
Kristen teaches Level 1 classes that
include Skills for Life, reading and
writing, math fundamentals and
money math. Kristen established
the Marbridge recycling program,
which is highly valued by both
residents and staff. On average,
Marbridge now recycles nearly four
tons of paper, cardboard, glass and
plastic waste products each month.
Kristen is a hard worker and a cre-ative
employee. Prior to joining the
T&E staff, Kristen worked as a resi-dent
trainer and earned the Premier
Employee award. She is a certified
yoga instructor and also teaches
Shape-Up, a fun form of dancing for
exercise. She also leads residents in
biking and walking for exercise.
Cynthia Casanova
Housekeeping Supervisor
The Villa
Cindy began her career at
Marbridge as a housekeeper
and was quickly promoted to
the Housekeeping and Laundry
supervisory position. She does a
commendable job to ensure that the
Villa is always presentable. Further,
Cyndi steps up to take on additional
projects, such as cleaning the Davis
Guest House and the Summer
Camp House. Cyndi is highly
dependable, yet flexible. She can be
seen at the Villa at all hours of the
day or night and even weekends,
performing the necessary jobs to
keep the Villa clean.
Kimberly Flores
Activity Coordinator
The Villa
As the recreational coordinator for
the Villa, Kimberly exhibits high
levels of patience when interacting
with the Villa residents. She always
goes out of her way to make the
residents happy and makes sure
their days are filled with activities
that keep them engaged and
entertained. She puts a smile on
everyone’s face on Fridays when
she brings her dog, Pinto, to the
Villa for all the residents to enjoy.
Kimberly is highly dependable
and always exhibits a pleasant
attitude to everyone. She is a valued
member of the Villa staff.
New admissions coordinator
will focus on The Bridges
Express Recover Center
Barbara Bush
Admissions Coordinator
The Villa & The Bridges
Barbara Bush has a famous name,
one she aims to connect in peoples’
minds with The Villa and now The
Bridges Express Recovery Center.
The new six-bed upscale rehab and
recovery center will open in mid-
June, and Barbara hopes to have it
filled in a short amount of time.
She comes to Marbridge with
more than 15 years of estate planning
and probate experience as well as
a practice in holistic health, which
incorporates physical/spiritual with
legal/financial needs. Barbara is a
certified senior advisor with training
in aging and the important issues
that affect seniors.

16. Marbridge Foundation
P.O. Box 2250
Manchaca, Texas 78652
Web: www.marbridge.org
E-mail: info@marbridge.org
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
On the cover:
Camper Steven Lafon discovers one of the
wonders of nature during his week at
Marbridge Summer Camp.
Marbridge provides a safe, loving community
where adult residents with cognitive
challenges can achieve their full potential
through Abilities Centered Training
with the opportunity for lifetime care.
Marbridge provides a broad spectrum of
services designed to meet each individual’s
specific needs through three distinct
communities—The Village, the Ranch and
the Villa—each providing a different level of
lifestyle support, guidance and supervision.
Non-Profit Organization
US Postage
Paid
Austin, Texas
Permit
No. 2900
Subscribe to our
biweekly email
newsletter—
LIFELines
For the latest, most up-to-date news
about Marbridge, let us throw you
a LIFELine! Our e-newsletter is full
of short, entertaining stories, plus
information on upcoming events and
happenings both on-campus and off!
To subscribe, contact
Suzanne Johnson at
sjohnson@marbridge.org.
To see back issues of LIFELines, visit
http://www.marbridge.org/news/
and click on Marbridge LIFELines in
the right column.
Get the latest e-news!