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Put your financial donation to work in your community.

Supporting adults with disabilities to enjoy active and fulfilling lives.

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Jennifer Ott

Jennifer has been with Goodwill since June of 2008 when she became the Program Supervisor of the Pewaukee Adult Center. She was promoted to Assistant Program Manager of the Waukesha Day Service Center in October of 2011. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Psychology from Carroll College, a Certificate in Non-Profit Business Management from the UWM and is trained as a Lean Project Facilitator. Prior to working at Goodwill, she was in healthcare management.

Recent Posts

It Takes a Village

Posted by Jennifer Ott on Oct 3, 2018 1:10:36 PM

The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” suggests that a child does not grow just within the four walls of their home and just with care from their parent(s) but rather, a child grows within their community (their village) and in a social world with input, tools and understanding from the village as a whole.

This adage translates well in reference to the participants who receive adult day services at the Waukesha Community Service Center.

Goodwill alone cannot provide all the necessary, expected and deserved supportive services for our participants. We must build partnerships, nurture relationships and utilize supports from our community-at-large. Without the village, our day service program would not flourish as we do, would not be the recognized leader in adult day programming, and would not be able to support the growth of our participants in their independence and goals.

Contributions from our community have impacted our program and participants in ways that words cannot begin to describe. Donations from corporations and individuals have allowed us to provide special enhancements such as weekly music therapy, community outings to museums, restaurants and performances, as well as equipment and supplies that bring excitement and creativity to the lives of our participants.

In the past several months, our program has been able to purchase an arcade basketball game, a manicure table, couches, art supplies and games. We have been generously accommodated by local establishments and have had the opportunity to showcase the talents of our participants at community businesses.

The participants at the Waukesha Adult Day Service Center continue to grow and be inspired thanks to the acknowledgement of their community, and the tools and resources made available to them.

It truly does take a village and for your input, resources and understanding, we thank you. Read More

The Goodwill Way – A Way of Life at the Waukesha Adult Day Program

Posted by Jennifer Ott on Feb 26, 2018 9:00:00 AM

What is the Goodwill Way? Well, it’s how we do things and how we define who we are—basically it’s how we work together at Goodwill. We have these things called guiding principles that help direct our actions. They are: Inspired by People, Power of the Whole and Results Matter. These three principles are at the heart of what we do each and every day.

These are new concepts for all of us; staff and participants alike. Looking for ways to simplify and recognize these guiding principles was important to us. Over the course of several participant council meetings, we tackled each principle and determined how we interpret it and what we can do to demonstrate our knowledge of it.

Participants, with the help of staff, simplified the guiding principles to make better sense of them:

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Students learn a lot through Senior Shared Life program

Posted by Jennifer Ott on Apr 20, 2017 1:02:16 PM

Each year, Marquette University High School (MUHS) seniors volunteer at Goodwill’s Day Services as part of the school’s Senior Shared Life program. This year, two young men helped at the Waukesha Adult Center (WAC) and one young man helped at the Community Opportunities Club (COC) South. Although the Goodwill participants and staff received a great deal of help and happiness from the three students, it was the men themselves who feel that they were rewarded even more.

Jack Sheffield of Cedarburg and Jake Klenz of Muskego, both volunteered at Goodwill’s WAC. Jack also works at the Goodwill Store & Donation Center in Grafton and that was the reason why he chose Goodwill for his Shared Life assignment. “The Shared Life program usually has opportunities in nursing homes, schools, and places with underprivileged children. Because I knew about the [Goodwill] day centers, I asked to work there,” said Jack. “Probably the biggest thing I learned was how welcoming everyone was to me, a stranger. The participants are really friendly to everyone they meet. They are so neat.” Jack’s highlight of each day was reading the newspaper to the participants. Jack’s future plans include studying at UW-Madison for a degree in law, eventually becoming an attorney.

Jake Klenz was intrigued by the ability of participants to communicate so well – nonverbally. He learned how to connect with them using gestures, expressions and other signs. “I was fascinated by their ability to adapt and be creative in their communication. They were perfectly fine figuring out how to tell me things,” he said. “They have a lot to say and aren’t going to let obstacles stop them from saying it. I was really impressed with them.” After graduation from MUHS, Jake plans to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland to study Chemical Engineering. After four years of college, he will have five years of service to complete for the Navy. His favorite memory of his time at Goodwill was making the Mardi Gras masks. “The creativity of it all was amazing. There was glitter everywhere; ribbons were hanging off of the masks; feathers were flying through the air. And all the participants were so happy having all that fun!”

John Wallace, an Eagle Scout from Milwaukee, had a very positive experience at COC South. Through his scouting, he had previously worked with people with special needs and found it quite rewarding. In fact, John knew one of the participants at COC South from the LeFeber Northwoods Camp last year, where John was a counselor and the participant was a camper!

John’s future plans include entering the Navy Reserve and studying IT. In 2018, he wants to attend UW-Platteville and major in Mechanical Engineering. One of the surprising things he learned from working at Goodwill is that we have many services at Naval Station Great Lakes, where he will undergo basic training. He was thrilled to find out that Goodwill issues uniforms, sorts mail, and handles food service in the galleys. “That will be a cool continuation of my Goodwill connection,” he said.

When asked about his favorite memories of his Shared Life experience at Goodwill, John reminisced, “Al’s and Marvin’s personalities remind me so much of my grandfather. They joke around just like him and love playing games – especially cards – just like my grandfather.” The biggest thing he learned from COC South: “We’re all pretty much the same. Each of us has certain abilities and every one of us has different disabilities, if you stop and think about it. We’re not really that different from one another.” Read More

Goodwill Day Services wants to thank you for your generosity

Posted by Jennifer Ott on Jan 13, 2017 2:43:06 PM

Last summer, Kathy, one of our Day Services Recreation Assistants, spent a Saturday walking around Madison Art on the Square in Madison, WI. This is a neat event where vendors display and sell their works of art.

Read More

Sit down, relax and put your feet up on the Goodwill patio

Posted by Jennifer Ott on Sep 14, 2016 2:36:16 PM

If a person was to call the Goodwill Adult Day Center in Waukesha these days, they might hear this voicemail message, “Participants and staff at the Waukesha Adult Center are unable to take your call as we are all outside enjoying our new patio. Instead of leaving us a message – why don’t you just come on over and join us!” Beep.

For years, the participants have wished for an outdoor space that could be utilized for group activities, was safe, accessible and beautiful. Their wish came true! With funds provided by generous donors and local foundations, and after months of planning, construction, and waiting patiently, the patio has been completed.

Living in Wisconsin requires us to spend a lot of time inside; especially during the cold months. So having an outdoor space to use during the limited months of pleasant weather is a special blessing. Many of the activities that our participants enjoy doing can now be done outside. From gardening and feeding the birds to having lemonade and picnics, the patio will give us a wonderful space to revel in these activities. Science class and sensory groups, along with music and exercise, can now be done with the sun shining on our faces and the breeze blowing in our hair.

When asked what we should do first on the new patio, Justin said, “Now we can sit down, relax and put our feet up.” We all are in agreement!

Thank you to all of our friends, family, and donors who made this patio a reality. As we sit in the sun and feel the cool breeze brush against our faces, we will remember your generosity and be thankful for years to come. Read More

A Healthy Lifestyle is Always a Winner

Posted by Jennifer Ott on Mar 10, 2016 1:19:29 PM

At Goodwill we believe the power of work transforms lives, and we also believe the power of exercise does too! That’s why our team at the Day Service Center in Waukesha has started a weekly walking challenge for our participants!

Our center is very lucky to have Recreation Assistant, John Megan, who is an active runner and coach. So, it was not a surprise when John presented this idea to us. This friendly competition began as a way to increase our participants’ physical activity, develop awareness of healthy lifestyle choices, and increase interactions with their peers.

Now through the end of May each participant who chooses to take the walking challenge will wear a pedometer and earn points. Each week they can walk with John individually or as a group. It’s completely up to them. The points are tracked and then logged on a chart that is displayed in our program area for all to see.

Not only will our participants enjoy the benefits of walking, they will also benefit from a sit down session with John to discuss other healthy lifestyles such as drinking water, eating the right foods, getting a good night sleep, and personal hygiene.

Almost all of our program participants have joined the challenge, which is great. We do, have one special participant who is taking this challenge very seriously. Her name is Alissa. She loves that John started the walking challenge and enjoys seeing her points accumulate on the chart each week. Most of all, she enjoys being cheered on by her friends and staff members as she walks!

Each person who participates in the walking challenge will receive a prize and the top point earners will be given an award. It’s so encouraging to me to see our participants get excited about fitness, and so fun to witness their competitive spirits. If you’d like to learn more about activities at our Waukesha Day Service Center feel free to send me an email at jennifer.ott@goodwillsew.com.

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Looking to Give Back To Your Community? Volunteer at Goodwill!

Posted by Jennifer Ott on Aug 6, 2015 9:49:18 AM

Goodwill has many opportunities throughout the organization for volunteers to assist with carrying out our mission. Some of these opportunities are available in the Day Services department. Those who volunteer their time and talents within the Day Services programs directly and positively impact the lives of adults with disabilities! Assisting with group activities, engaging participants one at a time in conversation, or providing staff with an extra set of hands, are all ways that volunteers contribute to the success of the program.
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