Alec is a senior at University of Indianapolis working on both his master’s and his bachelor’s degrees. According to Alec, being busy means he is never bored. His quest to stay busy led him to his desire for an internship opportunity arranged through his school and the College InternXperience program at Easterseals Crossroads. In its seventh year, the program partners with eight local colleges to help recruit qualified students who have a diagnosis of autism.

“I have seen less anxiety and increased confidence with students who participate in an internship. The program benefits employers because they learn more about inclusion, which is essential for work environments,” said Easterseals Crossroads program specialist Rhonda Wood.

Alec’s skills and interests made him a terrific candidate for an analyst position in the Treasures of the Earth exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Alex researches in the lab and fields questions in the exhibit.

“The internship has given me confidence. I now know that I want teaching position in my field of study,” said Alec. “It feels amazing to know that I’m teaching someone and that they’ve learned something from me.”

“Partnerships with community organizations are very important because no organization can do it all alone; creating a better community depends on different voices working together to make that happen. We want families who visit our museum to see themselves in our workforce and Easterseals Crossroads helps make that happen,” said Grant Goshorn, STEM Galleries Interpretation Manager, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Watch the brief video below to learn more about Alec and his internship.

George and Geofferey are mom Frankie’s miracles and little angels. When Frankie was seven weeks pregnant, her husband was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. He knew Frankie was pregnant, but passed away before he learned that she would have twins.

When the boys were 15 months, Frankie began to see signs that Geofferey’s development might be delayed and a few months later saw signs with George. She learned that both boys did have autism.

The boys have been involved in autism and behavior programs at Easterseals Crossroads ever since. They are now 5 years old and just graduated from early childhood classes; they are ready socially and academically for kindergarten and their futures.

“Parents of children with autism don’t always know the right thing to do. Having a team has meant all the difference — it has made me realize that I am not alone. I don’t have to be afraid of things that are different because they are different for the better,” said Frankie.

 Having boys with autism didn’t bring negativity into my life; it brought light. I have learned that you accept your life and you create your story. And with Easterseals Crossroads as a part of my story, it will have a much better outcome for George and Geofferey, said Frankie.

Watch the brief video below to learn more about George and Geofferey.

written by Will Baker, video producer and writer

Easterseals Crossroads Provides Military Veterans With More Than Just Assistance

“Thanks to Easterseals Crossroads, I realized I could turn my life around if I decided to work hard and go for it,” said Deanna, a US Army veteran with a disability. “They supported me, gave me a shoulder to lean on, and provided the first steps to get my life back on track.”

Deanna, a soft-spoken woman who brings a spark of joy to every room she’s in, first came to Easterseals Crossroads in October of 2021, arriving in Indianapolis from North Carolina with the clothes on her back. “I didn’t have any of my identification documents with me. I was struggling with mental illness. I didn’t even have a coat. But the VA hospital put me in contact with John Goings.”

Goings is the Director of Veteran Services at Easterseals Crossroads–he’s a big man, beard down to his chest, with an even bigger personality–you can’t help but smile when you talk to him. “When the VA told me about Deanna, I immediately got in touch with her,” he said. “When I picked her up in my truck, she was real quiet–I would have been too. Strange guy, strange city. But after a few minutes, she really warmed up and started making little jokes here and there–things she was seeing in the city. When we got to my office, we sat up there for probably two hours, doing paperwork, and just getting to know each other. I didn’t dig deep into her situation–I’m not a social worker–I just wanted to find out what she was experiencing so I could best help her.”

Deanna now works at the same VA hospital that first connected her with Goings and Easterseals Crossroads. She was wearing her blue hospital scrubs for our interview, an ID tag hanging from the Army lanyard around her neck. At first, she was quiet and reserved, much like when she first met John ten months prior. And while her story has a happy ending, it was a series of traumatic events that first caused her to need the assistance of Easterseals Crossroads.

“I was a specialist in the Army, and I ended up getting medically discharged after a freak accident involving a duty truck.” She was reading her story softly off of prepared notes. “I dislocated my shoulder and was given the option to come home, so I did.” She stopped to collect herself, “Last spring, another tragic event took place. I was expecting a child, and the pregnancy,” she pauses again, longer this time, taking deep breaths. “The pregnancy did not last. And after that, I was really mentally off my game. Depression set in.”

Deanna said she knew she needed to do something to get her life back on track. “I was at a place in my life where I understood that I had so much more life to live. But depression and mental illness are real, and if you don’t get the help you need and get things under control, you can spiral, and it’s a very dark and lonely road. But finding the resources and the people who were willing to help veterans made a big difference in my life.”

“Deanna has been a workhorse from the beginning,” Goings said with his big, signature smile. “She was determined to get things done, and she did a lot of the legwork involved in getting her birth certificate. It’s not an easy process, and it was made more difficult because she was born in Germany. As she worked to do that, we gave her job leads.”

Not only did Goings and the Easterseals Crossroads team help Deanna with job leads, they also made sure she had the clothing necessary to survive an Indiana winter. “I’m from North Carolina,” Deanna said, “and I had never seen snow last for more than a day or two!”

The team put together a custom plan for Deanna. “We figured out what steps I needed to follow to get back on track; honestly, the Easterseals Crossroads resources seemed unlimited. Anything I asked for, they were able to get for me, or put me in touch with the right person. They reminded me that I had skills from the Army and that I could apply those skills in a better career. I had inventory in my background, and I wanted to find a career in which I could do what I love and that I’m already pretty good at. So we zeroed in and targeted those opportunities.”

Deanna quickly found work in the VA’s compensated work therapy program. “That was the start of getting her into her career as an inventory specialist at the VA, which is where she wanted to be,” said Goings. “By working at the VA, she can finish out her federal time and buy back the time she served in the military, and earn her federal retirement.”

“I am finally in a place where I have full-time employment,” said Deanna. “I’ve got transportation; I am about to sign a lease and move into a comfortable place close to work–all the things I didn’t think I would have when I started this journey last year. I want to continue to do a great job and see where my career takes me in the next few years. The encouragement and the support that I received from Easterseals Crossroads–I hadn’t felt that kind of support since leaving my parents’ house after high school. And for me to be a disabled veteran, I know that so many of us are forgotten about or just caught up in the system.”

Goings said Easterseals Crossroads’ hands-on approach is what sets the agency apart from other programs, “we meet veterans where they are,” he explained. “We meet them on the streets. We meet them in parking lots because they may be living in a car. Our speed of service is our signature. We can provide services within a day–within a few minutes if it’s an emergency.”

Easterseals Crossroads helps 130 veterans a year as part of its grant program, with a 70% employment placement rate. “We actually engage hundreds more through events in various counties,” said Goings. “We go into the prisons; we go into the county jails; we try to assist as many as we can wherever they are.”

Goings said it’s easy for him to relate to what these men and women are going through, “I’ve been in some pretty awful positions myself. I lived in a ’74 Blazer at a truck stop for a while. In those situations, you learn how to adapt, just like you did in the military. The people we serve want to hear straight talk from me, directly, truthfully. I’m here to coach, but by creating a shared connection, I’m able to help our veterans redefine their abilities in new and modern ways by looking at what they did in the past with their jobs in the military and putting it to use in a job in the future.”

Goings said his staff works on the A-B-C principle – A job, a Better job, and a Career. “We’ve had everything from chefs to geospatial engineers come through. We move clients past that boring hourly job, and into the career they were looking for all along.”

As for Deanna, her experience with Goings and his staff was far more than she could have imagined. “A lot of different service providers make you do everything by yourself, but at Easterseals Crossroads, we did this together. They pushed me to reach my goals, and every accomplishment builds you back up.”

“With Deanna, I always said we spoke the same language,” Goings said. “I was able to connect with her on that level, aside from our military background. She still calls or texts me with random things, just to let me know she’s doing okay, or if she’s had a bad day. It’s good for her to know I’m here for her.”

“They treat me like family,” Deanna said. “There’s a sense of camaraderie, and a support system. I want my brothers and sisters in arms to know that it’s okay to ask for help, and that sometimes when you come home, it’s not the same home you left. But at Easterseals Crossroads, you can find a new family, and make the new home you need. The staff makes sure we know we’re appreciated for our service. They’re there for us–they have our six.”

As the interview was wrapping up, Deanna handed me her phone to take a picture of her in front of the American and POW flags. She said she wanted a nice, professionally lit photo for her profile picture. As we chatted, she was now fully at ease, her notes abandoned, and her personality was shining through. I asked her what she would say to anyone who was in a similar position to where she had been. “I’d say to them, if you’re having a hard time like I’ve had a hard time, and you’re struggling to find your balance and find support, I’d say reach out to Easterseals Crossroads. If you’re at their door, help is one step away.”

hosted by Jane Harper, an information security and risk expert

About Jane
Jane is a Senior Director of Information, Security Risk Management and Business Engagement, Eli Lilly and Company, as well as a member of our Easterseals Crossroads Board of Directors and a published author. Additionally, Jane serves on the board of the National Cyber Security Alliance, and she works actively with them to help everyone stay safe online.

 She is passionate about information security for all and she is excited to share some tips to help keep us safe online, compliments of NCSA. Every other month, Jane will share some key facts, stories and tips regarding online security.

October was Cyber Security Awareness Month and hot off the presses is some insight from Jane.

KEEP A CLEAN MACHINE. Keep all software on internet connected devices – including personal computers, smartphones and tablets – current to reduce risk of infection from ransomware and malware. If you want to “set it and forget it,” configure your devices to automatically update or to notify you when an update is available.

CREATE LONG, UNIQUE PASSWORDS. Length trumps complexity. The strongest passwords are at least 12 characters long and include letters, numbers and symbols. Ideally, your password is not recognizable as a word or phrase. Focus on positive sentences or phrases that you like to think about and are easy to remember, such as ILov3StayingSafeOnl1ne! (but don’t use that one). And, yes, you should have a unique password for each online account.

USE A PASSWORD MANAGER. The simplest, most secure way to manage unique passwords is through a password manager application. A password manager is software created to manage all your online credentials like usernames and passwords.

ENABLE MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION. Multi-factor authentication (MFA), sometimes called 2-factor authentication, adds a whole other level of security to your key accounts. MFA includes biometrics (think face ID scans or fingerprint access), security keys or apps that send you unique, one-time codes when you want to log on to a sensitive account.

THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK. What’s the most common way for cybercriminals to get your sensitive information? When you click on something you shouldn’t have. Malicious links in email, tweets, texts, posts, social media messages and malicious online advertising (known as malvertising) are a direct way for hackers to get your sensitive information. Don’t make it easy for them; be wary of clicking links or downloading anything that comes from a stranger or that you were not expecting.

REPORT PHISHING. One of the best ways to take down cybercriminals is by reporting phishing attempts, and nowadays its easier than ever. Most email programs and social media platforms allow you to report phishing attempts or mark it as spam. But don’t keep that phishing message around – delete it ASAP. You can further protect yourself by blocking the sender from your email program, social media platform or phone.

USE SECURE WI-FI. Public wireless networks and hotspots are unsecured, which means that anyone could potentially see what you are doing on your laptop or smartphone while you are connected to them. Limit what you do on public WiFi. Especially avoid logging in to key accounts like email and financial services. Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) or a personal/mobile hotspot if you need a more secure connection.

BACK IT UP. The best way to protect your valuable work, music, photos, data and other digital information is to make copies and store them safely. If you have a copy of your data and your device falls victim to ransomware or other cyber threats, you will be able to restore the data from a backup. If you break your computer or it crashes, you won’t lose the data along with the device.

CHECK YOUR SETTINGS. Every time you sign up for a new account, download a new app or get a new device, immediately configure the privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Regularly check these settings to make sure they are still configured to your comfort. Audit your apps, platforms and games every few months and delete ones you no longer use – then you don’t need to check their settings!

SHARE WITH CARE. Think before posting about yourself and others online. Consider what a post reveals, who might see it and how it might affect you or others.

Meet Lily. She is 21 years old and has been working alongside Sherri Negri, Lead Employment Consultant in our Employment Services program, to find meaningful and long-term employment. Lily has found just this through her job with Goodwill. “Lily has pushed herself to achieve her goals,” said Sherri.  “She has a positive outlook and a can-do attitude and is always a joy to be around. She has an extremely supportive family and Goodwill is a wonderful community partner.”

Easterseals Crossroads employment programs set themselves apart due in large part to the heart and hard work that our staff put into each case presented to them. Every case is customized based on the needs and abilities of the client. We provide a range of services to assist in developing their skills to obtain employment. We assist them through communication with employers, writing resumes and cover letters, completing applications, identifying job leads, improving interview skills, following up on applications, arranging internships, networking with area leaders, learning new and necessary skills, enhancing current skills, and connecting them with other services essential to living more independently.

Lily was already a hard worker when it came time to set her goals and find the right fit. “Effective communication was her biggest barrier,” mentioned Sherri when speaking about her time with Lily. “We took time up front to practice communication and interview skills. Lily took notes and practiced with her parents. She worked diligently to get this job. Once employed, we created cheat sheets for her for the time clock and clothing sizing. She is now able to do these tasks independently and her managers are extremely pleased with her job performance. Lily is also an extremely positive, polite, kind person and adds to an overall positive environment on her job.”

The independence has made such an impact on Lily too.  “Sherri made me feel like I could do whatever I set my mind to and always encouraged me. I now have a job I really like and my own money. I feel productive. I love that I can buy and do things now without having to ask my parents for money. I’m saving for a trip to London!”

Our employment staff do a lot of the work upfront to make sure that we are making a good employee/employer match. A good number of our candidates have gone on to be employee of the month and received increases in hours and consistent raises.

There are great advantages to employers in the community working alongside Easterseals Crossroads as they hire new employees. We provide them with qualified candidates who can fulfill their employment needs. We educate them on hiring skilled employees while creating a culture of inclusivity. In working with us, employers get an extra coach for their employee at no cost to them. We can provide long-term support as well for as long as that person is employed.

Lily was unsure of the type of job she wanted upon high school graduation. She loved fashion and travel; she would have loved the opportunity to work in Paris but knew that was not a realistic first job. However, she acknowledged that she wanted to be independent and productive while doing something she enjoyed.  Sherri and Lily spent time finding what her interests were, going on job site visits and shadowing employers in different positions, until Lily found a great fit.

“I can’t imagine trying to do all of this without the help from Easterseals and Sherri,” said Lily.  “There are so many people that have challenges and need help. It’s so nice to know that people care and that there are places like Goodwill and Easterseals in the community that give people with challenges a chance at a happy life.”