Thumb Industries,

The
A d v o c at e
Inc.

Highlights
in this
M a r c h 2 0 1 7
issue:
Gearing Up For
Spring
Gearing Up For Spring
Expanding Our seeds are
Recycling Efforts sprouting now
and will be for
Developmental
Disabilities
sale mid to late
Month May at our
Thrift Store
location.
Thumb Indus-
tries is excited
about offering and fall squash. We are
Thumb Industries, Inc. is flowers in addition to our hoping this fall that we will
gearing up for spring. produce and hope for a also have pumpkins availa-
Prepping in the green- successful growing season. ble. Last years dry condi-
Follow our Facebook tions and a drastic case of
page and website to blight took over our patch
track the progress and last year.
for additional infor-
Inside this mation as to when our
issue: flowers will be available
for sale.
Wellness Com- 3 This year we will once
house has begun and we
mittee again be selling our most
are getting ready to once
popular produce including,
Consumer of the 4 again offer fresh produce
broccoli, cauliflower, red
Month and new this year we will
and green peppers, toma-
also be selling flats of
toes, snap
flowers and hanging bas-
peas,
kets. The greenhouse has
beans, car-
planted flats of many
rots, cu-
popular annuals includ-
cumbers,
ing, pansies, impatiens,
as well as,
begonias, marigolds,
summer
mums and petunias. The
Page 2

Expanding Our Recycling Efforts

Thumb Industries, Inc. Thumb Industries Re- approved, Thumb In-
began their recycling cycling Center meet dustries Recycling Cen-
efforts in April 2009. their goals by applying ter looks to increase
Since 2009 our materi- for an infrastructure their commodity col-
als facility has kept grand through the lection by almost 25%.
4,361 tons of recycla- DEQ. In conjunction This goal would be ob-
ble commodities out with Materials Coordi- tained by expanding
of our local landfills. nator, Mark Brown efforts though the use
Currently Thumb In- and Community Out- of compartmentalized
dustries Recycling trailers into commu-
Center partners with 5 nities we currently do
Huron County school not reach including,
districts and Diva Dis- Caseville, Harbor
posal, a local waste Beach, Port Austin
contractor to increase and Pigeon. Also
recycling efforts and proposed in our grant
keep recyclable mate- application, is the
rials out of our land- purchase of a new,
fills, but want to con- reach Coordinator, more reliable truck to
tinue to increase recy- Danielle McKimmy transport commodities,
cling, educate and in- the group established and a conveyor system
crease awareness about goals and objectives in our facility to help
recycling in our com- for the recycling cen- make sorting plastics
munity. ter, discussed ideas and more efficient.
ways to meet these
In March, Thumb In- The grant application
goals and the necessary
dustries, Inc. Executive was due on March
equipment and tools to
Director, Rhonda 17th and we should re-
attain these goals.
Wisenbaugh applied ceive a response by the
for a grant to help If the grant were to be end of May.

Developmental Disabilities Month
The month of March
marked the 30th year of
Developmental Disabilities
Awareness Month. The
month highlights the many
ways in which people with
and without developmental
disabilities come together to
form strong and diverse
communities. It also serves
to celebrate the many con-
tributions people with de-
velopmental disabilities
make to our society.
Heres what Govenor Rick
Snyder had to say regarding
Developmental Disabilities
Awareness Month.
WHEREAS, approximately
57 million people nation
wide have a disability, and
of those approximately
178,606 people in Michigan
have a developmental disa-
bility; and,
WHEREAS, Michiganders
with and without disabilities
work together, play togeth-
Wellness Committee
Thumb Industries start-
ed a new initiative in
November of 2016.
Partnering with Laurie
Messing of the MSU
Extension Office, we
have formed a wellness
committee. The well-
er, worship together, learn
together and grow together;
and,
WHEREAS, every person,
regardless of their ability,
has valuable strengths, an
infinite capacity to learn and
the potential to make im-
portant contributions to their
local communities; and,
WHEREAS, celebrating the
abilities and contributions of
people with developmental
disabilities can only serve to
enrich the communities of
Michigan and enhance our
diversity; and,
ness committees main
objective is to create
health awareness and
healthy habits. Among
Thumb Industrys em-
ployees and consumers.
We have begun to post
communications at all
Page 3
WHEREAS, families of peo-
ple with developmental dis-
abilities deserve our admi-
ration and recognition for
their caring commitment
and ongoing support that
are both essential to an in-
dependent and productive
life; and,
WHEREAS, during this
month, we join with the
Michigan Department of
Health and Human Services
Developmental Disabilities
Council to encourage all
citizens to recognize Michi-
gan advances concerning
persons with disabilities,
and also to acknowledge
that our work to ensure full
inclusion, integrated em-
ployment and community-
based settings are not yet
done;
NOW, THEREFORE, I,
Rick Snyder, governor of
Michigan, do hereby pro-
claim March 2017 as Devel-
opmental Disabilities
Awareness Month in Michi-
gan.
facilities and have cre-
ated a wellness infor-
mation board in lunch
room at the main facil-
ity. More to come at
meetings and check the
boards often for new
information.
 Happy Birthday
Staff Consumers
Mike Wolfe 27th April Jagoda 4th

Thumb Industries, Inc. Phillip Cucchiara 9th

Ashley Blunt 13th

1263 Sand Beach Rd.
Julie Nowak 23rd
Bad Axe, MI 48413

Phone: 989-269-9229
Fax: 989-269-2587
www.thumbindustries.

Developing and Expanding Opportunities for

Persons with Disabilities
April

If you have ideas or news, consumers or staff that

youd like to highlight or praise for upcoming
editions of the newsletter please let Danielle
McKimmy know. You can email her at dmckim-
mythumbindustriesinc.com or drop by her office.
Also, in an effort to be green we prefer to send
the newsletter via email, rather than print and CONSUMER OF THE MONTH
distribute. If you have not already signed up to
receive the newsletter via email send an email to Congratulations to our consumer of the
month for March, Lloyd Prill.
Danielle at the above address to be added to
the list.

Like Thumb Industries on Facebook!

We now have a page for our Main Facility, Thrift

Store & Recycling Center