MEET OUR CONSUMERS
Maggie
Maggie begins each day with the sounds of children…sometimes laughing, sometimes crying. Regardless of what she hears, the sounds are always welcome to Maggie. To her, they are sounds of a lifelong goal achieved: to work with children. Through years of hard work, she has achieved her dream.
Maggie’s road began in 1992 when she moved to her first Penn-Mar home. There, she found friendship and support. Nonetheless, she always sought greater independence both at home and at work.
At first, Maggie worked in Penn-Mar’s workshop on contract jobs. She soon found more responsibility in a job busing tables at a local restaurant. Now, Maggie is employed at a local day care center. She knows the hardships of maintaining a career and a home but relishes the autonomy that her responsibilities allow her.
Maggie has tested different living situations over the years. After sharing a home with a group of other women for years, she chose to live alone in her own apartment. She and her cat, Sassy, adopted each other while there. By choice, Maggie and Sassy now share a new apartment with a close friend, Ruth Ann. When asked to define her friendship with her roommate, Maggie admits to problems at first in learning how to get along. But it was nothing the two friends couldn’t resolve.
Maggie says she new considers Ruth Ann to be like a younger sister. They vacation together and plan to add some new destinations to their growing list, which already includes the Bahamas, Ocean City, MD and Busch Gardens, VA. Maggie sums it up by saying, “I have an apartment, a roommate and a boyfriend that I really like.”
Grace
Those fortunate enough to be involved in Grace’s life have learned a valuable lesson. The paths that led us to where we are now are not as important as the paths that we will take to lead us to tomorrow. Each of us has known some hardship in life and yet none of us will ever know the hardships Grace went through. Grace spent a majority of her life at Rosewood, an institution in Maryland. Based on what we know now about institutions and some of Grace’s habits, we can only assume the path must not have been pleasant. Fortunately, Grace’s wonderful spirit survived and allowed her to become the fun-loving, practical joker we know today.
At 85, Grace has more spunk than most people in their 20s. She is now retired and lives in one of Penn-Mar’s residential homes. Grace spends her time as she chooses, taking weekly trips to local restaurants, going to local museums, parks and aquariums or just relaxing at home. Last summer found her on a trip to Dollywood, TN, and a cruise to the Caribbean. Being with her and accepting what she has to offer is an amazing experience. Grace has touched the lives of many people during her 10 years at Penn-Mar. The freedom that she now has to express herself, her desires, her needs and her personality is an important a reminder to us all. We should not take our freedom for granted.
Charlie
Charlie has been involved with Penn-Mar through its vocational program since 1988. In January 2004, Charlie began receiving services in the individual support services program. Thanks to the program, Charlie lives in his own apartment in the community and receives 25 hours of in-home support each week. This provides Charlie with the independence to make his own choices and decisions. He enjoys living on his own, just him and his cat, Smokey. Charlie has made friends in his community and they stop by to check on him and provide him additional support.
During the day, Charlie works cleaning the facilities at Penn-Mar North, Glen Rock, PA, a job he has held since January 2004. Charlie’s position allows him to earn money to afford the things he likes to do. For instance, he has taken vacations over the years to places like Las Vegas, NV and Dollywood, TN. Charlie also likes to take trips to Baltimore to watch the Orioles and the Ravens play.
Charlie’s personality makes him a delightful contributor to Penn-Mar’s programs. He is a hard worker and takes advantage of the opportunities given to him.
Jeff
Jeff has successfully lived in his own apartment since the fall of 2000. He attributes his success to the help he receives from the CSLA Caseworker whose weekly visits help him stay on track. He is quite motivated and is very proud of his apartment and his activities. Creative cooking has been a focus and he is able to utilize the food products provided by the Southern York County Food Bank, which is an exciting challenge for Jeff.
The CSLA Caseworker assists Jeff with his independent lifestyle. Most people struggle to understand and organize their finances. This is an area of support offered so Jeff can more effectively manage his money by budgeting and paying bills. Because Jeff doesn’t drive and public transportation is extremely limited in southern York County, staff either coordinate or provide transportation for his medical appointments and work. Support is available for all aspects of his life.
Lesha
Lesha and “the girls” have lived together since 1997. They are friends, housemates, and co-workers. Their relationships resemble that of four sisters, which certainly can make life interesting. The ladies share similar interests and spend free time bowling, working out at Curves and participating in Special Olympics. Lesha also enjoys crocheting and making a quilt.
Lesha in an integral part of the Penn-Mar Supported Employment team. Without her hard work, local churches, the YMCA and the York County Parks system would not be clean. By working as part of a team in the community, Lesha feels good about herself because she can work with some independence while earning competitive wages.
Lesha is happy about the decision she and her family made to allow her the opportunity to live more independently, though she remains close to her family. Lesha loves the exciting and caring environments where she lives and works.
