This past November, Charlie Nickel took a huge step towards full independence when he moved into his own apartment. He was quick to note, and proudly too, that this is not the first time he’s lived on his own.Charlie, 52, has always striven for independence....
By Gregory T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Foundation The human services industry has been experiencing a workforce shortage for the past 30 years. We are now in crisis mode. Nationwide, there is a 45% average turnover...
By Jackie Summers, Senior Director of Development Years ago I attended the Penn-Mar Gala as a guest. I would tell people that it was my favorite social event. Now I’m the person who manages this huge undertaking, overseeing the logistics and sponsorships while working closely with our...
For a young man of 26, Noah Rinehart has had quite a number of titles to his name. He’s a volunteer, a Special Olympics athlete representative, library assistant, band member, college student, church council member, self-advocate and public speaker, and, as a part-time employee at...
By Kathy Rogers, Chief Advancement Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Executive Director, Penn-Mar Foundation Empowering people to be their own voice is a mantra at Penn-Mar. We talk about this in terms of the individuals we support and our person-centered culture. On February 13th, nearly 40 Penn-Mar...
By Gregory T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Foundation This past month, the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland where Penn-Mar provides services released their annual budgets. The funding for increased wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) has...
Taking its name from the old, stately manor homes surrounding it among the bucolic horse farms and rolling countryside of Monkton in northern Baltimore County, the Manor Tavern has been reinvigorated over the past few years as a major dining destination under the helm of...
By Jen Skelly, Director of Pennsylvania Services If you are engaged with the Penn-Mar mission, you have undoubtedly heard us use the phrase “person-centered” as it relates to every interaction we have with the people that we support.In many ways the words speak for themselves....
[caption id="attachment_4660" align="alignleft" width="261"] Vijay with Golden Connections Community Center staffer, ready to greet members.[/caption]What started out as a weekly volunteer effort for a group of Penn-Mar Day Program participants, at the Golden Connections Community Center in Red Lion, Pa., has blossomed into something magical.Every...
By Gregory T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Foundation For those of you who are regular readers of this blog, you may remember that back in September I wrote that our critical mission at Penn-Mar is to...