This past March, as the coronavirus was taking hold of the nation and world, Lesha Breighner, a longtime Penn-Mar resident, with the guidance of Lisa Hartley, her home’s Residential Supervisor, decided that it would be most prudent for the safety of herself and her housemates...
By Lauren Pickett, Penn-Mar Parent We all have our stories of how we are coping during this pandemic. Those of us working with our children at home have had to make huge adjustments. And for our family, parents to a child with disabilities, the upheaval has...
By Kathy Rogers, Chief Advancement Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Executive Director, Penn-Mar Foundation Sometimes people feel that advocating for a cause is futile, but it’s important to know that your voice matters more than you might think. By definition, advocacy is public support for or recommendations of a...
As states across the country face large budget shortfalls due to the pandemic, there is a concern that human services groups like Penn-Mar could be at risk for reduced funding. But what are those funds used for and why are they so critically important? Penn-Mar...
Curtis Brown is grateful to have kept working through the unprecedented Coronavirus recession that has seen the unemployment rate skyrocket across the nation. Typically, that rate is twice as high for people with disabilities, and in 2019, only a little over 19 percent of men...
By Paul Schiavone, Chief Human Resources Officer Who knew you could visit The North Pole, Paris and Disney World during a pandemic?Virtual travel via Google Earth and Zoom is one of many ways Penn-Mar is now relying on technology to help team members and the people...
With the COVID-19 stay-at-home order still in place after more than a month, cabin fever has begun to set in at the Penn-Mar home in Manchester, Md., that Residential Supervisor Emily Finnegan oversees.It’s safe to say that, to varying degrees, being cooped up at home...
Kelly Dorsey has never been one to stop moving. While our world has practically come to a standstill, and almost every facet of our lives upended by the Coronavirus pandemic, Kelly’s commitment and deep compassion for the men and women she supports at Change, Inc.,...
By Gabe Jones, Maryland Community Living Administrator It’s month two of the COVID-19 quarantine. My team’s typical day now revolves around getting the people we support to acclimate to a new normal at home while still providing all the substance and growth they were used to...
By Jackie Stevens, Chief Operating Officer Since the coronavirus pandemic has literally infiltrated all of our lives, Penn-Mar’s COVID-19 Task Force has been “meeting” daily via teleconference to address and implement the ever- evolving precautions and necessary adjustments that are changing life as we know it....