Our Future Shaped by Design

Why intention matters, and how your generosity helps shape what’s next.

Gregory Miller
President/CEO Penn-Mar Human Services

I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe the holiday season is here again! Imagine if we didn’t prepare for it and just “showed up.” Christmas would feel like just another date on the calendar. 

Have you ever considered reimagining your holiday routine? Wishing alone will not do it. A design and thoughtful plan are needed to achieve that new vision. 

Progress of any kind rarely happens by accident — it happens by design. To underscore that point, Penn-Mar Human Services recently launched our year-end giving campaign with the theme “Shaped by Design.” Throughout the campaign, we are highlighting personal stories and examples to show how our programs and services foster independence, innovation, community, and dedication. 

While every program, success, and life impacted at Penn-Mar is the result of a relentless focus on our mission, it’s also shaped by your intentional generosity. When you choose to invest in Penn-Mar, you are helping us design a better world for people with disabilities and their families.  

Thanks to your support, Penn-Mar is a leading provider. But it would be a mistake for our organization to get too comfortable doing things the way we always have. Our partnerships remind us that standing still is not an option because the needs and goals of the people we support continue to evolve. 

By taking a thoughtful approach to the future, Penn-Mar can continue creating opportunities that lead to greater possibility for the people we support. Those efforts are made possible through the generosity of people like you who choose to stand alongside this work. 

Here are a few examples of how that intentional approach is taking shape at Penn-Mar: 

• The 2026 relocation to a multi-purpose facility in Westminster, to provide a day program that responds to the needs and desires of the people we support, their families, and our team members. 

• Creating a culture of excellence by thus far supporting 57% of all Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) at Penn-Mar in pursuing Career Ladders national accreditation in addition to launching a new Frontline Supervisor training program to ensure the highest quality person-centered services. 

• Focusing on the future of housing and investing in one-story residences so that the people we support can age in place living life on their terms. 

• Expanding our Assistive Technology services to strengthen the impact of our DSPs by offering people with disabilities greater choices. 

There will always be uncertainties in government policy and funding, but those resources only help us meet our most basic needs.  Your generosity goes beyond standard programming; it changes lives. 

With a plan that serves as an organizational anchor, and your continued support, we can dream bigger and provide services that are truly person-centered, not just today, but for the future we’re designing together. 

“By design” does not mean by my design. It’s made up of a collective mindset, especially by the people who are providing life-changing services every day to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Your gift is more than a donation. It’s a design choice. We’re counting on you to once again help us design an even brighter and more impactful year ahead. 

I wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy holiday season, designed with creative twists, love, and life-long memories.