blog Archives - Penn-Mar

We’re Here: Then, Now, Always

ggorham — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:15:08 +0000

Recognizing the lasting presence, progress, and promise of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Gregory Miller
President/CEO Penn-Mar Human Services

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) selected “We’re Here: Then, Now, Always” as the theme for this year’s National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Building on last year’s campaign, the message reminds us that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have always been part of our communities and always will be. By connecting the past, present, and future, the theme highlights a simple but important truth.

While the lives of people with IDD have significantly improved since 1987 when then President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed the designated month, millions still face barriers every day that make it harder to access the resources, relationships, and opportunities needed to flourish.

National data gathered by peer organization AbleLight reflects these ongoing challenges:

Some 710,000 people with IDD are on waiting lists for Home and Community Based Services (US Congress).

Less than 1 in 5 adults with IDD have paid employment in their communities (National Core Indicators).

Less than 3 in 10 adults with IDD participate in community groups or activities (National Core Indicators).

The work our team members do every day at Penn-Mar is critically important to serving a need. I often remind them that someone born today with IDD will require our support services 21 years from now. Since 1981, we have been ready and more than able to answer this need.

Penn-Mar’s services over the years have evolved from “taking care” of people with disabilities to providing them with person-centered support that allows them to live courageous lives of their choosing.

In our early days we were often removing people with IDD from horrible living situations to a much better environment, but we were still the ones “calling the shots.” Today, the people we support call the shots. We empower them to make good decisions by providing education, experiences, and exposure to opportunities that help them to choose and achieve the life of purpose they deserve.

Long ago we closed our Sheltered Workshop program and have embraced an “Employment First” mentality to help people with IDD pursue skills training, paid employment and career advancement.

Our Day Programs have branched out with a multitude of community-based offerings, ranging from restaurant, shopping and museum trips; to nature walks and fitness center workouts; to church attendance and volunteer engagement.

At Penn-Mar, “the future is now” as we have increasingly streamlined our services with assistive technology (AT) tools, Smart Home designs and equipment, and a transformative multi-purpose space at our new Washington Heights building.

Our mission at Penn-Mar is to promote courageous living and leadership for everyone connected to our organization. We do this by continually looking for innovative ways to make our services even better. When our strategic planning process begins next month, our board will be addressing more exciting changes for the future.

Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of NACDD sees National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month as “a reminder that people with IDD are always here, and that all of us have a responsibility to keep learning, engaging, and building communities where everyone belongs – every day of the year.”

Amen to that!

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My Brother Mike

nvenn — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:44:59 +0000

By Joe DiPaola, Penn-Mar Sibling

Mike joined our family as my younger brother when I was five. I don’t remember much of those early days except that my parents were worried about Mike’s health and future. Yes, Mike was different, but to my family Mike was first and foremost a son and brother. Some may have looked at Mike differently, but my Mom and Dad would have none of it. Instead, his successes and achievements were celebrated along with those of my other brother and me.

Mike was born with a developmental disability in what was thankfully a “goldilocks” time period. Born after the horrors of institutions were exposed as local, state, and federal governments began to recognize the need to provide resources and a quality education that maximized the capabilities of individuals. Mike attended Ridge school where he thrived. He played on sports teams, learned meaningful life skills, and made lifelong friends. Today, the debate over schools for people with disabilities versus mainstreaming has tilted toward mainstreaming, but for my brother, the education and experiences at Ridge school along with the love and attention from his family were invaluable and left Mike with no lack of confidence.

Mike joined Boy Scouts and over the course of more than a decade, managed to achieve scouting’s highest rank of Eagle. He was involved in drama and was never shy about sharing his thespian talents with an audience. Over the course of many years Mike collected a wall of medals from a variety of special Olympic events including swimming, track & field, bowling, and skiing. He is well traveled, having cruised to Alaska, skied in Utah, vacationed in Mexico, journeyed across Ireland, and crisscrossed the United States. For the past two decades, Mike has worked in the grocery business. He is well known and respected for the care and attention to detail with which he performs his duties.

And along the way, he passed life lessons to me that resonated to my deepest core. Lessons more relevant and meaningful than from a sage. Mike’s needs showed me what a parent will do and should do to protect their child’s dignity and foster their full potential. I marveled at Mike’s effort and determination required to master the task of tying shoes, riding a bike, or communicating clearly. I learned what true sacrificial love is and what it means to put someone you love first. When others might tease, I discovered what is required to fight for justice even if that justice was handed out through martial means. I learned that everyone has a right to be treated equally and respectfully regardless of their physical or intellectual differences.

Mike is a fine man, as interesting and as imperfect as the rest of us. When those not part of the disabilities community comment that, “they are always so happy,” I chuckle and think of all of the times that I argue with my brother like anyone else. I provoke and tease my brother like any big brother would do. And I live with the idiosyncrasies that make Mike unique. Some of those include that only birthday cake ice cream with rainbow sprinkles will do. Pizza from Papa John’s on Friday nights and Uno at 9pm, not before. A “yes or no” question is usually followed by a response of “maybe,” and any input or counsel to Mike inevitably elicits the retort of “I know that!” But if a measure of one’s life is the ability to touch the lives of others and inspire those around you to be the best version of themselves, then Mike leads a life that is sublime.

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Highlighting Four of Our DSPs During DSP Recognition Week

nvenn — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 20:44:38 +0000

By Gregory T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Foundation

Starting on September 8th, we will be observing Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week, a nationwide celebration to acknowledge and highlight the dedicated direct support workforce that is the heart and soul of supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Nationwide, the DSP retention rate is still at an anemic 50%. But at Penn-Mar ours is an impressive 86%.

One of the best decisions we made was to appoint Kelly Baker our Career Ladders Program Coordinator, which has certainly impacted this statistic. She is our Chief Cheerleader when it comes to ensuring success for everyone enrolled in the program. We always knew WHY the program was valuable; Kelly’s great leadership helped to create HOW to make it work.

And Career Ladders is only one of several ways we are supporting our team members. Training, commitment and an alignment of our resources have also contributed to our retention of 94% of our DSPs who have been credentialed in Career Ladders and 82% of our DSPs who have not.

So, it would seem the perfect time for me to highlight four of our DSPs who by being the best they can be are the very definition of what a great DSP should be.

Kas Jasinski, who manages a residential home in Whitehall, has been a tremendous leader in our organization for nearly 18 years. She is the role model that our DSPs aspire to be. Kas believes that God has put her on this earth to help other people. She currently supports two aging gentlemen with dementia and is an incredible advocate for them and the services of Penn-Mar. When you spend time with Kas you can’t help but notice how settled and peaceful she makes you feel. She shows amazing compassion with the people she supports and is truly one of our star performers. Kas has earned her DSP-I Certification through our Career Ladders Program, adding yet another dimension to her learning and understanding of her critical role.

Patrick Sgro is our Residential Supervisor at a home in Hampstead. He has been with Penn-Mar for almost 17 years and supports two incredible gentlemen. Near and dear to my heart, these gentlemen lived in a residential home with my wife Terri and I many years ago when they were kids, as we started our careers as DSPs. Patrick has developed a tremendous rapport with these men and serves as a stabilizing force of calm in the many challenges that emerge each day. He definitely has a go with-the-flow mentality towards his job but when things need to get done he makes sure they get done, cohesively managing the people and teams he works with. I was Patrick’s mentor when he started in our original Career Ladders training program in 2016. I always say that once I got out of his way, Patrick found his groove and managed to work his way up to a DSP-III certification!

Sue Thorpe has been a DSP at Penn-Mar for an incredible 29 years! She was one of the first people I hired to work in our residential home program in 1989 and I’m sure she remembers the days when our entire staff could fit into one room for a meeting! Sue left us in 2005 when she married and started a family, but we happily welcomed her back in 2011. Sue is a remarkable person who has grown as a professional in her three decades here. Her history with Penn-Mar is rich and deep and her heart of gold is filled with great compassion for the ladies she supports in a PA residential home. They are truly part of her “family” and Sue always gives them encouragement and direction in a way that is both respectful and caring. A tireless advocate for our Career Ladders Program, Sue was part of our Class 2 in 2017 and achieved a DSP-III certification.

Kellie Spies, with Penn-Mar for nearly 23 years, is one of those individuals that you always know has everything under control. She is a remarkably stable team member who is currently supporting four gentlemen at their home in Seven Valleys. During her time with us, Kellie has seen and experienced it all – the loss of people she has supported, the transition of new people into homes, the ever-evolving delivery of services – and she has approached each challenge with grace and compassion. When team members look for guidance on how to manage a residential home, they talk to Kellie. She is not extroverted or flamboyant and is more comfortable operating under the radar. And while not a participant in the Career Ladders Program, Kellie’s job performance is consistently outstanding and speaks to her many years of acquiring valuable lessons on the job.

These remarkable DSPs represent a combined total of 87 years of service at Penn-Mar! Please join me in congratulating them – and all of our DSPs – during their much-deserved Recognition Week!

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A Big Sister’s Influence

nvenn — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:15:55 +0000

By Karen Cunningham, Penn-Mar Sibling

My sister Brenda attends the Penn-Mar Day Program at Far Hills and lives with my husband, two teen sons, and me. The day program has enabled her to have her own interests and still live with and be a part of our busy family on a daily basis.

Brenda is ten years older than me and has an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). She is incredibly social and loves to meet people and talk. She may be difficult to understand at times, but she works hard to communicate and be heard. A stranger is only a friend that Brenda has not met – yet! Brenda was like any other sibling to me and our sister Donna. We laughed, played, and argued and didn’t see her as “different.” Brenda was just our big sister.

Having Brenda as an older sister influenced so many of my life decisions whether professionally or personally. I became a special educator to ensure that others with disabilities were taught and loved. I became a school counselor and also a coach to support individuals and families regardless of ability or challenges.

Personally, I gravitated towards friends who included Brenda and appreciated her smile and her gifts. We’ve always been a “package deal.” My husband knew marrying me would also include having her in our lives with increasing responsibility in the years to come. Our sons, Dylan and Ben, have grown up hanging out and at times caring for Aunt Brenda’s needs because that’s what families do. They’ve learned compassion in an authentic way.

Our mom had been the primary caregiver for Brenda and worked through many challenges before laws were even in place to guarantee education for individuals with disabilities. She made sure Brenda had what she needed and more. When Mom passed away, my dad and I became co-guardians because we knew that I eventually wanted to have Brenda with me full-time. It was a natural progression for her to increase her time with me as Dad’s health declined. When he passed away, I immediately worked with Penn-Mar to find the supports needed to care for Brenda.

The staff at Penn-Mar helped me to make the connections and navigate the changes from Maryland to Pennsylvania and opened their arms to Brenda. She has loved her “school” from day one. Her direct support professionals have become like family to us and Brenda knows she is loved at home and in her days at Far Hills.

Our relationship with Penn-Mar may be different than other families because we only utilize the day program, but that’s what makes the Penn-Mar organization so valuable. The supports are individualized for the individuals and the help is there. Brenda likes her life of leisure – shopping outings, bowling, or making artistic projects. Her life is full of friends and fun and she’s living her best life.

Everyone needs a support system, and the staff and families of Penn-Mar can be that for families and individuals navigating the sometimes-unfamiliar paths or challenging future. I encourage families to reach out for help and appreciate all that Penn-Mar has to offer.

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Team Member Spotlight: Kris Froehlich

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 04:00:28 +0000

Each month, we highlight a “behind-the-scenes” team member whose work supports our mission, but whose face you might not often see on our social media pages.

We’re excited to help you get to know our innovative team and the complex work we do.

So, tune in for our #TeamMemberSpotlight, where our team members share in their own words a bit about themselves!

What is your job title? Support Team Manager (Supported Living Focus)

How long have you been with Penn-Mar? I will be celebrating 36 years in October!

How did you get connected with Penn-Mar? I worked for Change Inc., and we merged with Penn-Mar.

What was your previous work experience prior to Penn-Mar and how did it prepare you for your current role? I was just 22 years old when I started working for Change, Inc. Prior to that, I worked for a Residential Agency while I was in college. That role prepared me for working in this field as a career, but also taught me so many life skills.

What does your work entail? My work includes supporting people to live their best life. This includes the people we support, their families, and the staff that work so hard. I spend a lot of time scheduling staff, monitoring budgets for each person we support, and collaborating with my teammates. I just started a new role which is to help people explore residential living options. I’ve been involved with supported living for many years, so I am so excited that Penn-Mar is interested in expanding this as an option for people.

What’s an average day like for you? No day is the same which works well for me. I like the variety.

What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite moments are when we see someone trying something new and achieving their goals. Mainly, because I know everyone works so hard to see progress. It is so rewarding to see their hard work paying off. Another favorite is when I hear a DSP say, “I love my job”. I love that for them and feel proud that I must be doing something right.

What’s one thing you wish people realized about your job? There is never enough time in the day to accomplish the goals. It takes so much prioritizing and reminding myself that I am only one person.

In another life, your career path is . . . I would have loved to be a middle school guidance counselor. Most teenagers are really good kids who are trying to figure out where they fit in. It is a crucial time in their life when some understanding and guidance is beneficial.

Why is Penn-Mar’s mission important to you? How can we go wrong when we are trying to help people live their best life? It looks different for each person, and we must meet them where they are. Penn-Mar is invested in helping employees have a good work life too. I am passionate about the way we support DSPs in their crucial role.

What’s one thing you wished the general public knew about people with IDD? Supporting people with IDD is a great employment opportunity for the right person. It does require training, a good work ethic, and the right mindset, but I think people may underestimate the talent they already possess.

What is your favorite quote or mantra? Make a difference where and when you can.

Any hidden talents or fun facts someone wouldn’t know about you? I’m in a stage of my life where I want to overcome fears and be more adventurous. I had big plans to sky dive but lost my courage. I was proud that I tried Zip Lining in Harpers Ferry. I quickly learned that overcoming the height factor was important but slowing down and stopping to avoid hitting the tree was equally important. I got back on a ski lift and walked across a glass bridge that was 150 feet up. I need a plan for what comes next.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, you’d visit . . .Any place with a beautiful view, sunshine, and water.

In your spare time, you’ll be found . . . Spending time with my family, gardening, or checking out vintage shops. I will admit that I get a lot of satisfaction from cleaning and organizing too.

A book, movie, TV show, sports team, etc. you love: Book: Help Thanks Wow-The Three Essential Prayers- This book was given to me about 10 years ago from a close friend. It’s been part of my spiritual journey to show gratitude, be mindful of the beauty around us, and to pause and ask for help when needed. Sports Team: Cleveland Browns

Something fun, interesting, or meaningful about yourself: Married to Kevin for 35 years, Mom of three sons (32, 30, 16), and Grammy to Ellie James (5)

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HEART Award Winner Lindsay Shafer, a Compassionate and Creative DSP

nvenn — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:37:47 +0000

When the call went out for Penn-Mar HEART Award nominations, Residential Supervisor Natalie Finnegan had the perfect candidate in mind.

Since 2018, the residential program she supervises in Red Lion, PA has been preparing and delivering meals to other Penn-Mar homes to help support them while they were grieving the loss of a fellow resident. This labor of love was a team effort but in the past few years Direct Support Professional (DSP) Lindsay Shafer has taken on more of a leadership role.

“Lindsay is at heart a very genuine, compassionate person,” said Natalie. “She really strives to ensure people around her feel supported and loved. If she notices someone is struggling, she is the first to reach out to them, even if she is going through struggles of her own.”

Natalie had no doubt Lindsay met all the criteria for a HEART Award winner: A team member whose passion and performance leave the mark of their own legacy through exceptional demonstrations of Honesty, Excellence, Advocacy, Respect, and Teamwork.

When Lindsay learns of a loss in the Penn-Mar community home family, she reaches out to the location to find out the dietary needs of the whole house. Her “signature” meal is usually lasagna, garlic bread, a side of salad, and dessert and sometimes she substitutes spaghetti and gluten-free meals, as required.

In addition to cooking instructions, Lindsay recently started adding personal messages on the inside lids of the aluminum pans. Some are heartfelt (“Thinking of you. May you find peace and comfort during this hard time”), while others are humorous (“The only way to consume spaghetti is to eat it like a vacuum”). All are signed by “your friends” at the program that Lindsay and Natalie support.

“Fortunately, the loss of a resident is not something that happens frequently,” said Lindsay. “But when it does, we do our best to prepare a meal that will make them smile and be a comfort to everyone in the home during this sad time. They can enjoy more time together and it makes cooking one less thing they have to worry about.”

According to Natalie, Lindsay walks through the door smiling and ready to take on each day. “She always goes above-and-beyond her job responsibilities which is a testament to her compassion for the people she supports and also for her fellow team members,” remarked Natalie. “Sometimes we forget how much our team members struggle when they lose someone. This extraordinary gesture is something to help them work through their grief.”

“A lot of love goes into these meals,” said Natalie. “Since Lindsay took the reins on this program she has added sweetness to each home cooked meal with her compassionate messages.”

In nominating Lindsay for the HEART Award that she so deservedly won this past April, Natalie emphasized what a tremendous asset she has been to Penn-Mar throughout her seven years of dedicated service.

“Lindsay has exemplified what it is to be a Direct Support Professional,” she wrote. “The small, yet incredibly meaningful step Linsday takes when preparing meals for programs during their time of grieving…is just one of the many ways Lindsay demonstrates excellence in her work and compassion for those around her.

Lindsay supports many programs within Penn-Mar and is constantly thinking of out-of-the-box ways to provide positive and self-directed supports. Lindsay is what we aspire to be when we think of Direct Support Professionals. She is always on a path of learning, growing, and thinking of how we can do better today than we did yesterday. We are blessed to have such a gem on our team.”

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Pilot Programs Designed to Transform Talk into Action

nvenn — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:00:51 +0000

By Gregory T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Foundation

Gregory Miller
President/CEO Penn-Mar Human Services

For the past 18 months, our Belonging Initiative has challenged us to dissect how the culture we envision and promote at Penn-Mar reflects the actual day-to-day experiences of our team members.

After extensive research and lots of interviews throughout the organization, three specific areas requiring a more intense focus rose to the surface. So for this Phase 3 stage of our initiative, we recently launched three Pilot Programs that will enable us to further address these areas of concern and improvement. They include:

Our Connection
Leadership Engagement
Consistent Practices

We have 64 team members from a cross-section of our organization participating in these Pilot Programs who will be working in sub-groups to give each area the attention it deserves.

If I could choose a single word that percolated up from the dialog during this initiative, it would be around the idea of “connections.” Specifically, how our team members are connected to each other and the larger part of the whole organization.

At Penn-Mar, each team member works in a specific area, a space where they have a certain level of comfort and camaraderie. But when you expand that circle, things have a tendency to break down a bit. Each is “doing their own thing” but they would like a way to interact with people here doing something different.

Facilitating Our Connection discussions will be Megan Murphy, with Jackie Stevens and Kathy Rogers serving as Leadership Sponsors. The goal of the dialog will be to work together to find ways to make this type of interaction possible, satisfying and an ongoing part of our culture and community.

I will lead the Leadership Engagement Pilot and have a two-fold approach in mind for our discussions. The first half of our sessions will involve listening, followed by a personal vision of how our culture needs to evolve to become even more inclusive and more dynamic.

My intent is to help our folks across all programs better understand this vision without getting bogged down by all the details. With that vision in place, Penn-Mar can become the place where people want to make their career.

Heading up the Consistent Practices discussions will be Paul Schiavone and Jen Skelly. Their group will attempt to ascertain if our people and being led consistently throughout the organization or does it depend on their supervisor or program?

This will be a great area where the team can roll up their sleeves to find ways to ensure that every team member is treated with dignity and respect and that all our leaders are curious about what they can learn from those around them and what they need to do to improve outcomes and morale.

It’s important to know that the Pilot Program Leaders are managing, not setting, the agenda and listening intently to what the group is saying.

Many of our challenges stem from the fact that we have multiple divisions and locations throughout the organization. But now is the time to figure out how we can connect to something bigger than where we work and what we do each day. We need to create a process for it.

Much of what we learn through this initiative will find its way into our new Three-Year Strategic Plan. I can assure you, based on our new-found knowledge, that it will look fundamentally different than anything we have developed in the past. Expect to see very strong culture and information technology components included in the plan.

If we can get the day-to-day right for the people we support and our team members, we will be able to create more opportunities and innovative best practices.

It will impact everyone for the better when we do.

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Annual Gala Honored Loyal Supporters and Raised $600,000 for Services

nvenn — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:44:57 +0000

By Jackie Summers, Penn-Mar Human Services Senior Director of Development

Jackie Summers at the 2024 Gala.

I’m finally catching my breath from the year-long planning of Penn-Mar’s 32^nd Annual Gala. Yet again, it was so heartwarming to experience the magnificence of the event and its impact on all who attended.

As the event planner, I am so grateful to our volunteers who played such a big part in helping us raise over $600,000 and counting in just one evening!

And it never gets old for me to see first time Gala attendees marvel at the spectacle before them, from the moment they walk in the door to the last dance at midnight.

Our March 2^nd Gala featured gourmet tastings, crafted cocktails, hand-selected wines, and our ever-popular oyster bar.

Due to the closure of our long-time venue the Delta Hotel by Marriott Hunt Valley, we moved this year’s event to the gorgeous, new Marriott Owings Mill Metro Centre, where 500 guests could peruse our Silent Auction tables and enjoy a delicious dinner, honoree presentations, Special Appeal, and Live Auction in the Ballroom. Many of the partygoers even had energy left to pack the dance floor until the band played their final note!

Our Live Auction featuring vacation homes, Bruce Springsteen tickets, jewelry, premium liquors, and a lunch with football great Ozzie Newsome, brought in a record-breaking $75,000! Contributing to that were two bids for a Waterfront Home in the Adirondacks that totaled $40,000.

Our Gala provides the much-needed funds to support adults with intellectual disabilities to live their best lives. As part of this year’s Special Appeal, our President and CEO, Greg Miller, introduced a beautiful video featuring a number of people we support who spoke about the services they receive at Penn-Mar and how they empower them to live fulfilling, independent lives.

The Special Appeal was once again focused on raising funds for Penn-Mar’s Career Ladders Program which provides training, certification, and increased wages for many of the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who are providing the person-centered supports that make those lives possible.

For 43 years Penn-Mar has been providing life-changing programs and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities but none of that would be possible without the generous support of our Board, Donors, and Sponsors.

To recognize exceptional contributions, Greg presented the newly named Jonathan R. Kinsley Impact Award to Timothy Chase, Chairman and co-founder of WMS Partners, a dedicated champion who has served on the Penn-Mar Human Services Board and is the past chair of the organization’s Foundation Board.

Tim also co-chaired the Business and Foundation’s Division of last year’s Building Bold Futures Capital Campaign and continues to serve as chair of our Foundation Investment Committee. The award was in appreciation for his financial and strategic direction that has helped shape our organization for so many years under his leadership.

This year’s Distinguished Humanitarian Award recipients were Joe and Kris Crosswhite, humble award recipients who spoke eloquently about their commitment to Penn-Mar’s mission.

Joe started at M&T Bank some 40 years ago and retired in 2023 as Senior Executive Vice President with its Commercial Bank. When he came to York in 1997, he immersed himself in the community, supporting the civic sector for York County and beyond and serving on over a dozen non-profit boards. Joe has always believed in the notion that a business or organization succeeds only to the extent that the communities in which they serve also succeed.

Kris grew up in West Baltimore, neighbor to a physically and intellectually disabled boy. This experience helped her learn that people with disabilities who are integrated into communities enrich those communities in many ways. A retired lawyer who started her own litigation firm, Crosswhite, Limbrick & Sinclair, Kris has served on Penn-Mar’s Board for many years and is currently Secretary.

If you missed this year’s event, don’t worry. You can plan to join us at the 33^rd Annual Gala event on March 1, 2025. We hope to see you there!

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2023 Provided a Strong Foundation for Building Our Bold Future

nvenn — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 17:28:12 +0000

By Gregory T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Foundation

As 2023 comes to a close, so many things come to mind that we as an organization have achieved to build on our mission to help the people we support Live Courageously.

This year we have made significant strides in our efforts to create and sustain a dynamic workplace at Penn-Mar. I am most proud of how our leadership and team members have embraced the six principles from “The Culture Solution.” The book’s subtitle — A Practical Guide to Building a Dynamic Culture so People Love Coming to Work and Accomplishing Great Things Together — perfectly describes the vision I have for our organizational culture.

It is so important that our team members feel truly valued and supported in their efforts. Our Belonging Initiative gave them the opportunity to describe the realities and challenges of their work environment, to express their need to be more connected to leadership, and to identify areas for improvement that could go a long way in ensuring the dynamic culture we all want.

We have taken all this information to heart and are using it to create the foundation for delivering on our brand promise.

Prudent financial decision making has certainly helped us address many of these concerns and suggestions in a more meaningful, immediate way. This is the year we reached and exceeded our historic Building Bold Futures campaign goal, raising $7.6 million to really set the cornerstone for the future of Penn-Mar for the next 20-30 years!

This financial strength has freed up capital for our daily operating funds and wages, allowing us to make great progress in terms of addressing the workforce shortage that has plagued us since COVID.

Of late we have been very successful in attracting and hiring new team members to help lighten the workload of our staff. And in July our Board dedicated $3 million toward wage increases for our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), signaling our commitment and investment in the workforce that is essential to the delivery of our services. Together these efforts are advancing our vision of providing competitive wages and a healthy work-life balance for all our team members.

To advance our vision of ensuring quality supports we were able to replace a 37,5000 sq. ft. roof on our headquarters building in Freeland; embark on a 10-year community home replacement project; and complete 100% of this year’s defined capital projects.

Our Building Bold Futures campaign secured much of the resources necessary to begin renovations at our Far Hills Day Learning facility which is nearing 100% completion. We look forward to celebrating a Grand Opening with our community partners in early Spring.

These external improvements are a testament to our responsible financial stewardship and more importantly, help us to improve the quality and breadth of the work we do and the enhanced opportunities we can now provide inside our facilities. Even more important is the commitment of our amazing team and we continue to see an increase in the number of our DSPs receiving national accreditation.

I am grateful to all those who have already contributed to our Year End Giving Campaign and encourage all those who have the means to consider including Penn-Mar in your charitable donations.

We certainly don’t worship money, but we do get excited about how financial resources can transform the work we do and the people who deliver our services. Ultimately, it gives the people with disabilities we support the opportunity to live the life of their choosing and provides a comfortable environment for our extremely valuable team members.

Over the course of the next few weeks, there will be holiday celebrations and a gift to once again let our team members know how much we appreciate all they do for Penn-Mar. But because we are a 24/7 operation, some of our DSPs will be sacrificing time with their own families to lend support to the people staying in our residential homes during the holidays.

For them, and all our team members, leadership, Board, and generous donors, I hope you know how grateful I am for our amazing successes in 2023 and the honor of working alongside you today, and every day.

Happy Holidays!

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Team Member Spotlight: Kelly Baker

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 18:02:09 +0000

Each month, we highlight a “behind-the-scenes” team member whose work supports our mission, but whose face you might not often see on our social media pages.

We’re excited to help you get to know our innovative team and the complex work we do.

So, tune in for our #TeamMemberSpotlight, where our team members share in their own words a bit about themselves!

What is your job title? Career Ladders Program Coordinator

How long have you been with Penn-Mar? Since February of 2013

How did you get connected with Penn-Mar? When I moved to the area, I was looking for something new. Penn-Mar was close by and my family who lived in the area talked about it in high regard, so I took a chance.

What was your previous work experience prior to Penn-Mar and how did it prepare you for your current role? After leaving college with a Bachelor’s degree in Culture, Religion, and Mission (think Anthropology degree with a spiritual twist), I started working at Rosetta Stone. There I learned the importance of collaboration, the complexity of innovation, the power of communication, and of course, how to say hi in 25 different languages. (Please don’t test me, it’s been years!) I supported people to learn new languages, motivating them to continue their journey and reach their goals. I do similar work now when I teach Person-Centered Supports training and encourage DSPs on their certification journeys.

What does your work entail? Lots of reading! A lot of my job is similar to a professor grading essays. Even though I don’t offer a grade on testimonials submitted to the NADSP, I read each one of them before they are submitted. I do this for a variety of reasons, but the best one is that I get to read about all the wonderful work DSPs are doing every day with the people they support. Some of them bring me to tears, some of them make me laugh, always with gratitude for everything DSPs handle with such grace and kindness.

What’s an average day like for you? On top of the typical program management tasks, an average day entails a lot of reading and meeting or emailing with DSPs to chat about their progress in the program and answering any questions they have. I also consult frequently with other human service providers about how they can develop and implement their own version of Career Ladders utilizing E-Badge Academy. Some days you might see me teaching the Person-Centered Supports training, too.

What is your favorite part of your job? Being a cheerleader and mentor for DSPs as they navigate this program is easily my favorite part. I’m very lucky in that I get to see a lot of the transformation through the work DSPs submit for badges. I see their approaches change, their language change, the way in which they view themselves as a person can change. It’s magnificent to watch.

In another life, your career path is . . . When I was younger, I always wanted to be a veterinarian, but I don’t think I would have liked it. I really just wanted to own a pet monkey. A better bet would have been either an art or music therapist.

Why is Penn-Mar’s mission important to you? I feel intricately involved in Penn-Mar’s mission because it takes courageous DSPs to support the courageous lives of the people we support. Being brave can be scary. Trying new things with unknown outcomes is a lot learning to surf, unsure if you’ll be able to stand or if you’ll get crushed. We need courageous staff to show the people we support that it’s just as successful to try as it is to win or lose. Utilizing the 3 E’s plays largely into this as a life preserver for DSPs, helping them ride the waves created by people living courageously.

What’s one thing you wished the general public knew about people with IDD? Just the simple fact that they are human beings who deserve to be treated as such.

Any hidden talents or fun facts someone wouldn’t know about you? I can write backwards! I contribute this talent to my natural dyslexia and affinity for doodling during class.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, you’d visit . . . I would love to visit Japan. The food, culture… all of it sounds invigorating.

In your spare time, you’ll be found . . . Playing disc golf with my family, getting tackled by my two boys, or hiding in my room reading a book.

A book, movie, TV show, sports team, etc. you love: I’m a 90s movie kinda gal. Parks and Rec is my fav comedy show. For sports, my preference for football would be Liverpool and the poorly renamed, Washington Football Team. For basketball, it’s the Sixers. Baseball is the worst, but I’d cheer for my hometown Phillies although the Orioles are growing on me…

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