guest blog Archives - Penn-Mar

A Journey of Family, Gratitude and Support

ggorham — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:19:16 +0000

By Kathleen McMahon, Penn-Mar Parent & Advocate

As a former teacher, I have cherished many profound experiences and found great fulfillment in connecting with my students and making a difference in their lives. I am also the mother of two incredible children who have taught me invaluable lessons and remain the joy of my life.

Over 10 years ago I retired with my husband Ed to the Eastern Shore. We enjoy living in a quiet community during this peaceful point in our lives and know how lucky we are.

Recently, we’ve been reflecting on the support that has carried us through the years, and we are deeply grateful for how it has given us the chance to build this life we love. The journey, however, has not been without its challenges.

My two children, David, 48, and Kara, 46, were both born with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). As a divorced mother, I needed to provide for my family and was fortunate to build a career in education as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent of Baltimore County Schools.

I first encountered Penn-Mar Human Services through their summer program for children with IDD, which David and Kara enjoyed immensely.

Both children also attended classes at Towson University. David worked at the University Recycling Center during his studies and remained there for four more years. He has since moved on to other successful employment opportunities and has become quite financially savvy.

After turning 21, David and Kara were accepted into Penn-Mar’s Day Program, and soon after, I started looking for long-term housing opportunities for them. Since they had always lived outside the city, I wanted to find a place where they could feel safe, cared for, and happy. Penn-Mar was clearly the best match.

Today, Penn-Mar is their life.

David and Kara now live happily in Penn-Mar community housing, just a mile apart on the same road in Maryland.

Every other weekend they visit us on the Eastern Shore, where David enjoys his jet ski, sailboat, and riding tractor. While he and my husband are out on the water or tending the lawn on our three-acre property, my daughter and I spend time at the local farmer’s market, work on puzzles, and enjoy quiet moments together.

But perhaps what warms my heart the most is, after their visits, both children eagerly anticipate returning to their Penn-Mar family and activities.

Penn-Mar has blessed our family in countless ways. The amazing Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who help our children achieve meaningful lives are truly the most kind, selfless, and caring individuals any parent could hope for. They never fail to keep us continually updated on our children’s well-being and achievements.

From my days as a single parent, I made it a priority to support Penn-Mar financially, even when resources were limited. Over time, I set a personal goal to someday provide a legacy gift as well.

When my husband and I recently updated our will, we made sure to provide for his son’s family as well as my two children. We also chose to leave David and Kara’s portion of our estate to Penn-Mar — a decision made from deep gratitude for the unwavering support we’ve received and in recognition of the lasting impact Penn-Mar has had on our family.

Most importantly, we are comforted knowing that, even after we are gone, these resources will help sustain Penn-Mar’s mission and its remarkable team members who are making a positive difference every day for families like ours.

The Penn-Mar Legacy Society honors individuals and families who include Penn-Mar in their estate plans. By doing so, they help ensure that people with disabilities, and the families who love them, will have the same opportunities and support for generations to come. Joining is simple: you can name The Penn-Mar Foundation as a beneficiary in your will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, or other assets. You may choose to remain anonymous or allow us to recognize your generosity. To learn more, download our Planned Giving Guide.

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When I Support Penn-Mar, I Support My Daughter and All Our Families

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 17:38:32 +0000

By Claudia Summerson, Co-Chair/Family Division | Penn-Mar Building Bold Future Campaign

Abbie and Claudia

The hardest thing I have every done in my life was to put my daughter Abbie in the care of Penn-Mar when she was only 22 years old.

Diagnosed with autism at age 7, she requires professional, round-the-clock care to help manage her behavior, anxiety and OCD.

When Abbie was young, our family went to great lengths to try to give her what we thought of as a “normal” life. Yet there were many times when I felt like I failed her when she couldn’t always achieve that standard.

Like so many of us, Abbie loves spending time with family and friends, enjoys music, watching TV, reading newspapers and magazines and dining out. But her journey has been an arduous one, with behavioral issues often getting in the way.

Abbie’s autism, anxiety and OCD characteristics interfered with many of her functions but we always tried to focus on her strengths to help her discover her best life.

When she was younger, she attended kindergarten with no supports. She moved on to an autistic class, but we eventually transferred her into a life skills program where her autistic “label” was not her defining characteristic. There, she was treated like the unique, loving individual that she is.

Once Abbie completed her schooling at age 21, my husband Kevin and I faced the reality that we will not be here forever to take care of her. So instead of leaving her future to others, we were determined to settle her into a new home where she would be comfortable with her caretakers and routines.

Her early days at Penn-Mar were an adjustment for all of us. But 15 years later she is happy in her home, thanks to incredible perseverance and the passion and dedication of the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) working with Abbie.

Abbie, her brother Doug, Claudia and her husband Kevin

In what she refers to as her “apartment” (attached to a group home), she receives 24/7 care, has a structured routine and everything in perfect order to counteract her OCD. And even with her short attention span, Abbie is able to enjoy leisure and volunteer experiences in the community.

I always say, “God gave me two hands,” so I do whatever I can to support Penn-Mar, my daughter, and by extension, all of the individuals and families aligned with the organization.

I am not a professional speaker but I can be passionate when it comes to advocating legislators for increased funding for training and wages for the extraordinary services our DSPs provide.

I have often wished I could pen a poem entitled, “I’m Just a Mom” to better express why it is so essential that these DSPs receive their just due for the loving care they have provided to the daughter I love and to so many other individuals with disabilities.

Currently I am co-chair of the Family Division for Penn-Mar’s Building Bold Futures Campaign. I am contacting our families to contribute to this $7.5 million private support campaign to ensure that Penn-Mar will be around through Abbie’s lifetime to transform its delivery services, grow its endowment fund and transform its space to house stronger, more efficient programming.

I urge all parents and siblings to support Penn-Mar, not just by contributing to this campaign but in whatever capacity you can serve best.

The necessary innovations and growth at Penn-Mar will not be possible without the generosity of our families. All of us can, and need to be, part of the change that will secure Penn-Mar’s future.

To learn how you can support Penn-Mar’s Building Bold Futures Campaign, visit https://buildingboldfutures.penn-mar.org/

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Persevere and Push the Limit

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 17:23:03 +0000

By Whitney Bailey, Director of Operations Diversability | Spastic Chatter Podcast Host

My personal mantra is, “Perseverance: The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.”

That attitude has served me well as I was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and for the first 18 years of my life had to rely on caretakers for all of my needs.

Fortunately, I was raised in a family where I was encouraged to keep up with my three siblings, including my twin sister, and was always included in whatever was going on in their lives.

At 18, through a lot of therapy, hard work and perseverance, I was able to develop independent living skills with the help of a Baclofen pump inserted in my stomach that relaxed my spasms and body movements.

I was the first Bailey kid in my family to go off to college. I earned a BS Degree in Rehabilitation Services from Steven F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas and my Masters in Special Education from Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. I am grateful to my professors who tailored my curriculum to align with what I wanted to do in a disabilities studies program.

I’m one of those people who always seems to push the limit. I insisted on living alone at college (as far away from home as I could). Ironically, I ended up moving back to my own home in Thorndale, Texas, just 10 minutes away from my parents!

After getting my Masters, I started a position at an independent living center but the stress of going to work and spending multiple hours a day riding the bus took a toll on my body. That led me to volunteering for a remote company related to disabilities that later turned into paid employment. When I left there after three years, I was basically running the company while my boss was out on maternity leave.

I was then hired by Diverseability, my current employer, and advanced within a year from an entry-level job as a Content Associate, to Project Manager and then to Director of Operations. Diversability is a community-based organization all about elevating disability pride.

To backtrack a bit, I was bored during the COVID quarantine in 2020, so I started a podcast called “Spastic Chatter” featuring stories from folks in the CP community.

If you Google “Cerebral Palsy,” it comes up as a childhood disability. I wanted my podcast to be a resource for adults. I put a twist to it by promoting the talks as

“uncensored.” We discuss topics that society often shies away from like disability and relationships, employment issues and how we can defy misconceptions.

Another benefit of the podcast is that parents can see their “children” as adults who are capable of doing awesome things. It gives them resources and experiences that can help them care for their own loved ones.

Spastic Chatter was named a “Top 10 CP Blog” in 2021 by blogcountdown, and the Number One CP Blog by social feed reader, Feedspot.

Penn-Mar was actually one of the first human resources organizations to offer me an interview guest. Interviewing people with CP has helped me realize that our community is very diverse and on a spectrum. No two of us are alike.

I hope my story offers hope and inspiration to all those in the Penn-Mar family. Every obstacle I have encountered has been a learning experience toward a future dream: to launch my own non-profit that will help people with disabilities to tell their stories of perseverance and be a valuable resource for many diverse communities.

Access “Spastic Chatter” on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

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30th Anniversary Gala Back in the Ballroom

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 19:32:59 +0000

By Cheryl Barrows, Administrative Volunteer, Penn-Mar 30th Anniversary Gala

Some 20 years ago when our friends and Penn-Mar supporters Jill and Steve Golueke invited my husband and me to the Black Tie Gala, we could never have imagined how devoted we would become to the organization’s mission.

In the early years, I volunteered on the Auction Committee. I helped to procure a few items for the Silent Auction but as time went on it, was apparent that my greatest contribution to the cause was my organizational skills.

I am a detailed person at heart and Silent Auctions have a lot of moving parts. It is no exaggeration to say that volunteers spend 100s of hours gearing up for the event.

For the 30th Anniversary Gala held March 5th we began procuring auction items last summer. We don’t have to knock on doors anymore like we did in the early days. The Gala has become one of the premiere social events of the season, so more often than not we have people coming to us with donations.

By the fall we were working on the auction’s administration processes, and in February we were all-in, finalizing the auction items, writing the copy, and most challenging of all, uploading the photographs.

When it came to the technical challenges of posting the auction items, I was lucky to have a husband at home with a 40-year career in information technology.

Kevin’s knowledge and patience was invaluable to our work, especially when it came to uploading multiple images of each item to better showcase them for pre-event reviewing and bidding.

I’m delighted to report that this year’s Gala raised a whopping $625,000! This was an incredible achievement since our crowd was limited to 475 guests rather than the usual 600 because of lingering COVID concerns.

After holding a hybrid gathering last year via Zoom and outside under a tent at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Hunt Valley, many attendees commented on how happy they were to be back again, in-person, at this beloved annual event.

It truly was a memorable evening.

Penn-Mar publicly recognized Wendy and Anthony Gallo, whose son Mike continues to thrive at Penn-Mar. Wendy has served on the Gala committee for many years and for the past five years chaired the event. Anthony has held Board roles on the Penn-Mar Foundation and Penn-Mar Human Services Board and most recently served as Chair of the Foundation.

The Distinguished Humanitarian Award was presented to Julia Huggins, Senior Vice President of U.S. Markets for CIGNA and a Penn-Mar Board Member. Julia captivated the audience by sharing a personal childhood experience that led her to connect to Penn-Mar’s mission and advocate for people with disabilities. Her poignant comments and leadership underscored why she is such a deserving winner of this prestigious award.

The evening’s Special Appeal — where tens of thousands of dollars are raised in a matter of minutes — exceeded its $150,000 goal. Thanks to the generosity of the guests and an 11th hour pledge, the proceeds soared from $120,000 to over $165,000 with a last-minute anonymous pledge of $43,000. The Appeal supports Penn-Mar’s Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), funding its award-winning Career Ladders Program and emergency Care Fund.

It has been such a pleasure to see the Gala grow and prosper over the years and an honor to work under the leadership of Jackie Summers and Kollyne Wetzel.

On behalf of the Gala leadership, ambassadors, and volunteers, I extend heartfelt thanks to our honorees, sponsors, donors, and guests for what many are calling one of the best Penn-Mar Galas ever!

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DSPs: Exceptional, Essential Employees

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 15:35:24 +0000

By Janice Mackel, Penn-Mar Parent

September 12-18 has been designated 2021 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week and I can’t think of a better time to acknowledge this dedicated, innovative workforce that is the heart and soul of supports for people with disabilities. 

As the mother of a daughter with autism, I am inspired daily by their patience, courage and commitment, and never more so than during this relentless pandemic.

My daughter, Julia Quarles, will soon turn 40. Back in the 80s when she was born, “autism” was not yet a diagnosis. She was tested for any of number of disabilities, including echolalia, characterized by repetitive speech and now often associated with children on the autism spectrum.

I was then in my late 20s and in a total uproar trying to find out everything I could to help her. This was before the internet age and I remember finding only one book in the library that actually addressed our situation.

As a young girl, Julia had a knack for playing video games like Nintendo and Sega. Her five cousins would come over to the house to play with her and we couldn’t understand why she was always beating them!

Her verbal skills are limited to short phrases or one word, but she loves to sing and dance and has always been drawn to music. She was blessed with the gift of memory and can recognize songs after only two beats.

At the age of five, Julia entered a school for children with special needs and she remained there until 2003 when she graduated at the age of 21.

From there we discovered Change, Inc. – now part of Penn-Mar – where she has spent the last 18 years in their vocational program.

I am overwhelmingly thankful for the extraordinary DSPs who have worked with my daughter providing her with structure, motivation, family values and skills she can use both at home and outside in the community.

I started working for the Federal Government in the postal service when Julia was only one, and officially retired on her birthday this past March after nearly 38 years on the job.

Over the years, I would take her to the van that transported her to her Day Program and never worry for a minute about her well-being. I had so much confidence in the dedicated DSPs who were looking after her while I was at work.

However, with the pandemic, I discovered a newfound appreciation for all that the DSPs do and realized that there was a lot more to it than I might have imagined.

With a 90-year old mother to care for as well as Julia, we could never have made it through the disruption without the DSPs who supported us virtually with one-on-one sessions involving reading, art, exercise and Julia’s favorite activity, Karaoke.

I am so grateful to Penn-Mar and her DSPs for the innovative virtual classes that keep my daughter engaged and connected, Monday through Friday.

We can never forget that the DSPs who show up for work every day during the pandemic also have families and personal responsibilities of their own.

Yet they are always here for our loved ones and us and during these times of uncertainty continue to provide the support and care that is so important to the growth of people with disabilities.

These exceptional, essential employees deserve all the praise and support we can give them during their special week and throughout the year.

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