December 2019 Volume 4

Issue 1

The Croft Chronicle

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official policy,

position or opinion of Richcroft, Inc.

Dear Team,

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Mike Hargest. I have been the CFO at Richcroft for the past 11 years.

In the role of CFO, I get a pretty good idea of what is happening at Richcroft. I see requests for funds to be used for various activities and vacations. I also reconcile all of those requests by verifying receipts and the cash that is returned.

While I know these activities are happening (because the requests/reconciliations that come across my desk) it is truly refreshing to read The Croft Chronicle and see these activities happening through the eyes of our staff and the individuals we support.

I hope that you and your families had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

Sincerely,

Mike Hargest

Acting Executive Director

2

The Harford County Christmas party was held Friday, 12/13/19 at the McFaul Center in Bel Air. Everyone

enjoyed great food and great music

by DJ Marcus.

3

Starfish Awards 2019

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER

Tracey Phelps

BA CO

Jones Matunda

BA CO

Gloria Davis

BA CO

Dayaneris Dmeza

CA CO

Sharon Bonner

CA CO

Pati Hann

CA CO

Oseh Enosin

HA CO

Thomas Kwenah

HA CO

Kathy Gary

HA CO

Nanette Waters

HO CO

Veronica Allen

HO CO

Melanie Miller

HO CO

Janice Miles

SUPPORTS

Lucky Freeman

SUPPORTS

Korinne Finney

SUPPORTS

The guys and staff at

Cypress enjoyed an evening in Towson at

the Lighting Ceremony at the Olympic Park by the

Towson Circle.

While in attendance,

they were able to see

Santa Clause

arrive by fire engine!

4

Harford County weekend Program Manager, Shade, and Oseh, CLA at Greenspring, representing Nigeria at “Diversity Day.”

The Harford County Team enjoying Staff

Appreciation and Diversity Day.

5

What: Harford County End of Summer Bash

Where: McFaul Activity Center

When: August 30, 2019

Everyone came together to celebrate the “unofficial” end of summer. We enjoyed the cool sounds of SpinKingz, great games, and food. A great time was had by all!

6

New Freedom Fall Fest 2019

The ladies and gentlemen at Cowpens, Eastridge and Summit

Avenue enjoyed a beautiful day at the New Freedom Farm Fair in New

Freedom, PA. They listened to music, ate good food, took a train ride,

played with animals and rode horses.

The weather was beautiful and every-one had a wonderful time! This trip

would not have happened without the wonderful help of our staff. It was an

amazing outing!

7

8

Diane R. and Megan T. enjoyed a great night at the M&T Bank

Stadium in downtown Baltimore watching Disney on Ice on

Saturday, October 12, 2019.

The two ladies loved all the characters and Disney music, along with all the breathtaking ice skating. Thanks to Diane’s

mom, Noreen, for giving the ladies and their staff the free

tickets!

Lorenzo A. and Jimmy K. enjoyed the Ravens game at M&T Bank stadium with their support staff Phil and Amanda. It was the first NFL game for both guys, and the Ravens won!!

Parking Lot Pitfalls

Slips, trips and falls are common in parking lots, and falls, in general, are the leading cause of death for older adults. Inadequate pavement striping, potholes, cracks, lack of signage, debris, poor lighting, puddles, snow and ice can also lead to pedestrian injuries. Choosing the right parking spot can go a long way toward deterring theft and crime. Here are a few safety rules:

Pick spots that are well lit and close to stores where you will be shopping. Lock your doors! Store purchases in places that are out of sight (trunk or under a blanket).

Large parking lots, like shopping malls, are vulnerable to crime. One way to steer clear of trouble is to pick a well-lit lot, with restricted pedestrian traffic and video surveillance to monitor the lot and facilities.

Please be SAFE during this shopping and holiday season!

9

Tyburn Court Hosts Successful Fall Open House by Keely James

The ladies and gentlemen from East Joppa Road,

Cowpens Avenue, Summit Avenue and Windsor Road enjoyed a hayride, bonfire

and pumpkin picking at the Fresh MacKenzie’s Farm in Kingsville, MD.

The owner has a child with disabilities, and made sure

all of the folks got to get on a hayride, regardless of

ambulatory issues. Everyone enjoyed

themselves and had a great time together

celebrating the warm fall night.

10

We have four graduates of the first ever MACS Frontline Leaders training! Tracy

Chavis, Charissa Pratta, Danielle Wilson and Sarah Fisher graduated from the training,

along with their fellow classmates from other DDA providers throughout the State of MD. They were all very happy and proud of their

accomplishments and newfound skills as leaders of DSP’s in the field of developmental

disabilities.

Now it is our turn to nurture their new skills and encourage their growth within the

agency and the field.

Congratulations!!!

11

Our folks from Windsor Road, and their friend Diane from Eastridge, enjoyed a beautiful Christmas concert at Trinity Church. This is an annual celebration that is free to the community. Bryan,

Doug, George and Diane, along with the support of Monique and Carol, had an awesome time! Jason and Kwame (top and bottom left), of Miceli Court, were also in attendance!

Karlin, Samantha, and Marilyn at the sunflower

fields in Jarrettsville this past Fall!

Birthday surprises! Jane and Edith surprise their friend Ngoc on her birthday with balloons!

12

W E L L N E S S 101

FLU season occurs in the fall and winter, peaking between November and early March. The FLU is an epidemic every year! The makeup of FLU viruses can change from year to year, making it really

difficult to predict.

The FLU spreads through droplets when people sneeze or cough and on surfaces. People are contagious one day before symptoms appear and up to a week after. When you don’t feel well, it’s best to take

care of yourself and co-workers by staying home!

The CDC recommends that everyone older than 6 months get an annual FLU vaccine as soon as it becomes available. If you don’t like needles, then ask the doctor if the nasal FLU spray is offered.

Here are a few tips to help you during this FLU season:

Avoid being around sick people, if possible.

WASH YOUR HANDS frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

COVER YOUR MOUTH when coughing or sneezing, preferably with the inside of your arm

rather than your hand.

DISINFECT surfaces that may be contaminated.

Avoid touching your face.

THOUGHTFUL QUOTES

“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and

making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” ― Lucille Ball

“The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to

accomplish the vital ones.”― Brandon Sander

“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.”― Hans Selye

“Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact

involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have

to inspire team-mates and customers.” ― Robin S. Sharm

13

Personal Supports (Submitted by Vicki Hineline)

Matthew Wolk and Christopher McCarron volunteered for the

“Techniques for Success” Conference, which was hosted by The

Chesapeake Down Syndrome Parent Group. The conference covered

strategies for educating students, adults with down syndrome and other

special needs individuals. It was held at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City,

MD on Saturday, November 2, 2019.

There was lots of work and preparation to be done the day before.

Matthew and Christopher started volunteering at 8:30 a.m. on Friday,

November 1st. They put together five hundred packets with papers contain-

ing the agenda, class breakout times, location of the classes and speakers’

times. They prepared tickets for the door prizes by stapling them inside all

five hundred folders. After that, they put together identification badges and

attached them to lanyards. They worked endlessly until 5:30 p.m. that

evening and had to return at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, so they stayed

the night at the Turf Valley Resort with their staff.

The conference started at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Matthew

and Christopher greeted the attendees as they arrived and handed them

their folders and identification badges they had prepared the day before.

Christopher continued to monitor the registration desk and help with

organizing the door prizes. Meanwhile, Matthew was the host to one of the

speakers, Officer Laurie Reyes from Montgomery County. She was speaking

about educating the police force on how to identify and treat people with

intellectual disabilities. The conference provided Matthew with Officer

Reyes’ bio to read at the start of each of her sessions. This was the first time

ever Matthew has had the opportunity to read aloud addressing an audience

with over four hundred guests. He was nervous at first and then came

through like a charm He did an impressive job introducing and being the

host to Officer Reyes. His courageous ability to speak in front of four

hundred attendees was impressive.

Both Matthew and Christopher should be commended for their

excellent participation and hard work. It was a great way for them to

promote awareness, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down

Syndrome and feature the strengths and successes to being self-advocates

and representing Richcroft.

14

From Kim McGuire (BaltimoreCounty):

Many, many congratulations to Dionne Pittman on her promotion to Howard County Director!!! Although we miss her dearly, we are all so proud of her accomplishments and wish her the greatest success and growth in her new position! Thank you to NaTasha N. for stepping up into the program manager role so easily. Kudos to Wendy A. for stepping into the role of RS at Eastridge Road and being so energized, advocating for the individuals in that home that need so much support. Kudos to Sulaiman A. for always working whenever asked and being so flexible. Kudos to Grace H. for always helping out at other homes on the weekend. Kudos to Jones M. for being so responsive to the needs of the guys at Beverly Avenue. Kudos to Sophia N. for helping out everywhere. Kudos to Phil E. on being so organized, communicating so well, and advocating for his staff at Jacobo. Kudos to Jasmine Braxton for taking on everything! Kudos to the staff at Breezewick Road for being loving and supportive to everyone who lives in the home. Kudos to Quinece J. on planning a great Halloween party at Eastridge Road. Kudos to Dora A. for working wherever we ask at the last minute. Kudos to Stephen N., Justin B. and Anthony S. for being such active floaters. Kudos to Nic and Silas for being our personal moving crew! Kudos to Tracey P. for working things out with some difficult personalities and being supportive of them!

15

Kudos to Ronnetta and Natasha for making great vacation memories. Kudos to Mthunzi for being such a great support to Danny and Maria. Kudos to Michelle C. for running all over the place to support the ladies at Perryfalls and other homes as well. Kudos to Kenneth W. for being so kind and flexible. Kudos to Angie M. for working all over the place and helping in our times of crisis. Kudos to Amanda H. for being very flexible and agreeing to work wherever needed.

From Malisa Fulks (Harford County):

Thank you, Marlene Jackson, for your willingness to help out with a variety of tasks at Bush and in other homes. Thank you to all the weekend staff, floaters, and everyone else pitching in on the weekends, for your flexibility with adjusting schedules to provide coverage at different homes. Kudos to the Greenspring staff for their efforts to improve the cleanliness and hominess of Greenspring, making it more welcoming for the gentlemen and visitors. Thank you to Michelle Ashford, Shade Omisanmi, and Danielle Wilson, for the countless things that you do to keep things running smoothly!

From Dionne Pittman (Howard County):

Thanks to Dwayne Green, Doretha Pearson, Karen Maddox, Melanie Miller and Veronica Allen for coor-dinating the Halloween party! Everyone had a great time! Thanks to all the Howard County staff for working extra hours to make sure all the individuals are well cared for! Thanks to Karen Maddox, Doretha Pearson and Dwayne Green for all your hard work and support! A special thanks to all Howard County Residential Supervisors, CLA’s and Floaters who have helped out

with covering shifts as we continue to fill positions. You are very much appreciated!

Huge thanks to all staff for participating, acknowledging and celebrating our individuals on their

birthdays!!

Kudos to Cookie for taking the ladies on vacation and making sure they had a good time. You are

appreciated!!

Kudos to Cookie for your cosmetology services. The ladies always have a good time coming to your

shop to get their hair done.

Kudos to Ines for running the unit while the RS was on a well deserved two week vacation.

Kudos to Melanie for always being available when needed. You are appreciated!!

16

The Patrick Hartnett Lists

Special: Cyber Bullying: I am a Survivor Patrick Hartnett is a regular columnist for The Croft Chronical. On November 27, Patrick celebrated his thirtieth birthday! We at Richcroft would like to wish Patrick a very happy birthday and many more. If you would like to follow Patrick’s blog, please check out this link: https://thepatrickhartnettlists.wordpress.com/ Hey Everyone, Patrick Hartnett here, and this episode of the Patrick Hartnett Lists is going to be different, as I am going to talk about my experience with cyber bullying and how I dealt with it! I am also going to give some tips on how you can be a better person online and in the real world as well as what I did when I was cyber bullied! Here we go! This happened back in 2010 during YouTube‘s Fifth Anniversary, when I had just started out on YouTube as ThePatch202. This was before Google even owned YouTube and the algorithm got screwed around with in all the wrong ways! I posted my YouTube Five Year Anniversary video, my first video ever, and someone with the then username of ImpatientPolo01 said that I suck with suck misspelled, they (I do not know ImpatientPolo01’s gender, I also prefer using they/them over he/him and she/her) spelled suck with an added s on the end, so not only did they cyber bully me, they also had terrible grammar! So their comment said “You sucks.” I am not kidding with you guys, that is what was typed in the comment section of the video! I did block ImpatientPolo01 immediately after though, so I never hear from them again! I am now going to go over my tips for what to do when you are cyber bullied, and my fursonas, Patch Elelion, Mark Wolfbra, Steve Raccoonger, David Crocobearoose and my newest fursona, Rory Dingother, a male dingo black panther hybrid, will be joining me on this and all future lists! First tip: Tell a trusted adult or friend! You are never alone as you have friends and family who can help you whenever you come across things like this! Patch, your turn! Thanks Patrick! Hi everyone, I am Patch Elelion, but you guys can call me Patch, anyways, here is the second tip, block said person and print out the problem with the cyber bully for records! Mark and the other fursonas of Patrick will be joining in later lists! Anyway, I suggest thinking about the person you are cyber bullying before you even cyber bully them! The golden rule states that you should do unto others what you want done unto you, the same goes for your online life as well as your everyday life. If you do not want someone to cyber bully you, you should not cyber bully someone else as it could come back to haunt you in the future! Also, I want people to understand that even though you cannot see the person you are cyber bullying, they are a real human being just like you and me with feelings, so think before you cyber bully! Thanks for reading this and we will see you guys later, Patrick Hartnett and his fursonas!

17

On Monday, December 16, 2019, approximately 45 individuals from the Support Services program donned their merriest sweaters and gathered in the Richcroft training room to celebrate the holidays. Fun was had by all as they shared in yummy food and warm conversation. Everyone enjoyed modeling their sweaters and cheering

for their favorites. The top three sweaters were awarded prizes with first place going to Christopher McCarron in his full Santa Claus attire, second place to Ashley Wedlock and her festive unicorn sweater, and third place

to Patrick Hartnett in his funny Gingerbread man sweater (pictured below).

This was the first time the Support Services program gathered for a group event. During the party, ideas were shared for future activities and new friendships were made. The Support Services administration team is

looking forward to planning the next program activity!

18

Nags Head 2019

Back in September, a group of ten Carroll County peeps took a long weekend trip to Nags Head, NC. Everyone had a great time, from swimming in the ocean, taking a dip in the pool, eating, shopping,

spending time at the park and enjoying the company of their friends.

19

Pat Cossentino’s IP goal this year was to

plan three parties. With help from her

staff, she organized a fun Halloween party

for her friends. Everyone had a great

time. Dinner was good, costumes were

cute, scary and some very original. The

pumpkin decorating was a big hit. Pat did

a wonderful job and was very proud of

herself.

20

Cruising Key West and

Cozumel

Pat, Betty, Edith and Jane

(of Carroll County) took a

five-day cruise out of Miami

at the end of the summer.

They were so busy and had

an amazing time. They

spent a day in Key West,

Florida, then a whole day in

Cozumel, Mexico. In

Cozumel, they went on a

Jeep excursion to a private

beach to have lunch, visit-

ed a lighthouse, and met

the famous alligator.

On the ship they played

bingo, went to the

performance shows, and

even danced with the

waiters at dinner. Every-

one took part in the Slot

Tournament, and Edith

even made it all the way to

the final round! However,

she didn’t take home the

jackpot.

Once the ladies got off the

ship to come home, there

were a few hours to

explore Fort Lauderdale

before catching the plane

home. During that time,

they all went and explored

the Museum Discovery and

Science Center.

21

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Oluyemisi Adu (1) Ayodele Adewoye (1) George Ahumibe (6)

Dora Appiah (24) Cynthia Aguoru (1) Penn Azamah (4)

Ida Crawford (5) Stella Akinwale (1) Nighisti Berhe (12)

Gloria Davis (10) Cheryl Collins (12) Sharon Bonner (3)

Sarah Fisher (12) Oseh Enosin (1) Verlene Cook (9)

Darren Freeman (1) Joseph Fears (4) Michelle Council (1)

Tia Giles (4) Kathy Gary (4) Liela Delanoche (1)

Cynthia Hampton (4) Maegan Haviland (1) Deb Grove (26)

Mimi Johnson (1) Jennifer Hoffman (4) Vivica Joines (2)

Quinece Johnson (1) Kellie Holland (1) Deborah Jones (24)

Grace Karimi (2) Lauretta Jayjay-Krakue (7) Melissa Lankford (10)

Lori Keefer (3) Ruth Johnson (8) Austria Martin (5)

Edward Kuntze (7) Sandra Kellenbenz (7) Victoria Martin (4)

Alexandria Mackell (14) Evalyne Kogi (4) Melanie Miller (12)

Jennifer Maddox (5) Edward Kuntze (7) Jane Mwaura (17)

Henry Mayaka (9) Silas Njau (18) Nosakhare Omo-Osagie (3)

Deborah Mays (7) Oladipupo Oshodi (2) Friday Onyekuru (4)

Olayinka Nnochiri (2) Jodi Plant (1) Kelly Ann Rappazzo (11)

Tameka Noble (4) Michele Price (13) Jerome Teagle (6)

Oluwole Obadina (1) Jessica Riley (13) Pamela Teferi (11)

Sylva Okoeguale (8) Ronda Roland (7) Belinda Thompson (8)

Tracy Phelps (6) Phayann Sergeon (13) Alaine Watson (6)

Cheriss Polite (6) Hannah Smith (3) Julia Williams (4)

Logan Sheffield (2) Shantrice Smith (3) Mary Zaepfel (6)

Emily Smith (2) Folasade Sofowora (2)

Elijah Stanley (7) Ayodeji Songonuga (7)

Dawn Tridone (4) Margaret Wanjohi (21)

Francis Ukadike (2) Mary Wheeler (5)

Robert Walker (12) Darlene Wike (9)

Janice Watkins (11) Kathleen Wolff (2)

Emma Wenzel (6) Bilen Zerit (12)

Toniek Williams (5)

Veronica Woodall (4)

Natasha Woods (2)

Donna Ziemba (27)

22

Welcome New Hires!! To our new hires and our veterans - we value your service.

We, as a company, are only as good as you choose to make us.

“Employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals.” –

Kevin Kruse

“Engaged employees are in the game for the sake of the game; they believe in the cause of the organization.”

– Paul Marciano

“Throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart…and you will find happiness that you had

thought could never be yours.” – Dale Carnegie

May you find much happiness and great personal rewards here at Richcroft!

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER

Akinwale Akinsanya Moriamo Adebisi Hanan Aman

Caitlyn Conner Yvette Huff Lisa Hoey

Sherda Davis Adefeyike Ibraheem Joan Mattei

Ta’Chauyn Harden Tyesha Moyd Trusia Mogaka

Shekell Hutchinson Chiamaka Obi Gary Petway

Vanessa Long Chantal Powell Tyra Smith

Antoine Sovoh Candace Provenzano

Josephine Toe

John Walker

Talent Referral Bonus Program We are always looking for great people to join our staff! If you have any friends or family you’d like to refer, you may be able to take advantage of this awesome program. As the referring employee, the responsibility is yours to submit a completed form within three (3) months of the bonus due in order to receive your bonus. Any application made beyond three months of the bonus due will not be honored. Both the referring employee and the employee referred must be active and in good standing in order to be eligible to receive this bonus. When the requirements are met and the form is submitted to the Department of Human Resources, you will receive: Part 1: $50 on the new employee’s first day of work in a Richcroft unit Part 2: $150 upon completion of 3 months on the job Part 3: $200 upon completion of 6 months on the job (Referral forms are available on the “house” shared drive and at the front desk. See form for complete details.)

23

Nqoc, Albert, and Jenny attended a cooking class at the local high school. The menu was chicken

enchiladas and guacamole. Everyone had a great time making their dinner for the evening and

enjoying the company of each other. The staff that attended with them said that the food they

prepared was amazing. They all are excited to participate in the next cooking class, when it becomes

available.

Tim Anderson and Chris Henry enjoying friendship and a great cup of coffee from Peet’s Coffee House.

James Fanwell and Chris Henry enjoying the great weather and food at the fall harvest festival.

24

On Saturday, December 14th, the staff and individuals in Carroll County enjoyed a wonderful time together at their annual Christmas celebration. Santa and Mrs. Claus were there, as well as their awesome Elf Bryan. Everyone enjoyed good food, dancing and singing , but the best part was of

course the gifts from Santa.

25

From Charissa, Dawn and Lisa:

Happy Holidays to everyone! Inclement Weather Policies: The training department has revised the procedure regarding trainings during inclement weather. If the training is held in the Richcroft training room, we will follow Baltimore County Public Schools. If Baltimore County Public Schools open late or close due to inclement weather, the training is cancelled for the day and will be rescheduled at a later day. Please note, the office follows Baltimore County Public Schools ONLY and not the other counties. Dimensional Healthcare Associates has its own inclement weather policy. Their policy states, “When inclement weather occurs or is predicted, a decision will be made two hours prior to the scheduled start of class, whether to cancel or postpone the class. Up to two hours before the scheduled start of class, call the office at 410-654-1010. Select Option 7. If there are any postponements or cancellations for a class there will be a message giving the details. If there are no changes to the class, the message will state that the class will be held as scheduled. A message regarding course changes will also be placed on our web-site www.dhcamd.com. In the event the class is cancelled and rescheduled and you cannot attend the new class date please call the office at 410-654-1010 during normal business hours, 9 am to 5 pm, to resched-ule.” MANDT: We recently learned that beginning July 1, 2020, DDA is requiring that all employees be trained in units 4-6 of Mandt, in addition to the units we currently train on. These units focus on trauma informed care and principles of behavioral change. We are not sure how this will be rolled out or exactly what the re-quirements are. We realize that this additional training will be a hardship for many employees; nevertheless, we have to comply with DDA regulations. DDA’s goal with all of these new training requirements is to give Direct Service Professionals as much training as possible to provide positive supports to people with intellectual disabilities. On the positive side, the additional training requirements could be a way for a current employee to earn extra money. The training department will need an additional trainer when this is implemented. This trainer would continue with their current job at Richcroft, but add training once a week (possibly on Saturdays) for the training department. We do not have any details on how this would work, but if you are interested, please send a message to Charissa in ICM. She will keep a list of who is interested and contact them when we are ready.

The best way to reach any of the Training Department staff ( Lisa Ackerman, Charissa Pratta or Dawn Tridone) is via email:

Lisa- lisaa@richcroft.com

Charissa- charissap@richcroft.com Dawn- dawnt@richcroft.com

TRAINING CORNER

26

On September 17, 2019, Peter, Bonnie, and Evelyn took a trip to

Lancaster, PA!

It was a fun-filled day, complete with a visit to an Amish Farm, a Mennonite Museum, souvenir shopping, dinner

at a local diner, and traditional dessert from a local bakery in

Bird-In-Hand!

They all enjoyed spending their day in Pennsylvania with staff!

27

Remembering 9/11

Howard County enjoyed a beautiful day in remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11/2001. The individuals were excited to see, hold, and pet the animals from Mary’s Go Round.

Good vibes, good fun, good times, and the food was delicious, too!!

28

Howard County Annual Christmas Party

The individuals and staff enjoyed an exciting evening of dancing and mingling, and the food was good, too!! Leon as Santa, along with his two elves, Everett and Joyce, gave out

wonderful gifts to all of our individuals. And what really wonderful gifts they were!! The party was a success, as usual, with everyone still talking about it long after it ended. It

surely got them into the Christmas spirit!!

Merry Christmas to all

from Howard County!

29

30

Our individuals had an awesome time carving pumpkins and playing games. And, of course, snacking on some spooky looking food.

31

AND THE COSTUME WINNERS ARE: Thomas French as Batman, Kevin Fagan as Fred Flintstone, and

Leon Spell as the witch.

32

Leon enjoyed an overnight stay at the MGM NATIONAL HARBOR CASINO for his birthday. He enjoyed an evening of gambling and fine dining. Happy birthday, Leon!!!

Everett and staff enjoyed a nice lunch at the Double T Diner.

33

Wanda, Louise and Joyce enjoyed a nice relaxing vacation in Ocean City, Maryland!

34

We partied like it was 1999 for Wanda’s birthday!! Good music, good food, good friends and good times!!

35

Happy

birthday,

James!

Debra celebrated her birthday at The Main Event this year. She invited her friends to enjoy a night of

bowling, games and food!! FUN TIMES!!

36

October 19th was a very busy day for

our Brian Antwarg. He participated in

Bench Press Competition at

Mount Saint Mary’s University.

He lifted 32.5 kilos (71 lbs) effortlessly

and came in first place.

Immediately after completing his competition, he came home and prepared for a family surprise party. He looks great, don’t you

think?

37

38

Our dinner and awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm at Pappas Restaurant in Parkville.

The day was sunny and warm for a wintery time of year. The food was delicious, including Maryland’s best crab cakes.

The awards banquet affords us the opportunity to share a meal

together, but more importantly, it is at this time that we recognize some of the people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Richcroft could not succeed without you. We hope that you

found the banquet and the awards encouraging. Direct Support is not an easy job, but it can and should be one of the most rewarding career fields you could

choose to be involved in.

Your work matters. You really do make a difference in so many lives, and we thank you for it.

Below is a full list of the 2019 award-winners:

HARFORD COUNTY:

Employee of the Year- Bessie Whitaker

Rising Star- Alisha Baker

People’s Choice- Cynthia Hampton

Unsung Hero- Penn Azamah

Teamwork- Priestford staff (Alicia Baker, Tamnitra Erby, Dave Adepoju, Kathy Gary, Thomas Kwenoh, Olu Sanusi, Oseh Enosin)

[Thomas, Olu, and Oseh are all assigned to other homes; how-ever, they have helped out a lot at Priestford and contributed to the team effort.]

CARROLL COUNTY:

Employee of the Year- Sandra Kellenbenz

Rising Star- Amber Carter

People’s Choice- Oluyemisi “Julia” Adu

Unsung Hero- Sharon Bonner

Teamwork- Geneva Drive staff (Sandy Kellenbenz, Frank Haizel, Debra Tily, Aya Bayelle, Allen Zier)

HOWARD COUNTY:

Employee of the Year– Melanie Miller

Rising Star– Mimi Johnson

People’s Choice– Ines Scott

Unsung Hero– Ines Scott

Teamwork– Coventry staff (Veronica Allen, Antonetta Turpin, Robert Walker, Abdemi Ajileye, Thomas Yolain)

PERSONAL SUPPORTS:

Employee of the Year– Monique Graham

Rising Star– Bakita Emmanuel

People’s Choice– Joseph Fears

Unsung Hero– Mary Zaepfel

Community Connections - Vicki Hineline

BALTIMORE COUNTY:

Employee of the Year- Natasha Nutt

Rising Star- Jones Matunda

People’s Choice- Pamela Canty-Ademiluyi

Unsung Hero- Alicia Lambert

Teamwork- Buckhorn Road (Sabrina Scales, Bernice Henderson, Jackie Mwangi, Gloria Davis, Margarte Sutton, Ashley Okolie)

39

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter! If you are an active staff member and would like to

enter something in the next issue coming out in March, here’s what you need to do:

Please send me photos, stories, anecdotes, whatever you like. This is your opportunity to tell your stories and share

your ideas with each other, to make Richcroft a better workplace for everyone. A short story with one to four pho-

to’s attached is ideal. Highlighting a resident or a staff person that you are working with is one suggestion and would

be well received. Please limit your photos per event or outing, and please do not send photos that are blurry or dark.

Our content deadline for the next issue is Friday, February 28, 2020. Material received after that date will be

considered for our next edition.

I must have a word document, photos (if applicable), and signed photo release forms (if applicable) no later than

5 p.m. on deadline day.

These items may be attached to an e-mail message to davidd@richcroft.com.

Many of you have expressed some inhibition about writing. I understand writer’s block. I suffer from it all of the time.

All you have to do is answer these questions:

WHO?

WHAT?

WHEN?

WHERE?

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Thank you so much,

David Dellman, MS, SPHR