There was an air of excitement and anticipation as Shippensburg Community Participation Supports (CPS) participants expectantly awaited their first Penpal exchange… just in time for Valentine’s Day. As their names were called, each individual collected the envelope containing the handwritten “All About Me” message from their designated Penpal.
Congratulations are in order… for Morgan, Emily, Dana, and Jenny (l to r above)–the Pathways Academy Class of 2022–who celebrated their program completion and graduation on Saturday, January 22.
The four young women entered the Academy together in June 2020 and spent the duration of their time in the residential independent living program amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that they have successfully completed all the coursework and acquired the life skills needed to live on their own independently speaks volumes about the resilience and heart of these four women.
UCP was thrilled to receive word that our own Abigail Celesky was selected as the Central Region Direct Support Professional of the Year in the 2021 PAR “We Are Worth It” Awards! Abby was recognized for her ability to continue to provide home and community supports at a time when she was unable to meet with individuals in their homes or take them out into the community.
“I have been working with an individual for over 20 years, and we have grown together in so many ways. The pandemic was a very different time for everyone. The individual that I work with and I sat down together and discussed this very important time. We talked about the importance of being safe and following all the new protocols for the seemingly new normal. We both decided that we were not going to let this scary time get us down or make us stop spending quality time together; in fact, it would do just the opposite. We decided that we were going to think outside the box and do fun things.” ~ Barb Feaser, DSP, Home and Community Services
First Lady Frances Wolf recently revealed One Lens: Sharing Our Common Views, a statewide virtual exhibition documenting Pennsylvanians’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. UCP Central PA (UCP) selected and submitted three photos to represent all our “heroes” who have continued to provide essential services and supports to individuals and families throughout the pandemic. The images are among 1,300 submissions from 58 PA counties that comprise the exhibition. The three images representing UCP are:
Recently, in order to help magnify our outreach efforts surrounding the Culture at Work initiative, UCP’s Recognition Committee adopted the Moose as our “Culture Mascot.“ (Actually, we adopted and named two moose: Maggie and Monty. But that’s another story for another time.)
“Why a Mascot?” you might ask. Actually, it’s because of UCP staff!
What better way to kick off Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month than with some photos celebrating an amazing Employment Services partnership between UCP Central PA, Houlihan’s, and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts?
UCP Senior Director of Operations Bridget Pugh was on site at Houlihan’s today to recognize Kenyay Barbour as Self-Advocate Employee and Houlihan’s as Community Employer, presenting them with certificates and framed nominations from the 2020 PAR We Are Worth It Awards.
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