Celebrating the Beauty That Surrounds Us
The rains that fell in April help us better appreciate the flowers that bloom in May. In the photo above, Blair–a participant in UCP’s modified At Home CPS–reminds us of that simple truth.
UCP Resident Spreads Joy
Recently, I was able to spend some time with Beth Catlin, a resident of one of UCP’s 16 community homes throughout Central PA. Beth moved into the Enola home after her mother, with whom she had been living, was moved to an assisted living facility in 2020. Beth is personable, engaging, and has an astounding gift for recall, in particular for sports-related statistics and for birth dates. She routinely exercises her capacity to remember dates–and at the same time blesses others–by crafting and sending homemade birthday cards to pretty much everyone she meets.
UCP Heroes Featured in PA One Lens Exhibition
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:
In-Home CPS Continues to Provide Opportunities in the Community
Today we highlight one of UCP’s long-time participants, Russell P. Russ has been actively engaged with Community Participation Supports (CPS) in Shippensburg for many years. With the onset of COVID-19 and the subsequent shuttering of all CPS locations in March of last year, Russ was among the individuals left struggling with how to meaningfully fill their time. As the social butterfly of his CPS group, he was particularly hard hit by the isolation brought on by COVID.
Join the Fun! Introducing Maggie and Monty Moose
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!
A Message from the CEO: Feeling Grateful
It has been a year. March 13, 2021 marks one year since the world as we knew it began to change forever. Schools across the state—indeed the nation—sent their students home that Friday the 13th with a hopeful message: “see you in two weeks.” Businesses soon followed suit, based on the official guidance at the time that we needed “15 days to slow the spread.” So it bears repeating… it has been a year.
Still, today, rather than look back, I want to look ahead.
Celebrating an Amazing Partnership
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.
