By Chris Chica, Residential Services Coordinator

Each month, we will recognize two DSPs of the Month as well as a Program Manager of the Month. We are thankful for all the ways they bring the best of themselves to those they support and their colleagues. Please join us in celebrating them:

July DSPs of the Month: Omobolanle (Bola) Egege & Brad Fenske

Bola

Bola Egege [Cedarwood East] – As the Lead DSP at our Cedarwood East home, Bola has made an immeasurable impact on the home, including her fellow staff and (most importantly) the women supported at Cedarwood East! Bola routinely involves the ladies at the home in a variety of meaningful activities – such as making meals and desserts together, along with plenty of other daily activities that further the connection between all within the home. Bola responsibly carries-out all job tasks – one thing that Bola does a stellar job with is completing the grocery shopping for the home and staying within the budget, along with ensuring that the home is utilizing what it has and reducing overall waste. Bola is considered a consummate team player, as she will pick-up additional hours at Cedarwood East (as well as other homes when needed) to make sure that the folks we support are well-cared for. Along with the aforementioned qualities, Bola also excels at keeping Cedarwood East a welcoming environment that is clean and organized, and she has taken it upon herself to train and mentor new staff at the home so the ladies here benefit from having quality, consistent staff. In the words of Cedarwood East Program Manager Lilian Marriott, “Bola leads with compassion, initiative, and reliability. She doesn’t just complete her responsibilities—she actively looks for ways to improve the lives of the individuals we support and strengthen our team. I truly believe she exemplifies what a DSP should be and is very deserving of this recognition.” Congratulations to Bola – one of our July ‘DSPs of the Month!”

Brad (with Ted)

Brad Fenske [Black Oaks] – Brad has been with our organization for many years in a variety of roles, in which Brad has long been considered a hard-working and beloved employee – in his current role, Brad is a DSP at our Black Oaks home, and Brad’s undoubtedly excels at supporting the women here! Like he has done everywhere he has worked, Brad is keen on being in-tune with the various needs of the ladies at Black Oaks, and he does everything that he possibly can to make sure that each unique need is being met to the best of his/our ability. Black Oaks recently went-through the passing of someone that we supported for several decades, and Brad particularly had a close relationship with her – Brad’s dutiful support of her was instrumental in her being cared for as well as possible as her health declined, and Brad also demonstrated such remarkable aid to the women at Black Oaks while they have grieved their longtime housemate and friend. Additionally, when Black Oaks was without a Program Manager for a period of time, Brad stepped-up in countless ways and he played a huge role in making sure Black Oaks ran business-as-usual – Brad took the ladies to their medical appointments, he completed the grocery and supply shopping for the home, and he never faltered in taking care of the day-to-day needs of each of the women at Black Oaks. Brad’s incredible level of insight and attention to what needs to be done at Black Oaks is nothing short of amazing, and he is beyond deserving of being one of our July ‘DSPs of the Month,’ – congratulations, Brad!

July Program Manager of the Month: Icelyn Snow

Icelyn

A tell-tale sign of an outstanding Program Manager is when their staff team can’t help but speak highly of them to others within the organization, and this is absolutely the case with the stand-out Program Manager at Holdridge – Icelyn Snow! Not only does Icelyn take care of what needs to be done on a daily basis (and does it well!), she continually exhibits a growth mindset to best support the four men that live at Holdridge. Icelyn excels at communicating with others – whether it’s the guys at Holdridge, their families, or the Holdridge staff team. A shining example of Icelyn’s can-do attitude is when a rather large (20+ people) group from a local transition school wanted to see one of our homes – Icelyn stepped-up to host this tour short-notice, and even with the big audience, she did a terrific job talking about Holdridge & showing everyone around the home – Icelyn outlined life at Holdridge that clearly showed why it is a terrific home to reside at, with staff that only want the best for the men supported here. Icelyn is a consistent, reliable, and incredibly supportive presence for everyone involved at our Holdridge home, and her excellent work all leads to her being our ‘PM of the Month’ for July – congratulations, Icelyn!