Montgomery County, PA

 

NORRISTOWN — The Montgomery County Commissioners will present awards to nine residents and agencies from throughout Montgomery County on Tuesday, March 10th.

 

The luncheon will be held at Presidential Caterers, 2910 DeKalb Pike (at the intersection with Germantown Pike), Norristown, Pennsylvania.

 

The theme of the event is Making a Difference: Celebrating Everyday Achievements and the guest singer will be Jerome Oeste, Jr.

 

Below is a listing of the award recipients and a brief description of why there were selected.

 

For further information, contact Geraldine Feeny at (610) 278-3642.

 

When one of KenCrest Lifesharing individuals needed an emergency home, Peggy answered the call. Over an 11 month period, she helped the natural family find and establish a permanent, individually owned home so the individual would have control and permanency. Peggy has offered to train the new provider and maintain her relationship by being a companion. She has helped the individual maintain ongoing contact with the natural family who live out of state. That family is extremely grateful to Peggy as are the individual and the KenCrest Lifesharing family. Peggy Horne has our thanks as the Direct Care Award recipient.

 

 

Cindy works in a setting where individuals require intense levels of support to meet some very basic needs. She is often assigned folks with behavioral challenges due to their limited communication and social skill development. Cindy is quick to assess, determine a positive behavioral approach, and develop social/emotional plans for all the support staff at ALTEC to follow. She implements and customizes programs with compassion and insight. We thank her for her gift at designing learning situations and activities where people thrive. 

 

 

Laura has opened the world to individuals who are more often told what they can’t do rather than what wonderful opportunities exist. Serving as the Director of Helping Hands Summer Camps/Special Vacations and Social Recreation programs, she has opened new doors for so many individuals. In addition to her efforts with the social/recreation programs, Laura is also the Assistant Director of the community based residential program. Many of the young folks who have worked for her over the years have moved on to successful careers as teachers, support coordinators and support staff. We are pleased to honor her 20 years of service with the Management Staff Award.

 

 

Kathy has given more than ten years to the STAR Program of Indian Creek Foundation. Her efforts to expand the geographic scope included adding a space at the Norristown Public Library which drew many new members. Her efforts to expand the scope of the activities led to involving entertainment companies, political figures and even NBC 10’s sportscaster John Clark. Kathy can be counted on for her tireless efforts and total commitment to Indian Creek’s fund raising initiatives which is always a valuable asset but particularly in these difficult times. Kathy is our deserving recipient of the Management Staff Award.

 

 

Founded in 1973, ADD is an organization which offers over 150 developmentally disabled adults professionally directed services to enhance social skills in community settings. Weekly two hour discussion groups held in Elkins Park, Wynnewood and Spring House is the cornerstone of services offered by ADD. The sessions provide participants the opportunity to identify and resolve problems, discuss peer interactions and gain socialization skills. On weekends, supervised day trips are offered to concerts, sporting events, movies, cultural centers and historic venues. The community, members, parents and caregivers receive educational seminars to help them find resources they need to cope with challenges associated with disabilities.  

 

 

George Gunning has been active with Gateway Employment for more than 20 years and is currently serving as Chairman. As a long time resident of Montgomery County, Mr. Gunning has served on many non-profit boards and service oriented committees. Often referred to as “The Ambassador to Conshohocken”, Mr. Gunning works tirelessly with the business community to raise both awareness and funds for individuals with developmental disabilities. Through the Continental Bank Foundation, he has bestowed numerous grants to such agencies as Developmental Enterprises Corporation, the MBF Center, the Variety Club and Gateway Employment Resources. Mr. Gunning is a humble man who seeks little recognition for his charitable efforts. We are honored to be able to recognize him with this award. 

 

 

Our recipient of the personal achievement award this year is no stranger to receiving acclamations. In 2006, she received the “Self-Advocate of the Year” award from “Speaking for Ourselves”. She has recently left her employment at two jobs to devote more of her time to working with “Speaking for Ourselves”. She currently serves as Treasurer for Speaking for Ourselves and is on the Board of Directors. Her work for Speaking for Ourselves takes her from one end of the state to the other.  We are pleased to honor a founding member of Camphill Soltane, Betsy Ney, with our personal achievement award.

 

 

Mr. Green is a manager for Culinart, Inc. at Montgomery County Community College. He has employed one individual for 15 years. Two years ago, Mr. Green hired an individual with challenging behaviors. In order to relate better to her, he watches wresting on TV. He frequently waits with the individual until her transportation arrives. Mr. Green views his employees as “abled”, not people with disabilities. We thank him for being patient enough to recognize and develop the positive qualities of the individuals who work for him. 

 

 

Through the North Penn Visiting Nurse Association, Ms. Cero has been supporting individuals at ALTEC for the past five years. She provides monthly instruction to groups at ALTEC around issues that promote healthy living and lifestyles.  Her sessions include proper hand washing techniques, specific male and female health issues, how sun and heat can be harmful, oral hygiene, blood pressure screening and many more. Her sessions are always full because folks appreciate and enjoy the interesting way that Ms. Cero can convey instructional information. ALTEC has contacted other organizations to recommend Ms. Cero’s beneficial services.