For Jasmaine, Jessica, Pamela, Robert, Samuel, Tabatha, and Terry, this year was a special
one, full of firsts. They celebrated trick or treating on Halloween for the first time ever. They
also celebrated hosting their own Super Bowl party. They interacted with their neighbors for
the very first time. Just one year ago, these individuals moved from a facility-based setting
into two accessible community medical homes. On May 23, they hosted an open house to
celebrate the one year anniversary of living in their own homes with a guest list that included
family members, funders, and staff who spent a wonderful afternoon touring the new state-
of-the-art home, and enjoying mu-
sic and refreshments. Many thanks
to the following supporters who
made the construction of these two
homes possible: FHL Bank Pitts-
burgh Affordable Housing Program
grant, PHARE (Pennsylvania Hous-
ing Affordability and Rehabilitation
Enhancement Fund), Montgomery
County HOME program grant, Citi-
zens Bank, BB&T, and the Connelly
Foundation.
Anna just celebrated her second birthday, complete with a “Daniel
the Tiger” theme. She is bubbly, loves to count, cheer on her
favorite hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers, and her eyes are a
bright, crystal blue that will make any heart melt. Before she was
born, Anna’s parents, Angela and Michael, were told that she may
face some challenges. The new parents waited patiently for Anna’s
arrival, and they believed that they could make anything work when
it came to their new baby girl. At just two months old, Anna began
receiving physical therapy from KenCrest.
Four different KenCrest early intervention specialists, including
speech and occupational therapists,
worked with Anna before her first
birthday. Her therapists were part of a
team assembled to help Anna develop and help her parents learn
how to support her as she grew. Anna has made great progress in
the last few months. She grows even more with each new lesson,
pushes herself with all of her strength, and has gone above and
beyond expectations. Anna’s story of success is a tribute to what
the teamwork of excellent professionals and a caring family can
accomplish.
KenCrest! See what we’ve been up to . . .
Keeping up with SERVICES | LOCATIONS | SUPPORT | NEWS & EVENTS
AmAzing AnnA
August 2018
1
The 2nd Annual KenCrest Masters will
take place on Monday, October 22 at Blue
Bell Country Club and Normandy Farm.
Guests can choose to participate in any
one of three activities: wood crafting, sushi
making, or 18 holes of golf. The day will
conclude with a cocktail hour, dinner, live
and silent auctions, and more. Stay tuned
for more details!
SAVE THE DATE!
Save the Date for
KenCrest Masters
Choose from:
Sushi Making~
Wood Crafting~
Golfing
Monday, October 22, 2018
Blue Bell Country Club
and
Normandy Farm
A PlACE To CAll HomE
KenCrest held a celebration of staff on Thursday,
May 10 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in King of
Prussia, PA. The annual event, which was themed after
the Oscars and called the Kennys, provided over 325
employees the opportunity to dress to impress and
a forum to recognize and celebrate exceptional staff
contributions and longevity.
The William Nolan Advocacy Award to recognize
advocacy for the community, clients and their
families was received by Mary Doughty, the Program
Coordinator of our Northeast Philadelphia Early
Childhood Center.
The Siebott/Hibbard Award, given in memory of
Marilyn Siebott and Rod Hibbard, two beloved past
leaders who championed staff support, achievement
and career development, was awarded to Kelly Sesay,
Quality Manager.
The Sister Grace Jones Award is the highest award,
created in memory of Sister Grace Jones, the longest
tenured Executive Director who did not take “No” for
an answer when it came to dedication and service.
The recipient this year
was Melanie Brennan,
Director of KenCrest’s
Early Learning programs.
“I was humbled to receive
the Sister Grace Jones
Award. I’ve been thinking
a lot about the mission of
KenCrest and how it has
intersected and influenced
my own life course.
I’ve been surrounded
by people with a deep
commitment to the values that represent Sister. Grace and KenCrest - strength-based views
of the people we serve and positive approaches which have influenced me both at work and
at home,” said Melanie, who has been working at KenCrest for over 30 years.
Other big winners of the evening were our recipients of the PRIDE (Positive Approaches at
Work, Reaching Higher, Inclusion, Discovery, and Excellence in Leadership) Awards: Debbie
Bauer of Montgomery County Supported Employment, Senquetta Ancrum-Patterson of
our North Philadelphia Early Learning Center, Mary Peifer-Kulp of Home and Community
Services, Mike Luce of Connecticut Community Living, and Stanley Carr of our Training
Department.
The agency also presented 19 awards for longevity to staff who have been working at
KenCrest 30, 35, and 40 years. It was truly a night to remember!
CElEbrATing our SPECiAl STAff ADVoCACy in ACTion
mAKE A WiSH for KEnCrEST
bEATing THE HEAT AT THE WEST CEnTEr
Thursday, May 3, KenCrest’s North
Philadelphia Early Learning Center
hosted U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) for
a roundtable with local families and child
care professionals. Families shared their
stories while Casey delivered an update
on his advocacy for working families,
including his legislation aimed at making
child care and early learning opportunities
more affordable for all Pennsylvanians.
KenCrest was honored to be a part of this
great initiative and host Senator Casey.
On June 5, KenCrest celebrated our 113th
birthday. Nothing is more fulfilling than
seeing a wish come true, and that is what
drives us at KenCrest. Over the past year, your
support has made countless wishes come true
for our community! As we continue to grow,
we rely on your support to explore innovative
possibilities and turn wishes into reality. You
are a vital part of empowering the dreams of
the KenCrest family. Make a wish with us; it’s
only together that we have accomplished so
much. Please share your favorite KenCrest
wish with us by emailing fund.development@
kencrest.org.
In April 2018, Fund for Quality provided a grant of $100,000 to KenCrest for a new HVAC
system at our West Philadelphia Early Learning Center. The new system will provide a
comfortable indoor climate year-round for more than 200 children. Many thanks to Fund
for Quality, who also granted $220,000 in 2015 for an expansion of the West Center!
PNC Bank recently donated 20
Radio Flyer trikes and 7 Radio Flyer
Wagons to Early Learning Centers
in Philadelphia. Children could not
wait to take their new wheels for
a spin! Thank you to PNC for your
continued generosity and support of
our Early Learning Centers.
A grADuATion To rEmEmbEr
3
On June 7, KenCrest honored its first Project
SEARCH graduating class from a partnership with
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Collegeville, PA. The
graduation ceremony recognized the program
participants for their achievement in completing
the nine-month program. All eight student
interns successfully completed the rotational
requirements of the curriculum and will go on to
utilize their newly developed business expertise in
other permanent placements in the community.
The students placements ranged from working
in IT, catering, facilities, and operations. The
program has been in place for more than four years
at GSK’s global headquarters in London. Collegeville is GSK’s first US site to participate. Alison Smale, Director of Employment
for KenCrest stated: “We are very proud of each and every one of our graduates. It was a wonderful experience to support
our students through this Project SEARCH program with a host business representing the pharmaceutical industry. We are
looking forward to increasing our involvement with all types of larger businesses through this program in other communities in
Montgomery and Bucks County in the very near future.”
“The passion these students brought to our team was contagious and their talent truly contributed to our success. The goal of the
program was to help the students, but they helped us just as much,” said Caroline Perry, GSK Director of Clinical Development,
Infectious Disease and Program Coordinator. “They reminded us why it is so important to be an inclusive company, a reminder
that will stay with us beyond their nine-month assignment.” KenCrest also honored seven Project SEARCH graduates of our
longstanding program at Phoenixville Hospital on June 5.
Thomas Jefferson was known for hosting dinner parties with people he found intriguing. Usually attendees were unacquainted with one
another and Jefferson set out a list of conversational questions on a specific topic. By the end of the dinner party, the guests had all gained
insight and knowledge on a variety of issues. In this spirit, Marian Baldini, President and CEO, hosted the first KenCrest Jeffersonian Dinner
at Normandy Farm on May 15. Eight guests enjoyed a thought-provoking evening that included questions about the future of the disability
service industry, what it means to be part of a community, and the role of philanthropy.
KenCrest hopes to continue this initiative and host more dinners with thought leaders and community members in the coming
year. Through these dinners, it is our hope to get to know the communities where we serve, and to continue providing
innovative programs.
nEW WHEElS THAnKS To PnC
KEnCrEST HoSTS firST JEffErSoniAn DinnEr
Thank You!!
On May 23, KenCrest announced the appointment of Sean J.
Bosken of Fairfield, CT to the Board of Directors for KenCrest
Centers, representing the state of Connecticut. Mr. Bosken
is the Vice President of Service Excellence for Nestlé Waters
North America and has been involved in the human services
field for several years. “We are honored to have Sean as part
of our Board, representing the interests of the individuals and
their families in the state of Connecticut. This appointment
represents a milestone for KenCrest as the first time we have
had Board representation from Connecticut,” stated Marian Baldini, President and CEO.Copyright © 2018 KENCREST. All Rights Reserved.
960A Harvest Drive, Suite 100Blue Bell, PA 19422 | 610.825.9360
kencrest.org
Since 1905 KenCrest,
through positive approaches,
innovation and compassion,
has ensured that individuals in
disadvantaged communities as
well as those with intellectual
disabilities and autism
get a great beginning and
continue to live well in their
communities, have control
of their lives and receive the
respect of others.
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SHADoWS To SuCCESS
WElComE SEAn!
Deciding on a career path after high school is never easy, and the decision is even more
difficult for people with disabilities. This school year, KenCrest orchestrated three different
job shadow programs to help in this process. The first took place at Pfizer in Collegeville on
Wednesday, April 25, when students from Norristown High School worked with Pfizer job
mentors to learn about skills needed in the workplace. Then, on May 17, KenCrest held two
job shadow events. The first was at Gabe’s store in Pottstown with students from Boyertown
Area High School and Pottsgrove High School. Gabe’s is a retail environment leader in
supporting the employment of people with disabilities and currently employs four staff
who are supported by KenCrest. The second was at IKEA in South Philadelphia, hosting
nine students from John Bartram High School who learned about interior design, logistics,
food management, and customer service. These job shadow days were made possible by
KeyBank, Child Development Foundation, and Ross Stores.
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