THERE IS A SUPERHERO INSIDE ALL OF US,
WE JUST NEED THE COURAGE TO PUT ON THE CAPE.
INNOVATION – WE PUSH THE BAR FORWARD
The Arc Baltimore believes that the challenges we face now require the same innovative thinking utilized by our founders. We will continue to open new doors and seek fresh ideas and possibilities at every level. We believe expectations matter and, through visionary leadership, will strive for more. We will continue to push boundaries and consider all that may be possible if we can free ourselves of perceived constraints. We will advocate wherever and whenever necessary.
“Put on the Cape” blog series by CEO Kathleen Durkin
OUR VALUES IN A COVID WORLD – INNOVATION
5/7/20
When we wrote the above “the challenges we face now require the same innovative thinking utilized by our founders…somehow I don’t think COVID 19 was on our minds. But, it sure is today! We are meeting this crisis head-on and with much innovative thinking!
Business services continue to help people find community employment. This past month, Donte was hired at Total Wine and More, Joseph at Fiber Electronics and Jonathan at Giant. Many (over 70) supported individuals continue to work as essential employees at hospitals and nursing homes with the support of The Arc’s job coaches. Expectations matter!
Employment support staff continues to check in on folks and have been able to assist with getting emergency food supplies and utility services turned on. Virtual classes such as Job Hunters, Self-Advocacy, and College Prep continue for people funded through DORS.
Like our founders, we believe in the power of families. Staff has been checking in weekly with families who are supporting their loved ones day after day, without the in-home staff to give them respite. Our foster families have been amazing in their abundance of love and support for the young children who are home during the day due to school closures.
Our Dad and Mom Support Groups have gone virtual! Recognizing the importance of that peer support now more than ever, our facilitators made sure these groups continued to meet by using our Go-To-Meeting platform.
Recently, when someone returned home from a rehabilitation setting and needed to be in isolation for 14 days, Our IT team hooked him up with a tablet, and staff organized a rotation of ZOOM meetings with a different person in his life each day – with the hope of making his isolation period less distressing. Mutual of America donated funds that allowed us to have dinners delivered to the home, giving the direct support professional a much-needed break from that cooking duty.
As we grapple with when and how to resume some of our day services operations, we will need our spirit of innovation more than ever. As our history shows, we excel at adapting and pushing the bar forward. These times will be no different.
Kathleen
