Staff – The Arc of Howard County

Congratulations to 2021 Dean Award Honoree: Phelisa Smith-Huff!

Posted on September 17, 2021 at 12:24 pm.

Congratulations to the 2021 Amanda and Jill Dean Direct Support Professional Honoree – Phelisa Smith-Huff! A Direct Support Manager who goes above and beyond, Phelisa works hard to make sure the people we support, and staff, are well taken care of!

Executive Director Cindy Parr surprised Phelisa yesterday with the award. Bill and Keith were there to share in the excitement of the moment and to help Phelisa and staff celebrate!

The Amanda & Jill Dean Direct Support Professional Award was created by the Dean Family to recognize an exceptional employee in the Direct Support professional field at The Arc of Howard County. This award is presented annually and includes a $1,000 cash gift to the recipient.

Thank you Phelisa, and all of our Direct Support Professionals for the work you do each and every day to make a difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities!

Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week: September 12-18, 2021

Posted on September 12, 2021 at 8:00 am.

Written by Jill Berry

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week-September 12-18, 2021

The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) join others throughout the United States in marking September 12 through September 18, 2021, as Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week and plan to honor these outstanding Marylanders.

Congratulations to the 2021 Celebration of Excellence Award Winners!

Posted on June 22, 2021 at 12:40 pm.

Written by Andrew Winner

2021 Celebration of Excellence and 60th Year Celebration

The Arc of Howard County’s 2021 Celebration of Excellence was held virtually on May 12, 2021. Congratulations to all of our award winners for making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities!

Self-Advocate of the Year: Jeffrey Jones, Carlotta Martin, and Janice Martin
Excellence in Employment: Robert Walker, Natalie Dohner, and Vytex Windows
Excellence in Professional Services: ALFA Specialty Pharmacy
Excellence in Community: FEED HOWARD COUNTY
Excellence in Public Service: Senator Clarence Lam and Delegate Eric Ebersole
Volunteer of the Year: Matt Hart and Sarah Wheedleton
The Amanda & Jill Dean Direct Support Professional Award: Annie Caldwell
President’s Award: Richard Dean
Employee of the Year: All of Arc of Howard County DSPs
COVID-19 Heroes of the Year: Deborah Wagner and Naomi Lyvers

Congratulations to 2020 Dean Award Honoree: Annie Mae Caldwell!

Posted on October 5, 2020 at 12:38 pm.

Written by Jill Berry

Congratulations to 2020 Dean Award Honoree: Annie Mae Caldwell!

Congratulations to The Arc of Howard County’s Direct Support Manager, Annie Mae Caldwell, who was presented with the Amanda & Jill Dean Direct Support Award by Executive Director, Cindy Parr, for Annie’s exceptional work during the COVID-19 crisis and throughout her service!

The Amanda & Jill Dean Direct Support Professional Award is an annual award created by the Dean family to each year honor a Direct Support Professional (DSP) or Direct Support Manager (DSM) who has gone above and beyond in their support of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and who demonstrates a commitment to The Arc’s mission and vision of achieving full community life for people with disabilities! Well deserved Annie!!

The Arc Maryland Awards and Annual Meeting

Posted on September 17, 2020 at 6:00 pm.

Written by Jill Berry

The Arc Maryland Awards and Annual Meeting will be held on September 17, 2020, at 6 p.m. Registration is now open! This year the celebration will be virtual. Register by September 4 to receive the event participation package.

The Arc Maryland Awards and Annual Meeting will be a celebration to honor the advocates, professionals, and volunteers who lead the charge in creating a world where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have and enjoy equal rights and opportunities!

You can participate in the virtual night of celebration on Thursday, September 17, 2020, from 6-8:30 p.m. on Zoom. If you need assistance to participate, please contact Luc Chausse or Arylon Brooks, or call 410-571-9320 and leave a message.

Register for The Arc Maryland Awards and Annual Meeting!

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week

Posted on September 13, 2020 at 8:00 am.

Written by Jill Berry

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week-September 13-19, 2020

The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) join others throughout the United States in marking September 13 through September 19, 2020, as Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week and plan to honor these outstanding Marylanders.

Heroes Work Here!

Posted on June 10, 2020 at 5:39 pm.

Written by Jill Berry

A Big Thank You to Vanessa Antrum at Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS) for featuring Senior Residential Program Manager Rhonda Braswell, Residential Managers Marie Ndjock, Warnette Owens-Moultrie, Jessicia Chaney today! Thank you for your support of The Arc of Howard County and for your recognition of these front line heroes!

The Arc of Howard County Holiday Party

Posted on December 15, 2019 at 4:00 pm.

Written by Jill Berry

The Arc of Howard County Holiday Party will be held:

Sunday

December 15, 2019

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Turf Valley Resort

2700 Turf Valley Road

Ellicott City, MD 21042

Holiday Closing Information: Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2019 at 2:31 pm.

Written by Jill Berry

Friendly Reminder: This a reminder of The Arc of Howard County office and program closings during Thanksgiving Week 2019:

The Arc of Howard County Community Integration Services-Employment, Day Program, and Supported Retirement, and The Arc Transportation Services will be closed on Thursday, November 28th, and Friday, November 29th, 2019.
The Arc of Howard County Administrative Offices will be closed on Thursday, November 28th, 2019.
If you are supported by The Arc of Howard County and work on either of the above dates, please contact your Employment Specialist as The Arc of Howard County does not provide transportation to individual job sites on November 28th and November 29th, 2019. If you have any questions please contact The Arc of Howard County at 410-730-0638.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Heart for It #MoreThanTheHeartForIt #DSPRW19 #MoreThanTheHeartForIt

Posted on November 25, 2019 at 8:18 am.

Written by Jill Berry

During the week of September 8th to 14th, 2019, The Arc of Howard County celebrated Direct Support Professional Recognition Week #DSPRW19. The Arc of Howard County joined in thanking Direct Support Professionals for the work they do to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

As part of the celebration of #DSPRW19, The Arc Maryland released of the heart for it; a video developed in collaboration with partner organizations of The Arc in Maryland. The video, the heart for it, helps viewers better understand the work of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and their importance to the community. Showcasing stories from DSPs, and people they support, the heart for it shows what it means to be a Direct Support Professional or to receive support from one. Watch the video on The Arc Maryland’s Youtube or click on the video below. You might see a few very familiar faces!

Want to know what a Director Support Professional means to the individuals they support and their families? Read what The Arc Maryland had to say:

We often hear that DSPs are “true angels on earth,” and “have amazing hearts” to do the work they do. The work is complex, the hours are long and sometimes unpredictable, and sometimes, their presence and actions are the difference between life and death for a person. What we know, is that DSPs must not only “have the heart” for the work that they do, but also possess incredible patience, a trove of knowledge and a variety of skills; requirements unmatched in most other professions.