Three Sets of Sisters, Mother-Daughter duos and Husband-Wife Team Members Work to Improve Senior Residents’ Lives
Clearview family ties, mom and daughters.
BUTLER, Pa. – Aug. 14, 2023 – PRLog — When Krystle Pry says her team at Newhaven Court at Clearview is a family, she means it.
The senior living community in Butler has three sets of sisters, three mother-daughter combinations and a husband and wife working on the team.
Pry has been at the IntegraCare-operated senior living community since 2007, and she recently moved into the role as Executive Operations Officer, fronting a team dedicated to improving the lives of seniors.
This family-first approach at Newhaven Court at Clearview comes naturally, as mothers and daughters, husbands and wives and sisters work side by side.
“The culture and environment in our community is based on IntegraCare’s 3-Dimensional Focus,” said Pry, whose sister Marissa Menchyk is a Resident Wellness Associate at Clearview. “We strive to provide a positive, safe and comfortable work environment for our team, and our team in turn improves the lives of our residents and gives a peace of mind to the residents’ family members. The people who work here are the heart of our community. Having so many team members who are family only makes it feel more like home for many of us.”
Resident Wellness Coordinator Stephanie Balik has been part of the Newhaven Court at Clearview team since 2016. Her daughters — sisters Madison Balik and Summer Balik — each are resident wellness associates.
“Working with my daughters is always a great time. It does come with its challenges sometimes because you do not want other staff to think they are being favored,” Stephanie Balik said.
Her daughters also appreciate the tight-knit team that includes the people who have a special bond with them.
“Working with family means you always have someone to talk to about issues you face at work,” Summer Balik said.
The team cares about each other and the residents.
“I think that it says Newhaven is like a big family,” Madison Balik said. “No matter if you are blood related or not, Newhaven will always feel like home, not only to the employes but also to the residents of Newhaven Court at Clearview.”
Medication Associate Maricris Cooper, who has been part of the team for eight years, has daughters Colleen Dickson, a resident wellness associate, and Samantha Cooper, in food service.
“Marcris has had perfect attendance for the last seven years, and she won a brand-new car from IntegraCare for her attendance as part of our Continued Attendance Rewards Program in 2021,” Pry said.
Sisters Kiera Muisiner and Madisyn Muisiner are resident wellness associates. Husband Tim Palmer, a safety and maintenance engineer, and wife Amanda Palmer, a hospitality executive associate, also are part of the Clearview family.
LifeStages Director Heather Allison and her daughter, Emma McAnallen, who is part of the dining team, form another mother-daughter tandem. Allison oversees activities in Senior Living and Life Bridges and has been part of the team for three years. McAnallen started in her position this spring.
“We think highly of our team members, so when one of their loved ones are looking for an opportunity, we want to be able to offer them that,” Pry said.
Pry appreciates the time she spends sharing the work experience with her own sister.
“Marissa is working full-time as a resident wellness associate and has a love for being a part of our residents’ lives just like I do,” Pry said of her sister. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to see her not only succeed in her position, but have the same opportunities for growth as I have had at Clearview.”
Visit https://www.integracare.com
Media Contact Krystle Pry, Executive Operations Officer ***@integracare.com 724.477.8701
The funds will be used toward food, clothing, toiletries and prevention services for local families in need.
Family Promise of Southern Ocean receives donation
MANAHAWKIN, N.J. – Nov. 16, 2022 – PRLog — A family of five was about to be evicted from their Ocean Acres home. They didn’t know who to turn to for help, so they googled support services and found Family Promise of Southern Ocean County. The nonprofit was able to assist them so they can remain in their home and start a new chapter.
With inflation at record highs and the cost of living even higher, stories like this are happening all too often. Thankfully, through a generous donation, Family Promise of Southern Ocean County can continue helping even more families in need.
The local nonprofit was recently presented with a $30,000 donation following the 5th Annual Causeway CARes 5K, presented by Causeway Family of Dealerships and Causeway CARes.
The event, held on October 16th at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, raised $30,000. David C. Wintrode, President of Causeway Family of Dealerships/Causeway CARes graciously matched that amount, bringing the grand total to $60,000. All event proceeds were donated to Fulfill (https://fulfillnj.org/) and Family Promise of Southern Ocean County (https://www.familypromisesoc.org/).
“We carefully selected Fulfill and Family Promise of Southern Ocean County as this year’s 5K beneficiaries because both organizations are on a mission to battle hunger and homelessness in Ocean County, which is something that Causeway cares deeply about,” said Wintrode.
Fulfill has been a 5K beneficiary since the race’s inception five years ago. The nonprofit’s mission is to alleviate hunger and build food security in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and make sure that all people at all times have access to enough nutritious food to maintain an active and healthy life.
This year, Family Promise of Southern Ocean County was also selected as a 5K beneficiary. Its mission is to partner with communities to guide homeless children and their families toward achieving sustainable independence.
Joe Stroffolino, Race Director/Director of Advertising and Marketing, Causeway Cars/Causeway CARes, is a board member for both nonprofits. “I felt a strong obligation to drastically increase our sponsor count,” he said. “We successfully went from 47 sponsors in 2021 in support of Fulfill to 80 sponsors by adding Family Promise of Southern Ocean County as our second beneficiary this year.”
Elizabeth Golla, Executive Director of Family Promise of Southern Ocean County, says, “The funding that Causeway CARes generously provided to Family Promise of Southern Ocean County will not only continue to help us provide food, clothing and toiletries, it will also help us to provide prevention services for families.”
Family Promise of Southern Ocean County steps in where applicable to help meet families in the midst of the trials they face in order to assist them with paying back rent, back mortgage and utilities. “We also help fix vehicles so that individuals can get to work and that will hopefully prevent them from being homeless in the first place,” Golla added.
Since Fulfill is able to provide food security, Family Promise of Southern Ocean County is able to utilize its funding to help individuals and families before homelessness occurs.
In 2021, Family Promise of Southern Ocean County was able to assist over 1,500 individuals. About 60 percent of that was prevention. “We recently started expanding into all of Ocean County because the need is so high,” said Golla. “In 2022, we have already hit those numbers and the year is not over yet.”
So far in 2022, the nonprofit has provided 3,000 nights of shelter through motels and local churches. In 2021, it assisted with 1,898 bed nights.
Today, Family Promise of Southern Ocean County is in need for funding and partners to support local families by providing shelter.
“We have a waiting list of 20 families that are in desperate need of shelters,” Golla said. “This is why prevention is so important. We are able to provide a variety of strategies to ensure the people we serve do not fall into the cycle of housing instability that can devastate families and alter the course of children’s lives. Prevention literally is a lifeline to stabilize housing for those who are at risk of becoming homeless.”
To learn more or to donate to Family Promise of Southern Ocean County, please visit https://www.familypromisesoc.org/.
About Family Promise of Southern Ocean County
Family Promise of Southern Ocean County strives to help families experiencing homelessness and economic uncertainty to achieve sustainable independence through prevention programs, advocacy and community support services. To learn more, visit https://www.familypromisesoc.org or call 609-994-3317.
EASTON, Md. – Nov. 14, 2022 – PRLog — Will Jones comes from a family devoted to caring for others, especially seniors. That’s why he brings so much passion and enthusiasm to his role as the new Executive Operations Officer at the Candle Light Cove senior living community.
“Throughout my life, I’ve watched and admired my mom as she spent a majority of her career as a nurse who cared for seniors,” said Jones, 28. “I watched her love and passion for seniors. I practically grew up in that type of environment.”
“This passion and dedication to seniors was passed down to me from my mom,” he said. “Two of my sisters also work in senior living. There is something to be said about having the privilege to play such a special role in our senior residents’ lives.”
A native of Cambridge, Maryland, just a short drive from Candle Light Cove in Easton, Jones began his career in senior living five years ago. He rose to a prominent administrative role in his first job in the field. “But I realized my goal was to work directly with the seniors in a community setting,” Jones said.
Two years ago, he joined the team at IntegraCare, which operates senior living communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Jones held an administrative role at IntegraCare’s Queenstown Landing community in Maryland before moving into his current role as EOO at Candle Light Cove.
“My top two goals at Candle Light Cove focus on our residents and team members,” Jones said. “I plan to play a role in creating and providing our residents with a cheerful and engaging environment. I want families and visitors to feel the joy when they walk in the door.”
“That joy often starts with our team members,” Jones continued. “I will be their biggest supporter and mentor in their professional growth. They need to know that we care. When they feel that, they feel empowered. Our residents will not only benefit from the positive environment our team members create, but also the excellent care they provide.”
Jones’ philosophy mirrors’ IntegraCare’s 3-Dimensional Focus — a mission to improve the quality of life for IntegraCare’s team members, residents and their families.
“IntegraCare’s 3-Dimensional Focus is the best company philosophy I have seen in my career,” Jones said. “If we provide an environment of respect, dignity, and personal development to our team members, it is then easy to say that they will then provide that same safe caring environment for our residents.
“By providing this care and home like environment for our residents we offer our friends and family a peace of mind,” he said. “It truly does not get any better than that.”
Jones said he appreciates the opportunity to work with an experienced and caring team at Candle Light Cove.
“There are more than a handful of team members that have been with us for over 10 years, and some of those are pushing 20 years here,” Jones said. “Even better, they are just as dedicated to our residents and their families as they were when they were on their first day. This team works together and have one common goal, the health, safety, and happiness of our residents.”
This spring, Candle Light Cove received recognition as a U.S. News & World Report Best of Assisted Living community. Another more recent honor had Candle Light Cove Dining Experience Director Ian Ferguson earning IntegraCare’s Change Leadership Award.
“This award recognizes outstanding leaders in IntegraCare communities,” said Shannon Joyce, IntegraCare’s Director of Human Resources and Risk Management. “We take into account a number of performance factors to determine the award recipient. Ian stood out in all areas.”
Visit https://www.integracare.com
Media Contact Grace Lyons, Community Relations Director ***@integracare.com 410.770.9707
The Gateway Family YMCA hosted their 122nd Annual Meeting on June 23, 2022. The Gateway Family YMCA has served the communities in Eastern Union County and Northern Middlesex County since 1900, and is headquartered in Elizabeth, NJ. The Annual Meeting, which serves as a celebration of the past year’s accomplishments and community impact, was hosted in a virtual format.
Despite the unprecedented challenges of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, The Gateway Family YMCA persevered to meet the needs of the community in 2021 including serving 1,060 children in YMCA child care programs, 1,124 children in youth swim lessons and 2,100 seniors in wellness and chronic disease management programs. At the end of his welcome, James Masterson stated, “A heartfelt thank you to each of you on our Board of Directors, and the dedication of our Senior Leadership Team.”
As part of the agenda, the Annual Membership and President’s Report was presented to those in attendance. “I am pleased to submit this annual report to The Gateway Family YMCA’s Board of Directors and membership on the 2021 accomplishments of the YMCA,” stated James Masterson, President, Board of Directors, The Gateway Family YMCA. “We are proud of our accomplishments, and look forward to the future”
YMCA programs and services highlighted in the Annual Meeting Report include Residential Housing, Child Care, Summer Camp, Youth Swim Lessons, Chronic Disease Management and Virtual WISE Community Services. The YMCA’s commitment to health equity, diversity and inclusion, and digital innovation were also mentioned.
“92% of members were extremely satisfied or satisfied with their Y experience in 2021, and 64% stated that our programs helped them feel socially connected.” stated Krystal R. Canady, CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA. “Our ability to support the community through virtual and in person programming allowed us to serve even the most vulnerable without pause.”
“Our Y is here to support the local community, always,” stated Melynda A. Mileski, EVP, Chief Operating Officer. “Thanks to the generosity of our members, volunteers and donors, we are able to provide food for those who are hungry, housing for those in need, a safe, nurturing space for kids to learn and grow, and outreach to seniors who are feeling isolated.”
The Gateway Family YMCA focuses on programs and services that empower young people, improve health and well-being and inspire action in and across communities. In 2021, WISE Community Services provided virtual WISE services, community support groups and innovative programs for 160 participants with Alzheimer’s Disease and their caregivers. YMCA Residential Housing provided 640 housing insecure individuals, families and veterans with supportive programming and shelter, and the YMCA provided 15,057 meals for those suffering from food insecurity.
“In 2021, we positively impacted over 13,100 members of the community through programs and services focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” stated Rodger D. Koerber, VP of Operations. “In fact, 90% of participants plan to continue healthy behavior changes after leaving our chronic disease programs.”
“Whenever our community is faced with a crisis – whenever we see a neighbor who needs support – the Y stands ready to help with open arms and caring hearts,” stated Colleen A. Clayton, Chief Membership & Development Officer. “We thank our donors, staff, volunteers and members for their support and commitment.”
The Y is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by connecting people to their potential, purpose and each other. The Gateway Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization of caring staff and volunteers dedicated to strengthening community through Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y ensures that everyone has access to the opportunities, relationships and resources necessary to learn, grow and thrive.
For more information about The Gateway Family YMCA, visit www.tgfymca.org or contact the Elizabeth Branch 908-355-9622, Five Points Branch 908-688-9622, Rahway Branch 732-388-0057, Wellness Center and WISE Center Branch 908-349-9622 or Youth Development Branch 908-355-3061.
The Gateway Family YMCA Colleen Clayton 908-249-4811 www.tgfymca.org
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., is pleased to announce that Katie Kohn has joined the firm as an associate in the Divorce, Marital and Family Law Department. She is based out of the firm’s Naples office.
With over a decade of trial experience and her knowledge and compassionate understanding, she guides clients through difficult family law issues ranging from divorce, child support, custody, and adoption. She is admitted to practice in all Florida and New York state courts. Prior to joining Henderson Franklin, Kohn worked with victims and survivors of domestic violence and low-income residents of Collier County in family law matters.
Before law school, Kohn and her husband were instrumental in opening a local favorite, Downtown House of Pizza in Fort Myers. She is a member of the Collier Bar Association and volunteers her time for the Legal Aid Service of Collier County.
Kohn received her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and her law degree from St. John’s University School of Law. She may be reached at katie.kohn@henlaw.com or by phone at 239-344-1319.
Henderson Franklin has served the legal needs and communities of Southwest Florida since 1924. The firm is the largest, locally-based law firm between Tampa and Miami, with over 55 attorneys dedicated to providing a wide range of legal services in the areas of business and tax planning, estate planning, family law, business and civil litigation, eminent domain, intellectual property, workers’ compensation, employment law, real estate, and land use and environmental law. Henderson Franklin operates offices in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Naples and Sarasota (by appointment). For more information on Kohn or Henderson Franklin, please visit www.henlaw.com.
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