At its monthly meeting on Aug. 28, the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities gave Special Recognition to a dance choreographer and a volunteer coordinator for a local non profit. The Board also recognized a service and support specialist, who went above and beyond the call of duty for an individual during the tornado that touched down in Point Place earlier this summer.
Special Recognition: Karen Medina, iDance
Karen Medina is exceptional at what she does for our individuals as Director of the iDance Adaptive Performing Arts Center.
This summer, Karen was extraordinarily kind for doing what she did for a bunch of uncoordinated social workers, communications, and legal professionals, all of whom happen to be employed right here at the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Not only did she take her time in choreographing a performance exclusively for us, but with help from Ty and Music Man Brandon, she taught us the dance moves and met with us weekly to ensure we looked great doing them. It is a performance that will go down in history, and if you attended the Community Film Festival 8 days ago, you know how that all went! And if you didn’t attend, well, let’s just say I’m still here!
Karen, your dedication to our individuals is commendable. You create opportunities for them to be out in the community showcasing their skills and talents. That work has not gone unnoticed. The Community Inclusion team, Community Film Fest committee and partners want to thank you for teaching us your love of dance and look forward to bigger and better things next year! On behalf of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, we are honored to present you with this Special Recognition for a most memorable August 2023.
Special Recognition: Mandy Phillips, Family House
Family House is a non-profit agency dedicated to keeping families together in time of crisis. Family House has offered hope to families since 1985 by offering a variety of programs and services that are family-centered to address the multitude of needs of each family member
Members of our SALUTE self-advocacy group started volunteering at Family House homeless shelter in April 2023.
Mandy Phillips, Volunteer Coordinator for Family House, has been very supportive of our individuals that come to volunteer at the shelter. She always greets them with a smile and is interested in the activities they are doing like Special Olympics and SALUTE. She takes time to listen to each individual and learn about their interests. She even attended the Storytelling event at the Toledo Museum of Art to show her support for individuals in SALUTE.
Mandy is kind and compassionate. She always has something encouraging and positive to say to the SALUTE volunteers when they arrive. Mandy was especially encouraging to one individual who lost his job due to the business abruptly closing its doors. She offered to help this individual find employment and offered some suggestions for businesses she was aware of that were looking for employees. Mandy was also willing to serve as an employment reference.
Mandy shows her appreciation for the work that SALUTE volunteers do at Family House by letting them know and always thanking them for coming. SALUTE members enjoy giving back to their community, engaging with community members, and learning new skills.
Through her actions and words, Mandy truly shares the mission and core values of the Board. That is why we are honored tonight to present her with the Special Recognition Award for August 2023.
Lucas DD Staff Person of the Month: SSA Hollie Fortman
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is pleased to recognize Hollie Fortman as the August 2023 Staff Person of the Month.
On the evening of June 15, 2023, severe weather battered Lucas County, especially in Point Place, where an EF-2 tornado touched down.
One of our individuals, Donald, lives in Point Place and his home was affected by the tornado, which had peak winds of 130 mph. His staff was unable to get to him that night due to downed power lines and closed roads. While a request for a wellness check was called into local law enforcement, the intensity of the storm delayed this request for hours.
Hollie, Donald’s SSA, reached out to Lucas DD On-Call to report that she was headed to Donald's home to check in on him because she knew the potential risk he would be in with his staff not being able to get to him. Hollie does not live far from Donald and knew she could get to his house before law enforcement or his staff.
What is normally a 15-minute drive took more than an hour with Hollie eventually getting out of her car and walking due to a downed tree blocking the roadway to Donald’s home. Hollie was able to get to Donald, make him dinner, work on clearing his ramp from debris and remained with him until 1 a.m. All this, mind you, without any electricity in the house. When his provider was finally able to reach the home, Hollie ensured Donald was assisted into a hotel until power was restored.
Hollie’s exemplary actions show what true commitment to those we serve looks like. For Hollie, it was just the right thing to do. For Donald and even his staff, it was caring, kind, and compassionate leadership when it was most needed.
Thank you, Hollie, for going above and beyond the duties of a SSA, to ensure Donald’s health and safety. Please accept our sincerest gratitude and this award as the August 2023 Staff Person of the Month!