Working to unite

By Marisa Geitner, president and C.E.O.

Humans are complex – and that means not everything is an easy fix.

For more than 30 years we’ve supported people with developmental disabilities by providing support that encourages people to learn and grow and give back to their community. And still, when we look at the statistics, we see that the unemployment rate for people with a disability is more than double the rate for those without.

We see that only 5 percent of Americans know what it is like to have a coworker who has an intellectual disability and that Rochester ranks No. 1 in the nation for the percentage of people who live in poverty and have a disability.

So, if we truly mean to partner with people who have disabilities so they can accomplish what matters most in their lives, we must also commit to joining other people and agencies in fighting poverty and other inequalities. And one way we do that is by working one-on-one with people to find a right-fit job because when people share their strengths in the workplace, they are valued by their co-workers. They form relationships. They gain confidence, and they bring home a paycheck.

They make progress for themselves and for others.

In fact, the United Nations Economic and Social Council “recognizes that poverty eradication and employment in decent jobs are crucial to achieving social integration and a society for all.”

That’s why we started the Employment Alliance to help match employers with talented people who have disabilities and that’s why we participated in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s Unite Rochester Challenge – because we want to offer career services to others who are  marginalized, too.

We recognize that uniting Rochester across racial and economic lines is complex, but paychecks help more than our bank accounts. They help in creating a more equal society.

Honoring the voices of children

Friends, it is my pleasure to open up this space and introduce you to Kelly Giudice. Kelly is the director of operations at Expressive Beginnings at Toddler’s Workshop in Webster, and she has some very insightful words to share with us today. – Marisa Geitner, president and C.E.O., Heritage Christian Services

Kelly Giudice

One of the things that matters most to me, and to many of my colleagues, is the need for children to fully experience their right to empowerment and engagement in the educational process.

We have been working very hard through our classroom work, documentation, newsletters and more to show our families examples of honoring the children's innate approach to knowledge acquisition. We are striving every day to create a culture that values the self-directed learning of children.

Our belief in their ability to create and construct their own knowledge and to formulate and express their ideas in new and creative ways is the cornerstone of our program.

Their world is so often dominated by the voices of others, let us focus together on their voices. Through our listening, observing, and trusting we are demonstrating our belief in their value, their capabilities and potentials, and supporting the idea that each of them is a unique and amazing gift to the world! 

Extending the welcome

By: Marisa Geitner, President and C.E.O.

Belonging is such a significant part of our natural fiber.  Not specifically belonging as a possession, we are all autonomous, but connected as a naturally part of something bigger.  We all need to feel relevant within our relationships with others.  It is well established that this sense of connectedness is important to our overall health, happiness and ability to adjust within this ever-changing world.

If you have strong and broad relationships perhaps that sense of belonging is something you might take for granted and only appreciating it when you find yourself in a moment of disconnect.  You know the feeling, perhaps you're the first to meet friends at a local restaurant and find yourself standing alone amidst strangers awkwardly while you wait. It's silly how fast you can become uncomfortable when you find yourself not connected to those around you.

If you aren't as fortunate to have relationships and experiences that consistently feed your sense of belonging, the sting of disconnect can be much more pervasive and destructive than a few awkward moments waiting alone.   The right to belong, a recognized basic human need, is the cornerstone of the drive for inclusion for those who might otherwise be excluded, perhaps due to age, race, intellectual ability, religion or other reasons.  Supporting inclusive communities isn't just essential for promoting diversity, it is essential for supporting belonging.  Affording all the opportunity to feel value and respect through the give and take of relationships with others.  

Belonging can be fed in many ways, often times more through meaningful daily exchanges than through grand gestures or events. Perhaps just a thoughtful message from a friend that lets you know they're thinking about you or a call from a family member you haven't seen in a while. Perhaps you are reaching out to connect to others, offering a kind greeting to someone passing by or offering to take the grocery cart back to the store after someone else has just loaded his groceries into his car.  Maybe you feel a sense of belonging with a faith community, or common group of sports fans.  The librarian at your neighborhood library, or the attendant where you most often fill up your car.  Whether others are reaching out to us or whether we are reaching out to others, these exchanges feed our sense of belonging.  

In our work at Heritage Christian we often find ourselves centering on one very specific question for each and every one of us.  Where is the one place that if you weren't there you would be missed? And how can we extend the welcome so that all those who choose our services find places to belong as well?

A holiday wish for peace and mercy

By: Marisa Geitner, President and C.E.O.

Fear and conflict have such a significant way of overshadowing the values that should define us. In the wake of the attacks in Paris, San Bernardino and elsewhere I found myself wanting to abandon all logic and act out by attacking those who threaten us. In those moments, acting on fear alone, I lost my bearings.

Thankfully, it was my faith community that swiftly brought me back into focus and reminded me that peace begins with me and how I treat people. I heard the reminder loud and clear – that I chose a faith defined by peace and mercy. Peace was the gift given to me.

Peace does not mean passive. My heart hurts from all of the violence, and I need to do something. Seeking peace is very active, a vision, a choice, a way to approach each interaction, each day. In the weeks since the attacks I have kept peace and mercy my vision. No matter the conflict that arises, large or small, I center myself on the vision of peaceful resolution.  

It has helped me to be thoughtful and honest with my words and to seek to understand others’ perspectives in order to find common ground in our solutions. Most importantly it has helped me identify when fear and anxiety rises in me and clouds my vision and threatens my values.

As we continue through this season of thanksgiving, celebration and renewal, I wish you a vision for peace and a passion for demonstrating mercy to all. 

How are you building community?

Photo credit: Shawn Dowd, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

By: Marisa Geitner, President and C.E.O.

The work of Heritage Christian is about community, community as a place and community as a relationship.  It is about empowerment, acceptance, personal growth and responsibility to one another.  It is about the reciprocity that comes through relationships and shared experiences.  This commitment to one another defines us. 

This commitment was illustrated symbolically when we unveiled Stronger Together on June 24, 2009 in front of the Pieters Family Life Center.  As the artist’s statement illustrates, "The columns do not stand alone but rather exist symbiotically – in a relationship where the two depend upon and receive reinforcement from each other." The artist Juan Carlos Caballero- Perez then goes on to reference the importance of his very own citizenship and relationships.

It is our passion for community that drives us to ensure that everyone – including children, older adults and people with developmental disabilities – feels valued and respected and has opportunities to do what matters most in life.

What are you doing to help build community?

Celebrating ethics

By: Marisa Geitner, President and C.E.O.

On Sept. 28, Heritage Christian Services was awarded the 2015 Ethie Award in the large company division. What a nice recognition for the love and dedication that goes into each and every day of support to our mission.

A show of confidence for those who choose our supports and services. Trusting us as a guide as they lead the way to the outcomes that are most important in their lives.

A testament to our families and their patient support from the time of our founding. Welcoming others into a trusting relationship and supporting them as they navigate the way alongside their beloved family member. 

An honor for our employees who choose every day to serve with excellence. Approaching each interaction with an openness and creativity. Differentiating themselves by the relationships they achieve with those they support.

Demonstrating social responsibility is important for any company but it is essential for a company who supports people. Ethical behavior can't simply be well laid out on paper or achieved through steadfast policy, it must be lived out through every interaction.

The journey to do what is right is also just that, a journey. We haven't arrived, there is much more to be done. We continue to learn how all people can be more present within their communities, have their own voice and exercise greater authority over their own lives – and we continue to see community as a place and as a relationship.

Thank you to all who are on this journey with us.

The Value of Relationships

By: Marisa Geitner, President and C.E.O.
I have been reminded recently just how hard it is to say goodbye. No matter what may be driving the change, when someone’s presence in your life changes it can really sting.

Imagine how that is magnified for a person who welcomes others into her life for her most personal care and support needs. Imagine how that compounds when you lend your time to nurture and develop a new support relationship only to have it interrupted by change. Imagine if you are one tasked with consistently finding and hiring new talent to serve our important mission. Each time we say goodbye to a colleague we have enjoyed and invested in, our hearts naturally harden a bit. As our loss compounds it begins to impact the way in which we welcome others into the relationships and the work that means so much to us.

At Heritage Christian we are proud to surpass national rates for direct support retention but it is never good enough. Not only does it have a significant impact on those we support, it is wearing on those who we serve alongside.

As we stretch to meet individual needs in new and diverse ways our need for dedicated employees is immense. We have ongoing, aggressive recruitment efforts in place and we are always honing our investment to attract the best candidates. Even so, with such high hiring standards, we only offer employment to about 22 percent of the people we meet. Therefore we need to continue to meet many people who may be inspired to serve our Christian mission. Each of you can have an active role in introducing us to caring, compassionate people. We appreciate the support.

In addition, each of us who continue to experience loss when someone's role in our lives change, will continue to prayerfully find ways to open our hearts so that  each and every time we demonstrate the welcoming culture that has defined Heritage Christian. Amazing people will be directed and attracted to this great mission as we continue to let the light shine!