Letter from our Executive Director Important Dates Celebrating Black History Month Introducing New Staff Staff Promotions Program Pictures Golf Tournament Update Community Updates Disability News Legislative Updates Odds and Ends |
For this month, I want to highlight one word…LOVE. Love thy neighbor, love thyself, and love all that surrounds you. With February commemorating Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, I wanted to take a minute to reflect. Love by definition is “feeling a deep affection for something or someone.” I want to expand that definition by adding the word respect. True love is based in respect! Black history month is rooted in respect for those who had meaningful contributions to our nation’s history and a commitment to understanding our nation’s origins. From respect, comes understanding, tolerance, and compassion. Love and respect are indelibly linked in my mind. For love without respect is hollow, empty, meaningless. Love of diversity, of one another, of difference is one of the hallmarks of The Harford Center.
We love deeply at the Harford Center, and we value the unique and remarkable contributions of all our participants, staff, and community members. I hope that during the month of February this community can share its “love” with one another, can grow in its tolerance of differences, and spread its compassion to its community. The Harford Center celebrates its past, its present, and our future. Please join me in sharing the love, embracing our nation’s full history, and walking boldly into our future together.
Every February, we celebrate Black History Month in the United States. We honor the accomplishments and the struggles of Black Americans. Hopefully, we take the time to reflect on our nation’s past and the systemic racism that still exists today. We recognize the ways in which Black Americans have shaped our society, and shine a spotlight on historical figures who have not always gotten the recognition they deserve. We recognize both how far we have come and the work we still need to do. Black History is American History. By learning about the past, we hope to achieve a diverse and equitable American future.
Reminder: We will be closed on February 21 for President’s Day!
Congratulations to Nashe Earl on being promoted to Executive Assistant! Nashe takes care of so much around the office! She provides administrative support to Sherry and the whole management team. She oversees all the office operations. So much goes into her job and she’s always busy, but she’s always willing to help anyone with anything. There’s nothing she can’t figure out! We really appreciate you, Nashe. We’re all so happy for you! Congratulations!
Congratulations to Madison Ganovski on being promoted to Direct Support Professional II! Madison is the first person to receive this promotion under our new DSP career track. Her boss, Kelly, says “Madison’s compassion for the people she supports is evident in her work, daily. She is a strong advocate of individuals’ rights. Maddie has a very bright future ahead of her and I am honored to have her on my team at The Harford Center.” Congratulations, Maddie!
Welcome our new HR Director, Cathy Colapietro! Cathy has a Master’s Degree in Management and an extensive background in HR and accounting. We’re very excited to have her join our team. Welcome, Cathy!
Golfers, Sponsors, and Volunteers Needed for our 2nd Annual Golf Tournament!
Please visit our event page to learn more! We’d love to see you there!
We’re Hiring!
We are looking for Direct Support Professionals! DSPs make a real difference in the lives of the people they support. You’ll feel good about the work you do here. We offer competitive wages, a great benefits package, paid holidays, PTO, a Monday-Friday daytime schedule, and a generous sign on bonus! Click here to apply on our website or email Cathy at ccolapietro@harfordcenter.org for more information.
Spring is just around the corner, but there’s always a chance of surprise snow! Please take a minute to review our Inclement Weather Policy!
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These Amazing People Are Making History Today and Getting Things Done For The Disability Community!
Claudia L. Gordan
Claudia Gordan was the first deaf African American female attorney in the United States. She is currently the Vice President of National Black Deaf Advocates, and she works in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. National Black Deaf Advocates provides scholarships, fights for civil rights and access, and runs the Miss Black Deaf America Pageant. Find out more about the organization here.
Ola Ojewumi
Ola Ojewumi has had two organ
transplants and has founded two nonprofits, the Sacred Hearts Children’s Transplant Foundation and Project ASCEND. She sells fashionable disability pride clothes in her Truth Boutique, where she also posts amazing videos like this one. Ola is a professional public speaker, and she frequently appears on Democracy Now to fight for the rights of people with disabilities, people of color, and women. Find out more about Project Ascend here, and find out more about the Sacred Hearts Children’s Transplant Foundation here.
Crystal R. Emery
Crystal Emery is a writer, producer, and filmmaker whose works include the books “Against All Odds: Black Women in Medicine” and “Master Builders of the Modern World: Reimagining the Face of STEM.” She has been named one of Good Housekeeping’s “50 Over 50: Women Who Are Changing the World,” and she is the founder of the nonprofit organization URU: The Right To be, which produces content that addresses social issues. As a black woman with quadriplegia, she is interested in making sure that diverse stories are told. Learn more about her and her organization here.
Haben Girma
Haben Girma was the first deafblind person to ever graduate from Harvard Law School, and she is currently a human rights lawyer for disability justice. She advocates for inclusion in education and entertainment. She frequently speaks about the value of representing people with disabilities as fully realized human beings rather than one-dimensional characters. She also discourages the thinking that successful people with disabilities “overcame” their disabilities, stressing that the barriers she has had to overcome have not existed inside of her body, but in the world around her where access is still limited in so many places. With proper access, people who have disabilities do not have to “overcome” anything. Learn more about her here.
While you’re here, please see the Museum of Disability’s Timeline of Disability and the African American Experience here.
