We are so proud of Poetic!

Last week, Maryland Association of Resources for Families & Youth (MARFY) hosted their annual Youth Achievement Awards ceremony, along with their 50th Anniversary celebration. This year, HHY nominated Poetic for her outstanding improvements and accomplishments, including earning a scholarship to Morgan State University. She is an inspiration, and we are proud of her achievements. We are so grateful to the Wimbush family who are Poetic’s foster parents. They have done so much to support Poetic during her journey!

Successful Theme Days!

We celebrated theme days at the office where we wore our favorite sports team, pajama day, “wear pink” day, Halloween costume and much more to come! Pls. check our photos taken during those fun days!

Veterans Day

We will honor Veterans Day 2023 this month in November and pay tribute to all military veterans who have served our country. We will recognize and express our gratitude for the service and dedication rendered to us and their sacrifices, bravery, and patriotism. Celebrating Veterans Day provides an opportunity for us to show appreciation for veterans and recognize their contributions to the nation. Whether visiting Veterans Memorials, attending parades and ceremonies, volunteering, thanking a Veteran, displaying the flags, donating to Veteran causes, or even barbecuing outside or hanging out indoors with family, hopefully you get to enjoy this federal holiday off with people you love.

Native American Heritage Day

Aside from celebrating Veteran’s Day this month we will also celebrate the National Native American Heritage Day on the day after Thanksgiving. We will honor American Indians across the nation, its vibrant cultures, traditions, and heritages and recognizing their many contributions. Join us in celebrating the strength and resiliency of Native Americans and acknowledge the important contributions of Native people.

Holiday Gift Drive

Pls. support our kids and grant their wishes by participating in our Holiday Gift Drive. Each child in our care creates a list of items that he or she wish to receive. If you would like to participate and become a Wishmaker, we will send you the name, age, and wishes of the child you choose to help. Any help you give will send a message of care and support to our young people. Contact Hazel Eguia at 301-679-1383 or email heguia@heartsandhomes.org  for more info or to participate.

HHY Employee highlight!

Marlisa Ashley, Senior Counselor
Marlisa Ashley was born and raised in Sampson County, NC where she remained for her elementary school years. She enjoys shopping and spending time with her loving, devoted family. In her early 30’s she decided to pursue her interest in nursing and aiding special needs children and adults. She is currently working with teenage youth at HHY by providing them support to prepare them to make positive life decisions and to become independent adults.

We Appreciate the Donation!

THANK YOU @tickettodream @Bombas @famousfootwear and @crocs for your beyond generous donation! Our kiddos were super happy with their new kicks and socks! This donation was made possible by our friends at Bombas, Crocs & Famous Footwear!

Fun time at our Damamli Office!

Ms. K, our new Lead Life Skills Specialist, held an introductory group and facilitated a Jeopardy game around cleaning and hygiene at our Damamli office in Catonsville.  Over half of our girls and some of their babies were in attendance. She also shared an informative topic that benefits our parenting and pregnant mothers. It was a fun way of learning about the importance of hygiene and a great way of spending quality time with our Damamli mothers and babies!

Back to School!

Our kids had a successful first week of school! We had young people starting in elementary, middle, and high schools this year. One of our young people is starting at Morgan State University. What an incredible achievement! We are so proud of her and how far she has come while being in her current foster placement.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

We will celebrate the Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor indigenous American peoples and to commemorate their histories and cultures.  It will be observed on the second Monday of October. It is where we celebrate the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples and  recognize them as the first inhabitants of the Americas including the land that became the United States of America. We will celebrate their survival and contemporary experiences as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society.

Another Success Story!

The HHY community has something serious to celebrate! One of our foster youth, Cameron, has officially been adopted by his foster mother, Tristin. The two are pictured on the right, along with Tristin’s other son. This is why we put in the effort, energy, and passion into the work we do. We are so happy for this beautiful family!

HHY Team Building

Our Program Manager at Avis Birely group home, Mr. Kenneth, treated his staff to brunch last week as a THANK YOU for all they do for the program, the agency, and most importantly, for the kids!

HHY Employee Highlight!

Sandra Queen,  Residential Counselor
Sandra is affectionally known as Mama Queen. She began her career at the age of 16 as a daycare assistant through the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program. It was there that she found a passion for helping disadvantaged and misunderstood youth. Over the years, she has worked as a Program Coordinator for five years at a DC group home. During her time there, her duties included overseeing the daily operations of five group homes, facilitating monthly meetings with housemothers/ managers, and coordinating activities for youth and staff. She’s fortunate to having been referred to Hearts & Homes over 10 years ago and has worked her way up to the position of Residential Counselor. For Sandra, it was fulfilling for her to see some of the youth graduate from the programs and become productive citizens. In addition to working with youth and giving them a sense of family, she also enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and working as a Special Police Officer for a private company.

We Appreciate the Donation!

We received boxes of Bombas socks, Sesame Street gift boxes & tubes in new patterns and styles from Ticket to Dream. They are being provided in partnership with Bombas! There is a wide assortment of sizes – infant, baby, toddler & adult. You can visit their website at https://shop.bombas.com/

They also sent us a back-to-school essentials of new makeup, hair care & skin care from Project Glimmer to send our teens back to school feeling their best! These self-care items are from high-end brands like Peter Thomas Roth, Living Proof, Rare Beauty and more. Please visit their website at https://www.projectglimmer.org/

Great Time at the Beach!

Our staff took our young ladies at Marys Mount and our Helen Smith girls to Ocean City, Maryland for a fun beach day! They enjoyed themselves at all the fun rides, games, food, and of course, the sand! We are blessed with people in the community who donated to Hearts & Homes towards experiences and activities for the youth we serve. Our kids and the staff are all so grateful for your support!

Shoutout to DLH Corporation!

Every year DLH Corporation donates Back- to-School backpacks filled with school supplies for our youth. They have been committed to donating these backpacks for the last 20+ years. This is a great start for many of our  students who attend the first day of school by providing the critical supplies needed for learning.
Aside from donating backpacks, DLH Corporation also sponsored a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the boys at Avis Birely Group Home and JumpStart Semi-Independent Living program! Staff and supporters were quick to throw on jerseys and be part of the fun. Everyone had a blast and Team Blue won the tournament. Special thanks again to DLH Corporation, Mackie’s Southern Barbecue, and all the volunteers who joined us to make this a memorable summer event.

Thank You Stein Sperling!

Stein Sperling hosted a barbecue party for our girls at Helen Smith and Marys Mount. We are thankful for their continued support for our programs for years. It was a fun day trying the hula hoop and enjoying good food and great company!

Send us an email at hhyinfo@heartsandhomes.org if you want to know how you can support our next event!

Celebrating 65 years of Ben’s Chili Bowl!

Some of our young men went to celebrate the 65th anniversary of original Ben’s Chili Bowl last August 22nd on U Street in Washington DC. Ben’s Chili’s showed their appreciation by feeding everyone who came. There was music, friendship, and overall good vibes with special appearances by G-Wiz, Doug Williams, and the Commanders’ cheerleaders. The boys didn’t waste any of their precious summertime by enjoying some chili dogs, burgers, and all manners of good eats!

“I Have a Dream”

Some of our young men spent the day in Washington, DC during the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s infamous “I Have a Dream” speech. It was a great time spending the afternoon learning more about this iconic piece of history. Thank you to our staff for taking the initiative to give the boys this experience!

 It’s Luau time!

The young ladies at Mary’s Mount Therapeutic Group Home are kicking off the summer! They set a table outside for games and they dressed up in their luau attire. It was a quick and easy way to get in the summertime spirit!

Summer Kick Off!

The foster families and pregnant/parenting teen mothers went to Baltimore’s National Aquarium and they all had a blast! Thanks to Baltimore’s National Aquarium for donating tickets to HHY! It was a great opportunity for some of them who had never gotten a chance to visit the aquarium to enjoy some of the local’s favorite activities. It was great for our foster families to connect during this outing, and for staff to spend some quality time with our families – all while enjoying the marine life!

Fun day at the Busch Gardens

Check out these photos of the boys from Avis Birely Therapeutic Group Home enjoying their day at Busch Gardens. They had such an amazing time enjoying their summer vacation!

Great Partnership with  @commthriveslab

Thank you to this INCREDIBLE team from UMD for coming to our office and training our staff on such an important topic. The research is beyond important! We are so glad to have such a great partnership with UMD Community Thrives Lab!

HHY Employee Highlight!

Ash Callaway,  Program Manager
I grew up in Princeton, TX and I have two little girls, 13 and 10 years old. I was in the Army for 8 years. Since then, I have worked in project Management as well as supporting adults with disabilities. I am passionate about outreach and caregiving work because I have lived with discrimination for being queer, disabled and having been homeless. It’s very important to me to help those that society overlooks and help to change attitudes so that no one is overlooked in the future.

Some interesting facts about me: I have worked as a romance story writer. I built a literal pirate raft and rode it down a river dressed as a pirate. When I was in Thailand, I drank cobra as part of a bonding ritual with Thai soldiers that I was training.

Interested in Foster Care?

Let us know or share this with someone who might be!
Foster Parents Receive:

* Ongoing training
* 24-hour support
* Program activities and events
* In-home clinical services
* The opportunity to provide a teen mom or adolescent
youth with love, nurturing, guidance and the chance to
heal from past hurts.

We are always looking for individuals and families who are willing to open their hearts and homes to children in need.
To learn more Please Email: fosterparentinfo@heartsandhomes.org

Congrats to our Graduates!

We are proud to announce our graduates! We have youth that graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt HS and Richard Montgomery HS, and we have graduates from Loiederman MS. This is a wonderful accomplishment for many of our youth who have faced many challenges. Thank you to our incredible staff and phenomenal community support in leading these kids to a brighter future.

A Fun Day for our Youth

Our Avis Birely program has a list of incentives for the youth that they can choose from for showing positive impact and good behavior. One of our youths chose to have lunch with our Program Director, Robin Colbert and CEO, Chloe Bernardi. They went to Franks Burger in Wheaton and had a great time. He has lots of summer plans which includes a trip to Six Flags, Bush Gardens, and he’s excited to celebrate his birthday in July!

Our TFC Success Story

After being placed with the Johnson family for two years in foster care, Kevin was legally adopted. The Johnsons have done so much for him providing stability and structure but most importantly, showing Kevin what unconditional love feels like. Words cannot express how happy we are to share this incredible story!

Exciting Summer Ahead!

We have an exciting summer coming up for the youth in our care! In July, Stein Sperling will hold a BBQ cookout for our Helen Smith and Marys Mount programs. We are also going to schedule our 3 on 3 basketball tournament for the boys at our Avis Birely program and this is hosted by DLH Corporation. Our Damamli and TFC youths are going to an Aquarium, amusement parks, volunteer excursions, cookouts, and more! Interested in hosting or donating to help with our kids activities and outings? Pls. click here to donate. Any help is greatly appreciated and will bring a big impact to our youth!

Healthy Meal from our HS Garden

Helen Smith girls are making good use of their garden.  They picked these squash and zucchini and had a delicious farm- to- table lunch vegetable medley!

Save this Date – May 6, 2024

Hearts & Homes Annual Golf tournament is scheduled for May 6, 2024! We had a remarkable and successful tournament this year and we are already looking forward to next year’s exciting event. Thank you so much to all our sponsors, staff and supporters who joined us for our annual fundraiser golf tournament. Hope to see you at Norbeck Country Club next year!

We Appreciate the Donation!

We just received boxes of diapers last week from Ticket to Dream. They are being provided by Dyper, a  responsible diaper company delivering plant-based products. We are grateful for these generous donations that will help our babies at our Damamli/TFC program. You can learn more about Dyper by visiting their website – https://dyper.com/.

HHY Charity Golf Tournament !

What an incredible day of golfing at Norbeck Country Club! We had an amazing time with all the golfers, staff and volunteers who were enjoying the beautiful day playing golf, enjoying the food and drinks and networking. The money that was donated and raised goes so far to help our kids and gives HHY the ability to keep improving all our programs. We congratulate our top 3 winners: The TekSynap Team, Truist Team and Kayla Kania’s Team. Many thanks to all our sponsors and the golfers, donors, HHY staff, board members, and the staff at Norbeck for making this year’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament a great success.

May is National Foster Care Month

We celebrated our foster parents for National Foster Care Month, and we recognized the dedicated people who promote compassionate and  stable homes for children. Although not all our 30+ families could attend, we were thrilled to see most of them and hand out some awards to acknowledge all the work, effort, and dedication they provided to our youth. Interested in learning more about fostering? Reach out to fosterparentinfo@heartsandhomes.org

Help our Foster Kids!

There are so many ways to support our cause and our kids. CASA workers are infinitely important in the lives of our kids. A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained volunteer appointed by a judicial officer to provide advocacy for a child who is under the jurisdiction of the courts due to abuse or neglect. The CASA serves as the “eyes and ears” of the judge for children in foster care.

The littlest things sometimes mean the most. please send us a message at hhyinfo@heartsandhomes.org  if you want to talk more about how you can help!

It’s Prom Season!

Some of our young ladies and young men were able to enjoy prom at their respective high schools last month. Helen Smith Group Home staff got their young ladies ready and looking like princesses! They all looked fabulous and they all had fun! Special shout-out to Rev. Dr. William E. Butler and First Lady Sonja Butler from Queen’s Chapel UMC for helping our young men from JumpStart Semi-Independent Living Program prepare for their prom and shoutout to Mr. Dion West, Program Manager for helping capture the weekend moment for his youth.

Happy Mother’s Day!

We celebrated our pregnant and parenting teen mothers from our Damamli Independent Living Program for Mother’s Day! These young ladies have faced many obstacles in their lives, but certainly show what it means to be a mother. It was a pleasure for HHY to celebrate them for all they have achieved – and for what’s to come!

Thanks to Adam!

Thanks to Adam for his kind donation to one of our foster kids! Adam was our long-time supporter and was recognized when he was a kid at one of our events for his outstanding work to help the kids at our programs.

Many Thanks to our Volunteers!

We are so grateful to all the incredible volunteers from Rebuilding Montgomery for renovating our homes. Rebuilding Montgomery has helped more than 2,600 homeowners throughout Montgomery County and engaged more than 50,000 volunteers who have dedicated their time and talents to helping their neighbors. They helped three of our group homes with modifications and improvements – from renovating our bedrooms and bathrooms, and helping with landscaping, etc.  Now the houses look nicer and more functional, and we could not have done it without the support of these amazing volunteers. They have  greatly helped our agency and the youth we serve!

Spring Fling alert!

Avis Birely Therapeutic Group Home hosted their first annual Spring Fling to kick off the season, and the rain didn’t stop them! They grilled, played games, and even had an impromptu water balloon fight – kids vs staff! Many thanks to our incredible staff, board members, and Pets on Wheels for helping the boys put this together. And our biggest thanks to the boys for having this idea to get us out of the office to socialize in the spring breeze!

Foster Parent of the month!

HHY loves supporting our foster parents! HHY staff and fellow foster parents celebrated Ms. Betty as our foster parent of the month of April for her outstanding advocacy for the child in her home! She is truly amazing! Interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent with us? Email: fosterparentinfo@heartsandhomes.org

What success looks like

Jumpstart: Giovanni purchased a new vehicle – a white Honda Accord. Gio and Emmanuel are scheduled to graduate this year.
Helen smith: Hannah is scheduled to graduate and will be adopted at the completion of school.
Mary’s Mount: India has gotten a summer job as a lifeguard at six flags.

It’s National Pet Day!

April 11th was National Pet Day! The youth in our group homes do not have the opportunity to have pets so we partnered with “Pets on Wheels” to bring pups to the program to allow them to engage and pet these cute animals. The kids had an amazing time!

HHY Employee Highlight 

Kenneth Studstill, Program Manager
Kenneth is a veteran who enjoys sports, movies, and museums. He has worked with juveniles and at-risk youth for 30 years and continues to guide young men and women with developing life skills and strategies to deal with confrontation. He has extensive experience with crisis intervention and conflict resolution and is pleased to be using his knowledge of residential facilities and their operational procedures as the Program Manager at Hearts & Homes for Youth.

Join our Team of Social Workers!

Ms. Nikki and Ms. Lucy travel near and far to recruit. If you know any social workers, we are hiring! Email our Clinical Director, Nicole Smith, at nsmith@heartsandhomes.org to learn more about this amazing opportunity for licensed Social Workers (LBSW and LMSW) and if you have any questions regarding these positions.

Hooray to our Social Workers!

Every year, we honor our social workers during National Social Worker Appreciation Month in March. They celebrated spending a little downtime together at a restaurant, having dinner, and talking about the many positive contributions of their professions. With the daily case loads they face every day at work and their determination in assessing our kids with counseling and resources they provide a very important role at Hearts & Homes. We appreciate their hard work and dedication in promoting the well-being of our kids and helping them improve and be more productive.  We are thankful for their amazing job in keeping our organization operating smoothly and efficiently, and always putting their best footforward!

HHY Employee Highlight

Rhiannon Pinhak, Social Worker
Ms. Rhiannon first moved to DC from Colorado for college and then decided to stay in the DC area. After spending a year as a volunteer for a girls group home in Bolivia, Rhiannon went on to graduate school for social work. She interned with Hearts and Homes at one of the girls group homes and loved the experience. After grad school, Rhiannon came back to Hearts and Homes as a licensed social worker. She has been at the Avis Birely home as the Program  Therapist/Social Worker since September 2021. She loves working with the residents and watching them grow and realize their goals!

Come and Join the Fun!

There is still time to register for our annual charity golf tournament at Norbeck Country Club this coming May 22nd! Please gather your friends and enjoy an amazing time networking while helping us raise money for the youth in our care.

To sign up, please visit www.heartsandhomes.org/golf or email Valerie Snogren at vsnogren@heartsandhomes.org

We are Hiring!

At Hearts & Homes, you are joining an organization where you can make a difference in the lives of youth who are overcoming adversity throughout the state Maryland! Come and explore opportunities at Hearts & Homes.  We are a dedicated staff of child welfare professionals committed to the growth and development of our employees. We offer a comprehensive employee benefits package, including: Clinical supervision for Social Workers, Extensive training program and CEU, Opportunity for promotions, Employee benefits, Generous leave, Affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Company paid life, long-term disability, and AD&D insurance, 403(B) retirement program and company matching.

Come and Play!

We have a lot of fun on the green!

It’s already March, and the weather is warming up. That means it’s time to play golf! Hearts & Homes is hosting our 11th Annual Charity Golf Outing on Monday, May 22 at Norbeck Country Club. Gather your friends/colleagues for a great time on the course at Norbeck. We’re offering a discounted price for foursomes and individual player signups during the month of March, so now is the time to sign up! ​

The proceeds from this event will go directly to build brighter futures for the young people we serve each day.​

Foster parent ​of the Month​

We are happy to announce Kim O’Brien as February foster parent of the month. Kim provides a loving and stable home environment for the youth in her care. She is a great advocate and always willing to take on a challenge. She understands the importance of bio family relationships and goes above​ and beyond to ensure that the youth in her care have a relationship with their family. Thank you, Kim for everything you do. Your hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed.​

Success!​

We are thrilled to report that a young man in our Jumpstart Program is scheduled to graduate this year and has been accepted into 3 Colleges – Towson University, Morgan State, and UMUC. He is awaiting responses from other colleges before he decides where he would like to attend. We are proud of the accomplishments of this young man despite the difficulties that he’s faced in his life.​

Foster Parent Training Sessions​

At Hearts & Homes we provide training sessions to help our foster parents deal with issues they may face. Some of the training topics have included Healthy Conflict Resolution, Motivational Interviewing 101, and Adolescent Development. The training sessions also provide a time for the parents to discuss and share their achievements and concerns with each other.​

The need for foster parents is great! If you have ever considered fostering a youth, please contact our Foster Parent Recruiter, ​Annie Brandicourt, at abrandicourt@heartsandhomes.org. ​

February was Black History Month​

At Hearts & Homes we celebrate Black History Month and honor the achievements and struggles of African Americans who have greatly contributed to our nation’s history. We are inspired each day by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King:​

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”​

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”