September 2023 Happenings

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/