Posted 7/26/2023
Merakey Woodhaven in Philadelphia bid Ms. Hawa Johnson a fond farewell upon her retirement after 22 years of service. Enjoy your retirement, Hawa!
It was Christmas in July for the IDD Passion Ambassadors Engagement group. Participants were encouraged to dress in festive holiday theme while they talked about summertime wellness tips, shared fun happenings from around the division, and took a virtual tour of the New Ventures IDD Program. If you’re interested in joining the Engagement group for a monthly virtual meeting, please contact Jamie Walker at jamie.walker@merakey.org or Carol Erzen at cerzen@merakey.org.
Happy 60th birthday, Tommy! Tommy enjoyed a pool party with his parents and friends from Merakey AVS Evergreen home.
Individuals recently attended God’s Choice Prom in Western PA. The event was sponsored by Free Methodist Church and invited people in the community with special needs to enjoy a night of dinner and dancing.
The ladies at Merakey AVS’s Centreville Pike House enjoyed a day at The Spillway, a tourist attraction in Linesville, PA. They enjoyed feeding bread to the hungry carp and ducks. Some laughed when the fish opened their mouths at the surface of the water, looking for food.
Slippery Rock Program Instructor Danielle Mitchell and her Aide Ashley Sutton took a couple small groups to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The groups split up so they could see the displays that interested them the most. Many were fascinated by the dinosaur displays, and Heather loved the large crystals. Everyone agreed that they enjoyed the visit and learned something new.
Darlene, Teresa, Jenny and Lisa from Ewings Mill II at Merakey AVS were excited to see the Under the Sea summer flower show at Phipps Conservatory. The exhibit was filled with lots of sea creatures made from flowers and plants, which everyone marveled over. They walked through all the open gardens looking for hidden lobsters.
Individuals and staff from Merakey AVS Pittsburgh Campus had a BLAST celebrating the 4th of July!
A big shout out to staff members Sarah Wesley and Shannon Haberle from Merakey AVS Wildwood home who helped remove a dead bush from the yard that was blocking the view when pulling onto the highway. Thanks for going above and beyond your job as DSPs!
The pool at the Pittsburgh Campus at Merakey AVS has reopened and everyone was excited to jump back into the Aquatics Program. From a game of pool basketball to fishtailing and the side stroke, it’s very clear to see the impact that the pool has on so many people. Pictured are Doug, Becky, Tyler, and John from Pittsburgh Campus enjoying the water.
The re-opening of the pool was a collaborative effort between Pittsburgh Campus and Patricia Hillman Miller Campus (PHMC). Program Director Bizzy Hanniford and Assistant Program Director Adam Ryan from PHMC worked with Adaptive Aquatics Instructor Matt Brletic and Therapeutic Activity Worker Kaitlyn Fisher from Pittsburgh Campus on the assessments of the individuals. Special thanks to Bizzy and Adam for their time, energy, and expertise!
