Features

Maryland Employees “Adopt” Local Elementary School

November 25, 2009

Taking a child under your wing can have a marked difference in that person’s life. But, taking an entire school under your wing can make a profound difference for an entire community.

That’s the difference CMS employees in Maryland are making, with 12 facilities in the region banding together to “adopt” students at Jessup Elementary School. The school serves over 400 children from pre-K to 5 in an economically underserved community.

“We drive by this school everyday to get to work and when it was starting to get cold, it was heartbreaking to see kids without even a pair of gloves or a basic winter hat,” said Annie Jenny, Health Services Administrator at Maryland Correctional Institution – Women’s Division. “So, we worked with the guidance counselor and the 11 other facilities in the area to see how we could begin to help these kids who don’t really have much at all.”

The approximately 300 CMS employees in the area worked together to hold a winter hat and glove drive for the kids and collected over 500 items to donate. When delivering the items, employees encountered a family with three children at the school who had just lost their home and were struggling to make ends meet after both parents had been laid off. Employees worked with the school to “adopt” this family as well and worked on a new goal of playing Secret Santa for them at Christmas.

“The administrators from the bigger facilities in the region organized the effort and collected $250 for a grocery gift card for the family and each of the children received gifts worth more than $1,000 – everything from roller skates to scooters,” said Jenny. “They did really well in collecting all of the donations for the family and the family was so appreciative.”

Jill Danzilo, Regional Manager for the Jessup region, says she is proud of the way all employees in the region have worked together on the service project and looks forward to continuing a productive relationship with the school.

“It was wonderful to see the Jessup team come together and work on this project with enthusiasm and excitement,” said Danzilo. “The African Proverb, ‘it takes a whole village to raise a child’ was truly evident this past December. We are looking forward to a continued relationship with the school and are already planning for the Spring “Career Day” where we will showcase multiple correctional healthcare career choices.”

In addition to participating in the school’s Career Day, employees say they plan on conducting a school supply drive in the Fall to collect much needed supplies. Physicians in the region are also coordinating together to supply uniforms to the school as needed.

“We just wanted to do something to make a difference and it looks like we did,” said Jenny. “They know that we are not here to just do our jobs and go home. We care about our communities and we care about them. We told them, ‘If you need anything, give us a call. We’ll make something happen.”