San Mar Hope
Cultivating Hope and Well-Being in Children, Families and Communities.
Casey Family Programs recognized the work of the Bester Community of Hope, a San Mar Initiative, with a video highlighting our comprehensive efforts, as well as a story in it’s signature annual report, as a part of our 2019 Jim Casey national award. Read more of that report here: https://www.casey.org/hope
Watch the 10 minute documentary film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWITkQkKIv8
From WDVM Hagerstown: https://www.localdvm.com/news/maryland/new-hampshire-man-shares-experience-of-substance-use-disorder
After suffering from a 40ft. fall off a ladder, a New Hampshire man uses his story of addiction to help others wanting to guide victims of substance abuse.
Darryl Lennon has substance use disorder after he says he was over-prescribed drugs. In 2009, Lennon fell 40 feet from a house which resulted in him using drugs to suppress the pain.
“From there I was over-prescribed pain meds which ended up becoming addiction in my life, which ended up (making) me become homeless and losing everything,” Lennon said.
Fast forward 10 years later, him along with his wife teach are certified recovery support workers that teach Recovery Coach Academy.
“Recovery Coach Academy is training for people who are either allies to recovery like myself or people that are in recovery themselves who really want to reach back for the next person but seek education to do that,” Michelle said.
About 40 people attended the 5-day training which was sponsored by Bester Community of Hope, Washington County Department of Human Services and Casey Family Programs.
A Bester Community of Hope representative believes that a brighter path is in store for the Hagerstown community.
“Hope is alive, recovery is possible,” Jen Younker said
Full Herald Mail Media story by Alexis Fitzpatrick can be viewed here: BCOH opens new home on Mill Street
Scott Nicewarner and his wife consider themselves proud parents of Bester Elementary School alumni, even with fully grown children.
After years of running the PTA and being involved in community, the Hagerstown city administrator said he still has a soft spot for school and the families who go there.
“Bester was our heart and soul for that time. We loved the kids, we loved the parents,” he said. “There was a special feeling about Bester that we are so thrilled. … We are so proud.”
Nicewarner joined representatives from the city, county, state and other organizations Thursday for the official ribbon cutting of Bester Community of Hope’s new location at 356 Mill St. in Hagerstown.
An initiative of San Mar Family and Community Services, the group focuses on helping children and families in the Bester Elementary community. During the last fiscal year, the organization served 115 families, totaling about 200 people.
San Mar CEO Keith Fanjoy spoke of the initiative’s beginning in early 2014, when San Mar began shifting away from its traditional child-welfare model, moving from treatment to prevention to improve the safety of children and their families. He called the transition a “labor of love,” which led to the creation of Bester Community of Hope in 2016.
“That little idea, we planted a seed in other people and they started to join into a process,” Fanjoy said.
He thanked the original investors in the project, some of whom were present at the ribbon cutting, for their support throughout the years, even when others called it a “crazy idea” or questioned how results would be measured.
Bester Elementary’s attendance has improved, according to Washington County Public Schools. The Maryland Center for Character Education named it one of the 2017-2018 Schools of the Year.
“We know it’s working because of where we are today and where we were,” Fanjoy said. “I’m more excited to do this again in five or 10 years when you’re in the south end community center and we’re at the next level.”
Jen Younker, the managing director of Bester Community of Hope, said Thursday’s event marked a new era. She said in the past year and a half, the operation has grown enough that it had to operate out of two offices across the city from one another.
“This is great symbolism for us. It’s our team coming back together right in the heart of where we want to be,” she said.
Proclamations from the city, county, the Chamber of Commerce and the offices of U.S. Rep. David Trone, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Del. Paul Corderman and Sen. Andrew Serafini were read during the celebration.
Children connected with San Mar Treatment Foster Care came together today for exciting opportunities and a holiday celebration on this Good Friday. A teenage girl in our program, who we’ll call Sarah, had a vision for providing connections and fun for other kids and worked with our case manager Colleen Carter to pull off a fun day centered on the Easter holiday.
In the morning, Sarah facilitated hair, nails and make-up for other young women enrolled in the program, she not only wanted to provide this service for her peers, but also recruited other volunteers to make for a special day. “Kids look good without make-up, but I guess I can appreciate that at times when you might be having one of those days, that doing something like this makes you feel even better,” she explained. Her case manager, Colleen Carter, explained that this is a part of a larger effort the department has had over the past year to build connections between foster youth placed in their care. “A goal for our program is to have more activities so kids can get to know each other and have a support system with each other and give parents a moment to have some respite. Teens in particular can struggle at times with confidence and this was just a great way to bring them together for a fun day out.”
Young women participated in several stations aside from the makeover station, such as before and after makeover photographs, vision boards to set the stage for future goals, and teen boys in the program joined in for other activities including a golden egg Easter hunt with gift cards for a fun night out at movies or local restaurants.
Later in the day, younger children connected to our program went through a series of holiday activities including coloring, painting and hunting for candy placed around the Boonsboro campus. There was even a special appearance by the one and only Easter bunny, who was a big hit! Even those that took a while to warm up to the giant bunny eventually couldn’t avoid the warm embrace. Treatment Foster Director Ellen Savoy explained, “Being around kids makes you feel good and brings the child out of all of us, like spring brings new life.”
Interested in learning more about Treatment Foster Care and opportunities to make a difference in the lives of children in need? Contact us at [email protected] or 301-733-9067 x236.
A diverse group of 450 community stakeholders came together to learn from national speakers at “Unconditional Care” on the campus of Hagerstown Community College at the Kepler Theater. Hosted by Bester Community of Hope, a San Mar Initiative, this event was the sixth installment in a series of trainings focused on beliefs and strategies for social progress, and this event placed a particular emphasis on self-care and understanding the impact of caring for others. Bester Community of Hope Director Jen Younker, LCSW-C explained,”Those who work taking care of others often disregard the need for self-care until signs of distress arise. Even then, we still may not recognize the signs as maladaptive or troublesome. If we take a preventative approach by taking care of our nervous system, we can mitigate the effects and keep our A game strong.”
See full story at www.besterhope.org/unconditional-care-sparks-dialogue-on-personal-impact-of-serving-others-best-practices/
Herald Mail story by Tamela Baker available here: San Mar receives Senate recognition
ANNAPOLIS — In January, the Bester Community of Hope — a cooperative initiative to strengthen families in the neighborhood of Bester Elementary School — won national recognition from Casey Family Programs.
It was recognized for bringing together public, business, nonprofit, philanthropic and community partners to improve the safety and success of children and their families.
On Thursday, the Maryland Senate recognized San Mar Family and Community Services, the organizing agency for the Community of Hope, for “being awarded the national Jim Casey Building Communities of Hope Award for the Bester Community Hope Initiative and making a difference in the lives of Maryland children, families, and communities.”
Sen. Andrew Serafini, R-Washington, called the Bester program a model for other communities.
San Mar CEO Keith Fanjoy, Washington County Social Services Director Mike Piercy and family support worker Teri Conrad were on hand for the citation.
Bester Community of Hope is a San Mar initiative that had its beginning in 2014, as the longtime residential facility sought to provide services to families earlier — before there is any need to place children in foster care.
Partnering with Bester Elementary, Social Services, Meritus Health, Hagerstown police and several other community agencies, San Mar has endeavored to connect families with available services including health care, after-school activities and other school-based programs.
“We’re really excited today to receive this resolution,” Fanjoy told Herald-Mail Media. “It’s a validation of a lot of hard work from a lot of different people. And really, when we come down to Annapolis and Sen. Serafini’s taken the time to really share our story with the community, ultimately that’s going to help us to continue on in the future.”
The initiative has had “critical funding” from Social Services, the Fletcher Foundation and Casey Family Programs, Fanjoy added. “Essentially, it’s a place-based strategy to help children and families be stronger, with the idea that we can reduce the amount of children entering into the foster care system.”
“The results we’re seeing is a greater investment in the families in our community,” Piercy said.
Whenever a child can be safely kept at home and parents are provided resources to help, he added, “we’re not only preventing a child from coming (into foster care) now, but we’re also reducing the trauma that child might experience in separation. So there’s an economic return on investment, but there’s also a social return on investment, which is families — their capacity being deepened and improved.”
Conrad said there’s a referral process in place for bringing families into the program, but “we are there to reach out to the community. … We try to connect with everyone in the family and let them identify what their concerns are, and help them … reach the goals that they have as a family.”
San Mar Family & Community Services CEO Keith Fanjoy announced two significant grant awards to expand existing efforts at Bester Elementary School and provide future programming at E. Russell Hicks Middle School. Bester Community of Hope (BCOH), a San Mar Initiative supported by the Washington County Department of Social Services, Fletcher Foundation and Casey Family Programs, focuses on addressing the comprehensive needs of children and families in the south side of the City of Hagerstown. While the broader BCOH efforts have an emphasis on child welfare outcomes, these new grants will focus more specifically on components related to health, education and afterschool resources. Fanjoy explained, “Over the past several years, San Mar Family & Community Services has worked tirelessly in the south side of Hagerstown to improve the lives and outcomes of children and families. Our notification of these grants is validation to all of our staff members and partners who dedicate their lives to humbly serving others. It’s also an early measure of success on the long-term journey we’ve committed to through the Bester Community of Hope initiative.”
Access to quality educational opportunities
In late 2018, the Maryland State Department of Education sent notification to San Mar that the Bester Community of Hope Initiative’s grant application for “South End 21st Century Community Learning Centers” won a significant annual award of $400,000.These funds are designated to support expansion of free afterschool programming and school based supports at Bester Elementary School and catalyze the creation of new afterschool opportunities at E. Russell Hicks Middle School in 2019. The grant process, which was led by Kerry Fair of San Mar includes the hiring of eleven employees, including a Director of 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a site coordinator at Bester Elementary and Hicks Middle, and eight part-time afterschool support staff members. San Mar has begun recruitment for key positions with targeted hire dates in the next month. “We are very thankful for our partnership with Bester Community of Hope,” says Dr. Kristen English, Principal at Bester Elementary School. “Our students are having enriching and productive afterschool experiences, which contribute to academic successes and positive social interactions.” Dr. Jana Palmer, Executive Director of Elementary Instruction added, “The 21st Century grant has the potential to provide a safe place for our students to go after school with a focus on extending learning opportunities.”
Bester Community of Hope began demonstrating the work by providing various free afterschool clubs at Bester Elementary starting in the Fall of 2016 and prior to this award was averaging over 100 students in Fall and Spring seasons to participate in varied academic and enrichment offerings under the title of BOOST, or Bester Out of School Time.
Improving Health Outcomes for South Side children
In 2018, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) also notified San Mar of a grant award, totaling $250,000 over five years, to expand and sustain existing efforts to provide free acute health care services to families with the students attending Bester Elementary and to create a new school based health center at E. Russell Hicks in the Fall of 2019. As a part of the process, key partners including Meritus Health, The Community Free Clinic of Washington County and Washington County Public Schools, worked with San Mar to increase standards to become a certified school based health center under the Maryland State Department of Education umbrella. The updated Memorandum of Understanding was finalized in January of 2019, and free acute health services will begin once again at Bester Elementary in the coming weeks. The grant represents a multi-year effort, written and led by Jerica Washington LCSW-C of San Mar, to sustain and expand the ongoing health needs in south side neighborhoods. Washington stated, “We are excited to continue promoting child health in this innovative program that helps with early intervention. Our aim is that children are in school ready to learn and their wellbeing is supported by the community.”
The Bester Health Center was created in the Fall of 2016, and initially was an unfunded commitment from the Community Free Clinic in collaboration with Bester Community of Hope to provide free acute health care services to any child attending Bester Elementary when a parent completed a basic consent form for treatment, no insurance required. Over the past two years as the program developed, over 50% of school students were registered, and a variety of acute health services were offered including but not limited to writing prescriptions for illnesses and providing concrete resources such as lice shampoo, over the counter medications and nebulizer treatments. The intent is to improve access and convenience for families, ultimately reducing stress for families juggling many responsibilities and targeting attendance as a key outcome by expediting treatment. In addition to direct clinic services, Bester Community of Hope uses the grant to promote and create activities and resources that increase opportunities around health education. Nicole Houser, Executive Director of the Community Free Clinic shared, “The Community Free Clinic is happy to be part of this collaboration. As the healthcare provider at Bester Elementary we can quickly meet the students’ needs and help in reducing absenteeism. We look forward to creating the same partnership with E. Russell Hicks students and their families.”
Members of the Bester Community of Hope team were recognized in Seattle, Washington on January 15th as winners of the Jim Casey Building Communities of Hope award.
Pictured above from left to right are: Casey Family Programs Board President, David C. Mills; San Mar Family & Community Services CEO, Keith Fanjoy; Director of the Washington County Department of Social Services, D. Michael Piercy Jr.; Executive Director of the Fletcher Foundation, William P. Young Jr.; Director of the Bester Community of Hope, Jen Younker; Principal of Bester Elementary School, Dr. Kristen English; Executive Director of the Maryland Social Services Administration, Rebecca Jones-Gaston and Casey Family Programs CEO, Dr. William C. Bell.
This past Thursday, November the 8th, marked the 135th anniversary of San Mar Family & Community Services opening its doors for the first time and Chief Executive Officer Keith Fanjoy used the occasion to announce a series of recent leadership appointments and new additions to the senior leadership team. San Mar is comprised of three core programs: treatment foster care services, the Bester Community of Hope initiative and outpatient mental health services at the Jack E. Barr Center for Well-Being. With a mission of cultivating hope and well-being for children, families and communities, San Mar continues to be an innovative leader with a long standing history in the best approaches to address social issues for families.
Jerica Washington has been promoted to the Director of the Jack E. Barr Center for Well-Being at San Mar. An employee of San Mar for three years, she was a part of a core team that helped to create the program in October of 2016 and today she is responsible for overseeing all center operations and providing public outreach on mental health services the center provides.
Washington, a certified clinical social worker, graduated from Hood College with a Bachelor’s degree in social work, and completed her Master’s in social work from University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore, with a specialization in maternal and child health. She has experience with school based case management and community connections efforts, as well as clinical experience with health providers in hospitals and community clinics in Maryland and Tennessee. “I’m excited for this new role in the outpatient mental health clinic and the unique opportunity to work for an agency that provides unconditional care by bringing care coordination and mental health together.”
Jennifer Younker has been promoted to the Director of the Bester Community of Hope, San Mar’s community initiative to support families and neighborhoods. A certified clinical social worker and an employee of San Mar for the past seven years, Jen previously held role of Director of Residential Services until 2016, and most recently the Director of Community Triage Services at Bester Community of Hope. Jen graduated from Frostburg State University with her Bachelor’s degree, followed by her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland. “Our strong shift to a family-driven approach, operating within the context of the community, has encouraged us to think outside the box and welcome barriers as opportunities. We are in an exciting position to truly act in the best interest of families. It has been an honor to be welcomed into family’s homes, the community and the school, working alongside people with a mutual goal of safety and well-being for children. And the momentum continues to grow!”
Ellen Savoy has been an integral part of the success at San Mar for over 30 years predominantly in a leadership role in Treatment Foster Care and most recently as the Deputy Director of San Mar. After recently considering retirement, she has committed to return to her passion of supporting Treatment Foster Care as its Director. Ellen holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bowie State and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland. She will continue leading the staff and families through the process of foster care placements and treatment planning, for the ultimate success of the children entrusted to the agency. “Being an adoptive parent, I am very excited to continue this work. Any child who can’t be home should be in the next best place, a place where she or she feels safe and loved. That’s what San Mar strives to do for the children we serve.”
Fanjoy explained, “The commitment of employees like Ellen, Jen and Jerica are a reflection of their tremendous character and love of serving others and I am proud to work alongside them as partners. Often times in the non-profit world there are long hours and great challenges, and San Mar can thrive today because of these dedicated leaders. We are so fortunate to have each one of them on our team and to be able to promote from within; I am excited to see where they will take us in the future. ” In addition to the leadership appointments of staff that were already a part of the organization, San Mar also created two new positions, a Director of Finance and a Director of Marketing & Development, which were hired from the community.
Niccole Rolls has joined as the Director of Development and Marketing and she will be primarily responsible for directing fundraising and development activities as well as some communication efforts for the organization. Niccole graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a degree in management. Prior to joining San Mar, she served as the Director of Donor Relations and stewardship at Shepherd University and prior to that worked on the Daring to Lead campaign at Mercersburg Academy. Niccole brings experience and a proven track record of success in the fundraising and donor engagement. Rolls said, “I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to do this work that makes a difference in the lives of children. I’m excited to work with the San Mar team and hope my contribution adds to the amazing outcomes they achieve!”
Tim Harrison, CPA, has joined the team as the Director of Finance, a part-time position managing the finances for San Mar’s core programs. Tim is a graduate of Loyola University, and started his working career on the audit staff of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Baltimore. Afterwards, he held significant financial management positions with two Fortune 500 manufacturing companies – American Standard and General Instrument Corporation, followed by a role as Budget Director for the Johns Hopkins Hospital. After an extended career supporting the financial management at top private schools in Baltimore and Washington D.C., Tim has been in Hagerstown for the past six years as the President & CEO of Tele Medico. Harrison said, “I’m thrilled to be one of the newest members of the San Mar management team, a team committed to being good stewards of the financial resources received from a multitude of grantors and donors. It pleases me to be part of an organization with a long history of providing excellent services to youth in our community.”
Fanjoy explained, “The Board of Managers at San Mar have made sustainability and fiscal clarity a top priority for the organization as we move forward. I believe Niccole and Tim bring the important skills that will help us operate from a strong foundation and position us for long-term growth. They have caught the San Mar vision and have already hit the ground running. It’s an exciting time of forward motion for the organization. ” Are you interested in learning more about San Mar Family & Community Services and finding ways to become involved? Contact Niccole Rolls at [email protected] or at 301-733-9067 x250.
By Mike Lewis, Herald Mail Media
Booths about babies were the focus Saturday as Bester Community of Hope hosted its third Babypalooza.
“Babypalooza is a fun event for caregivers. We’re celebrating families and bringing resources to moms and dads who are either expecting or (who have a child) up to the age of 5,” said Jen Younker, director of Bester Community of Hope. “It’s my favorite event.”
Bester Community of Hope is an outreach of San Mar Family and Community Services. It develops and offers strategies for positive outcomes for the children and families of the Bester Elementary School neighborhood. Among other things, it sponsors Babypalooza and the annual South Side Community Block Party.
On Saturday, vendors at the third annual Babypalooza with information on health care, safety and other services set up exhibits at Bester Elementary School in Hagerstown and talked with children, their parents and other caregivers. Some booths handed out treats, such as candy or small bags of pretzels, and others offered activities for children, such as face painting or using rubber stamps.
Within the first 30 minutes, more than 300 people had filed through the doors, organizers said.
Younker said she was pleased not only with the turnout, but also with the community-building aspect of the event.
“This is truly a depiction of what it looks like when the community comes together,” she said, referring to about 30 “community partners” who helped make the event possible.
She said individuals also come together at Babypalooza.
“Every year, we have people who make friends here,” she said.
Jessica Lerch of Hagerstown was among the hundreds who were looking for information. She’s due to deliver in January, she said. She spent a few minutes talking with Dr. Mutsa Nyakabau, a pediatrician with Family Healthcare of Hagerstown.
“I’m just learning a lot that I need to know to take care of a baby,” she said. “There’s a lot of information, that’s for sure.”
Source article: https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/bester-community-of-hope-puts-focus-on-babies/article_cc2e4df7-0670-5c2e-aae6-038f8210e14c.html
By Julie E. Greene, Herald Mail Media
A community tree grew in a railroad underpass over the weekend, and a field by Bester Elementary School was planted to attract butterflies.
The tree was a mural painted along the north wall of the West Memorial Boulevard railroad underpass less than a block from the school.
Both projects in Hagerstown’s South End show great things happen when people and organizations in the community work together, said Keith Fanjoy, CEO of San Mar Family and Community Services. The nonprofit oversees the Bester Community of Hope, which was involved in both projects.
The butterfly garden and mural are part of a long-term effort to revitalize the Memorial Boulevard corridor, Fanjoy said.
Volunteers from Hagerstown Artists Group, Community of Hope and the South End Neighborhoods 1st were working on the mural Sunday. The underpass was closed most of the weekend to allow for the work.
Hagerstown Artists member Charlotte Whalley, 25, of Hagerstown, came up with the design that included community input.
The tree signifies growth in the community and provides a welcome feel, Whalley said. Behind the tree is a sun over water. The neighborhood group wanted the design to include water because the underpass gets flooded during heavy rains.
Words like “hope,” “love,” “friendship,” and “together” appear in English, German or Spanish to reflect cultural heritages in the area. Volunteers were getting ready to paint the words early Sunday afternoon in some of the larger green bubbles that represent leaves.
Lesley Whalley, founder of Hagerstown Artists, said the group wanted to do a mural and ended up working with Fanjoy and the neighborhood group.
The Community of Hope helped fund the mural. Neighborhoods 1st President Melanie Pepple said the group used money the City of Hagerstown provided for neighborhood improvement projects.
Pepple said the group had been looking for a project for its northern boundary, and the mural brightens up an area that looked “grungy.”
Up the street, Community of Hope and Ladders to Leaders joined forces to plant the monarch butterfly garden that will become an outdoor classroom for Bester students, Fanjoy said. Wildflower seeds will be added to the area off South Potomac Street.
The Monarch Alliance and Community Foundation of Washington County funded the plantings, Fanjoy said. Community of Hope worked out the public-private partnership with Washington County Public Schools.
Eva Gillard, program administrator for Ladders to Leaders and whose daughter attends second grade at Bester, helped with the planting.
The project is a good idea not only for the students, but for the community, Gillard said.
Source article: https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/instant/projects-help-revitalize-hagerstown-s-south-end/article_07056eda-ca7d-11e8-989e-3fcd1aaf8fe2.html
By Alicia Notarianni, Whats NXT
For the third consecutive year, Bester Community of Hope will celebrate the good things happening in the South End of Hagerstown with the South Side Community Block Party.
Only this year, rather than celebrating in the field at Bester Elementary School, the party will be shifted Hagerstown City Park’s Peter Buys Band Shell.
“The biggest reason is that we had a larger turnout last year, and we know that with the kind of activities we have planned, we need a larger space to accommodate them,” said Keith Fanjoy. “City Park is located in the Bester Elementary School district and it seemed like a good neutral site for hosting the event.”
Fanjoy, who helped create Bester Community of Hope, is the project’s former director and current chief executive officer of San Mar Children’s Home in Boonsboro. Jen Younker took over as Bester Community of Hope director in July.
The community will be treated to free live music, games, local resource vendors, carnival games, train rides, laser tag and more from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22. Bester Community of Hope is a San Mar Initiative with specific strategies for positive outcomes for the children and families of the Bester Elementary School neighborhood. The effort is one of 14 national sites supported by Casey Family Programs for safe reduction of the number of children placed outside the home through building a better community.
“The biggest catalyst when we began doing Bester Community of Hope work was to try to shift the narrative to focus on the good things happening in the South End of the Hagerstown community,” Fanjoy said. “A community block party is a good way to bring together resources and families in the heart of the neighborhood where we are working to uplift and serve families.”
In its first year, roughly 1,000 people attended the block party. Last year, there was an estimated crowd of about 1,700 people. This year, organizers are anticipating even more, Fanjoy said.
“The community has really taken ownership of the activities,” he said. “There is nothing like being in the neighborhood where you live, celebrating all the good things going on, and having a good time while you are getting connected with resources. We will have a large number of community vendors so we can link families with local supports and resources.”
Participating social institutions include Washington County Health Department, and the Washington County Department of Social services, which supports Bester Community of Hope in its preventative efforts.
“We’ll have a lot of quality resources there that might help not just in times of need but just to help people get connected to local services that they may not be aware of,” Fanjoy said.
City Park presented itself as a natural resource in the city’s South End. It features attractions that some families might not yet have connected with on site and nearby, such as the Hagerstown Railroad Museum.
“There will be free rides on Tommy 202. We’ll be able to highlight some of those great local resources and create access and awareness of them,” he said. “There are other activities that will be run by volunteers who are neighborhood residents as well as staff members.”
Featured musical entertainment is the Chuck Brown Band, which also performed last year and performs at similar events in the Washington, D.C., area and beyond.
“They are very popular and we received positive feedback. We are bringing them back in part because they bring this eclectic, fun, urban sound,” Fanjoy said. “But what we really like about them is that they are also committed to a lot of the things that we are trying to do to strengthen neighborhoods and to support families.”
In seeking other acts with common goals, block party organizers found New Orleans-based national act The Soul Rebels. The band played once before in Hagerstown at the 2011 Western Maryland Blues Fest.
“They fit with this event and also bring a fun, exciting sound to Hagerstown,” Fanjoy said.
“The South Side Community Block Party is an opportunity for community organizations and residents and people from outside our area to come together and celebrate all the things that are going well. So often we are not able to do that,” Fanjoy said. “I hope to see everyone there Saturday. Rain or shine, it’s going to be a great time.”
Top photo: Dolores Agrinzonis, left, a volunteer with Horizon Goodwill Industries, speaks with Hagerstown resident Bianca Cook, right, during last year’s South Side Community Block Party event held on the grounds of Bester Elementary School in Hagerstown. (Herald-Mail file photo)
Kerry Fair, Program Manager of Bester Community of Hope discusses our partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Washington County
By Alexis Fitzpatrick, Herald Mail Media
This summer, the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County brought back a program designed to help get teens ready for their futures, while also benefiting the community.
Partnering with Bester Community of Hope, Tomorrow’s Leaders pays teenagers a stipend to work at the Frederick Manor Club summer camp and arranges volunteer work at the Boys & Girls Club’s Elgin Station.
The Boys & Girls Club runs four after-school programs and summer camps for those 6 to 18 years old throughout Washington County. Bester Community of Hope is an initiative of San Mar focusing on the children and families in the Bester Elementary School neighborhood in Hagerstown.
A version of the program existed from 2003 until a few years ago, but funding issues led to its dissolution.
“Rebooting the Tomorrow’s Leaders is part of our plans to offer more services for our teens, as it is a gateway to official future employment,” Addie Nardi, Boys & Girls Club executive director, said in a news release.
The program, the third of seven weeks of which is finishing up, required the teens to apply and go through an interview before being picked. The job-readiness test they took prior to the program will be compared to one given later to check the effectiveness of Tomorrow’s Leaders.
Four participants are working at the Frederick Manor Club summer camp one day a week each, and three St. James School students are helping out at Elgin Station during two- and three-week shifts.
“It’s going over very well,” said Eric Rollins, Elgin Station area director. “Especially the students from St. James, they’re doing amazing. They have a lot of personality and they just help out tremendously in the program. At Frederick Manor, they live in the community, so it’s a benefit for them to know the staff, know the program and know the kids.”
Rollins was a participant during the inaugural program and said getting to see a new generation of leaders be affected by its guidance has been special.
Kerry Fair, Bester Community of Hope program manager, said she already was asked by the kids if they can expand the program throughout the school year. She said they are trying to work something out to continue past the summer.
“We believe that every neighborhood, every community has natural leaders within it, but sometimes they just don’t have the support, the encouragement, the empowerment, the funding isn’t there; there’s something that’s not able to elevate them to status. We’re really happy to have these kids,” Fair said. “It’s clear that they have something to offer.”
Daily tasks include assisting the staff, mentoring campers and providing a safe atmosphere for the kids.
For the teens, the main draw wasn’t the money, getting in some student service learning volunteer hours or even the work experience. It was the children.
Ashia Jones, 16, was going to volunteer anyway, since her brother is involved at Frederick Manor. The small stipend and other Tomorrow’s Leaders benefits just helped sweeten the deal.
“Children have always been an interest. I love putting a smile on a kid’s face, and knowing that they like me and I’m a cool person. It makes me feel better about myself,” Ashia said. “I would do it every day. I really enjoy coming here.”
Friends Kiandra Houser, 16, and Danielle Wolf, 15, were already involved with the Boys & Girls Club and jumped at the chance to work with kids.
Kiandra said she wants to be a family therapist when she gets older, so the experience she is getting now with Tomorrow’s Leaders is setting her up for success.
Danielle plans to become an elementary school teacher.
“I just think it’s a good opportunity for teens. It’s also a good opportunity for kids … especially a program like this. Sometimes they don’t have people to talk to at home and they might be able to relate more to us than adults,” Danielle said.
Another Boys & Girls Club veteran, Shada Datcher, 16, loves not only working with the children, but gaining experience to help guide others.
“We’re representing tomorrow, the future. We stand out. We are people that are leading the pack, so we’ve got people looking up to us, following us,” Shada said.
The Greatest Bicycle Tour of the Historic C & 0 Canal 2018 in the news! Thanks to all our riders who joined us this year!
By CJ Lovelace, Herald Mail Media
This year has been one of transition for San Mar Children’s Home.
The agency has a new name, a new chief executive and a new direction that involved the closure of its longtime residential services to focus on a new strategy of meeting local families and youths in their homes and communities.
CEO Keith Fanjoy, who took the reigns in April following the retirement of Bruce Anderson, recently sat down with Herald-Mail Media for a wide-ranging interview about the agency’s future plans and goals in Washington County.
Herald-Mail: Bruce Anderson retired in March after 35 years. Talk a little about your experience with San Mar.
Keith Fanjoy: I’ve been an employee of San Mar for about 12 years and I’ve had a variety of roles with the organization, starting out as a caseworker for treatment foster care, then as an admissions director overseeing all of the case management and clinical interviews of all incoming female residents to our group homes, then, ultimately, as the deputy director of the agency about four and a half years ago. I helped to develop a new community-based effort under the San Mar umbrella called San Mar Community of Hope and I’ve been there since the fall of 2015, then, most recently, transitioning into the role of CEO as of April 2.
HM: You mentioned Bester Community of Hope. That’s kind of where the organization is headed now, correct? Can you talk about how the San Mar of old has changed into the San Mar of today?
KF: San Mar’s core values and our priorities have not changed. We still put a tremendous emphasis on children and those children in need. It’s our strategy that’s changed. We have made a strategic decision to move away from residential programming and try to put more energy into wrapping supports around families in their communities, or when a child can’t be safely managed in their home or community with caring and supportive adults. Our three anchor programs at San Mar are, first of all, Bester of Community of Hope. It’s our newest program. We also have a relatively new outpatient mental health center called the Jack E. Barr Center for Wellbeing. Then, at this time, our most mature and acute program which is our treatment foster care program, where we place children who have high intensity needs in caring and supportive families to hopefully stabilize them, meet their needs and help them return to their biological families, if possible.
HM: Are you still operating as San Mar Children’s Home or has the name changed with the different programs?
KF: In the past year, as we closed our residential programs, we changed our name officially to San Mar Family and Community Services to ultimately reflect the areas of focus for our organization that kids are still our top priority, but it’s the way we work with them through their family and their community that we believe is the most effective way to making a difference.
HM: So you have done away with your residential programs now?
KF: Yes. As of July of 2016, we went through a multi-year process ending in July of 2017 where we closed our various residential programs as we began opening more outpatient or community-based programs. So the shift was away from congregate care settings to focus more on meeting people in their environment. A lot of the shift and strategy comes from thinking of the child in the context of their family, in the context of their neighborhood. One of the things in this legacy of care that Bruce Anderson was able to implement at San Mar, there was no question that all the children who lived there had all their needs met. … The challenge ultimately became as the children were transitioning back to their family of origin, what we were as an agency to do more to support maintaining them in a community-based setting? This moral imperative kind of pushed us to seek answers, and as we found options that were creative and innovative, ultimately, it was the impetus for change for the organization.
HM: What’s been the reaction to the changes … from parents, from kids?
KF: Our community-based programming has been very positive overall. And we are very excited about the direction of being able to provide the same level of support to children in the context of their home environment with their whole family, not just one child. For those of us that have been in this work of residential and foster care, serving people earlier is so rewarding because we feel like ultimately the work that we’re doing is preventing people from having to go deeper into these foster care systems. … There is a sense of loss around the end of our residential programs, but as people come to understand how we’ve adapted our focus and are still putting kids front and center around that strategy, they get really excited. I think anytime an organization with such a long, rich history as San Mar goes through a change like this, there is a process to help the public understand what that looks like. The more people who come to understand it and become comfortable with it, they can really see that San Mar as an agency is very similar to what it has always been.
HM: Can you elaborate on the thought process that helped bring this new strategy to life?
KF: As we studied best practices across the country, as we were developing our community of hope model, we started to identify innovative ways to respond to children and families earlier. With that, that pushed our board of directors and senior leadership to make this bold new direction about how to support families earlier in a preventative capacity. … People think of San Mar and they say “the orphanage.” It’s because of our 130-plus-year history serving children in a residential capacity. Most recently, in the past 35 years under Bruce Anderson’s leadership, they would say the girls at San Mar, and those would be adolescent girls who needed residential care between the ages of 12 and 18. And really now today, we’re serving such a wide range of ages, of children and their parents, as well as whole neighborhoods. It’s a much broader approach to making a significant impact in the lives of children.
HM: When you talk about best practices, is one of those reaching children and families earlier to mitigate problems before they get worse down the road?
KF: We’ve just focused on moving up stream a little bit. Again, there will always be some level of need for acute services for children in great need, but we just want to do our part to ultimately contribute to reducing the amount of children that are impacted by systems of care.
HM: Is there a specific criteria for kids or family situations where San Mar gets involved?
KF: Each of our programs has a little bit of a different criteria for services, but for treatment foster care, we receive referrals from state agencies, primarily social services. Those are newborn children all the way up to age 21, boys and girls, who primarily are not able to be safely maintained in their home environment because of some type of abuse, neglect or a problematic family situation. Our goal, as we bring those children into licensed and certified families, is to provide for them and meet their basic needs, but also make sure that these families that they’re living with have a deep understanding of the trauma these kids have gone through so they can respond in an effective way to their behaviors. For the outpatient mental health center, it’s open to the community. We accept referrals. … The primary location for those services are at our Boonsboro campus. However, therapists who are working with a client who may have certain needs of meeting in closer proximity to Hagerstown, we can arrange that kind of service.
HM: In your time with San Mar, have you seen an increase in families in crisis?
KF: I think life is a lot more complicated today than it was even 20 years ago, but I do think that the needs, the stresses that are put on families and the lack of availability of nearby relatives, nearby community supports make it very difficult for families, especially those who are in low-income situations or impoverished communities. As far as an increase in need for mental-health services or those that are being impacted by drugs and those things, I think today we just look at those things a little bit differently. We spend a lot of time as an agency and doing trainings and talking to the public about trauma-informed practices, so that when we see these problematic behaviors from children or adults, it starts with what do we believe and see happening there. The three things we regularly talk about as a staff are to be trauma-informed, strength-based and solution-oriented. To break that down a little bit, being trauma-informed means we’re going to take the time to listen and understand what someone has gone through. Once we do that, we don’t want to spend a whole lot of time focusing on all the things wrong, so we have to be strength-based, which allows us to build momentum from the places where someone has had success. If we’re able to start doing that and motivating those people who are in some level of struggle or crisis, it’s only after those two things have happened that we can start talking about some solutions.
HM: What’s the biggest takeaway for the community about San Mar’s new scope of work?
KF: One of the things we talk about when we talk about individuals moving toward independence, we actually use the term interdependence because none of us have longterm success in life alone. We’re all in this world together, and there’s a certain level of desire for folks to figure it out, but until we take the time to really understand their experience and help them move through something, they’re not going to be able to do it. So as far as San Mar as an agency, I’m really excited about the long-term directions the board of directors and our senior leadership team has committed to. We’re committed to innovation and moving in a strategic direction that allows San Mar to be a 21st century human-services organization. … My hope longterm as we think how to address community needs, especially in the city of Hagerstown and beyond, is thinking how we can partner with others who are doing this work instead of duplicating efforts. … San Mar is alive and well, and we plan on making a major impact on Washington County in the coming years. We’re excited to be able to share our story with the community and look forward to traveling on that journey together.
For more information about San Mar and its programs or how to get involved as a volunteer, foster family or donor, contact the main office at 301-733-9067.
Source article: https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/we-re-all-in-this-world-together-new-san-mar/article_87c26b53-d313-550b-b90c-b74e8ef83c06.html