Dear Friends of Albertina Kerr,
November marks National Gratitude Month, an occasion to reflect on the unwavering dedication of Kerr’s supporters, the hard work of our outstanding staff and to the people we support. I am extremely grateful for the Kerr community!
I want to extend congratulations and thanks for staff member Madison Ritter, who recently received the Works of Heart award at the Oregon Resource Association’s Northwest Conference! Madison has been a frontline residential staff member for over 5 years at Kerr. Her manager captured Madison’s dedication to the people she supports beautifully: “She just does it—quietly, steadfastly, and with an unwavering commitment.” Madison’s compassion and consistency builds trust and uplift lives, and we’re so fortunate to have her on the Kerr team. (Photos: right)
Special thanks to Oregon State Representative Tawna Sanchez for visiting with us alongside our colleagues at Abilities at Work, Partnerships in Community Living, and Dungarvin. We appreciate the Oregon Resource Association for bringing us all together to advocate for stronger services and supports for people with disabilities.
Kerr has the audacious goal to train all of our staff on Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS). To date, we’ve trained over 200 frontline staff in this two-day training. CPS provides compassionate, skill-based strategies for staff to foster flexibility and problem-solving when working with youth and adults with behavioral health challenges. This training helps Kerr teams embrace a mindset that when we see challenging behavior it is a result of skill, not will.
We’re thrilled to be part of First Tech Federal Credit Union’s Season of Giving community campaign, and we need your support to help us secure a $10,000 grant! In less than a minute, you can nominate us, and every vote brings us closer to being one of the five nonprofits selected. We’d be grateful if you could share with family and friends. The campaign runs through November 30 at this link. Thank you!
On a personal note, I’ve been appointed to the Board of Representatives for our national provider advocacy organization, ANCOR. In addition, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring a nonprofit leader in Louisiana through the ANCOR Foundation Leadership Academy, helping to shape the future of leadership in our sector. I’m grateful for these opportunities to connect with other leaders in national advocacy and learn about other state’s services and supports.
In gratitude,
Allison Stark
CEO, Albertina Kerr
Pictured Above: Kerr CEO Allison Stark (second from right) with Oregon State Representative Tawna Sanchez (second from left), Albertina Kerr team, and colleagues from Abilities at Work, Partnerships in Community Living, Inc., and Dungarvin.