Monday and Tuesday we focused on the great things Eagle Point and Community Connections Staff are doing, and what great people they are. Today we celebrate the Main Campus Team made up of two groups. Supported Employment and Community Access. Continue to celebrate our staff with us during DSP appreciation week!!!! Check out their stories below the section titled Show Your Support.
Thank you for your support
e would love to have our communities help celebrate our direct support staff!!! Here are a few ways you can make a difference.
Give a shout out to a member of our DSP team, a department, or the whole organization by commenting on this post on our Facebook site at HTTP://www.facebook.com/EmpowerCherokee
Donate to our Amazon Wish List or directly to Empower Cherokee in recognition of a staff member, department, or the organization. Click your choice below to donate.
Tokens Of Appreciation - Empower Cherokee policy prohibits our staff from receiving gifts, however, if you would like to sponsor an appreciation snack, breakfast, or lunch for a team or the entire agency it would be appreciated. Contact heather.daily@empowercherokee.org if you are interested in this option.
Featured Direct Support Staff of the Day
Every day this week we will feature different staff and what makes their core gifts so important to everyone at Empower Cherokee. We will be focusing on direct support staff this week, but in the future we will feature our administrative and management staff as well.
Employment Team
Empower Cherokee has provided supported employment for a number of years, but in the past couple of years, Supported Employment has picked up steam as the preferred service for people with IDD. In 2019 Georgia became an Employment First State meaning that Employment Services are the first services offered to someone who seeks support. The Job Developer and Job Coach are pioneers in what they do, and are learning to navigate a new service model together.
Michelle Robinson
Michelle has been with Empower Cherokee for 1 year and 7 months. She came to us with a great deal of Job Coach experience. Michelle is a Job Coach at Roytec where she supports 5 individuals at work. Early on Michelle worked as a substitute Job Coach at Roytec and fell in love. She does a great job with her group and is very dependable and hard working.
Robert "Joe" Thompson
Joe has been with Empower Cherokee for 8 months. Joe was hired to work with the Employment team. Joe, serves as a mentor to many of the male participants. Joe is soft spoken and patient. He is eager to see a day when all service recipients are gainfully employed in the community. Joe has a great deal of empathy for people with disabilities as he has used vocational services himself as he struggled with a learning disability, however, Joe is now pursuing his Masters Degree in his spare time.
Becky Ingle
Becky worked at Empower Cherokee several years back and she decided to quit and move out of the state. After about a year Becky missed everyone, especially the individuals she supported. When a job came open she returned to Canton to work at Empower Cherokee as a Job Coach. Becky has been employed 3 years and 7 months this time around. Becky is very dependable and a joy to work with. Becky really love the individuals and they love her.
Jillian Smith
Jillian has been with Empower Cherokee for 4 years 1 month. Jillian is a strong advocate for the people she supports, and isn't afraid to speak up on their behalf. Jillian is a Job Coach at Holly Springs City Hall with a group of 4 individuals. The four people she supports love Jillian being with them on the job. Jillian is very dependable and loving toward the participants. Jillian has a great since of humor as well.
Community Access Main Campus
Much like the staff at Eagle Point, Community Access main campus is focused on assisting the people they support with having a meaningful purpose driven life. Community access staff may teach a wellness class in the morning, take a group to to shop or a museum, cook a meal with a group, and then conduct a class on culture or person centered practices in the afternoon. DSPs in this job really have to be able to "do it all."
Shayla Croft
Shayla has been with Empower Cherokee for 4 years and 3 months. Seven years ago, Shayla had an accident and was left paralyzed from the waist down, the fact that she uses a wheel chair gives her an empathy for our participants many staff do not have. The individuals love help Shayla with things she may need help with, and she does the same for them. Shayla is a loving and kind person with a heart of gold, dependable and a good employee.
Barbara Campbell
Barbara has been with Empower Cherokee for 2 years 4 months. Barbara . Barbara's participants love the book club that she started, and it is well attended each week. The book club is very educational and everyone is always excited to take their turn to read. She starts every day with warm greetings and Brianna appreciates her for keeping everyone safe with her safety skills classes.
Karan Morgan
Karan has been with Empower Cherokee for 18 years and 10 months. Karan love the job that she does working with individuals and coming up all types of projects for them to do especially art projects. Karan teaches them the meaning of love though art. Karan is a very dependable and loving person. She loves the individuals and the smile on their faces when a project is finished. She has also introduced a number of the people she supports to her beloved donkey Teddy.
Marissa Turner
Marissa has only been at Empower Cherokee for 7 months, but she fit right in on her first day. Marissa works well with the individuals and they like her very much. She is really great at getting people involved with their day to day skills. She is also not afraid of a challenge. Marissa volunteered to assist a group of participants to create this year's Down Town Canton Scarecrow. The group has chosen a theme titled "Empower Cherokee is our Hero" Marissa is seldom seen without a cheerful heartwarming smile.
Robin Wilson
Robin has been with Empower Cherokee for 32 years and 10 months. Robin started as a bus driver back and then assisted supported individuals in the in house work program for 10 years. Robin is now Program Assistant Robin does not have to be told what to do, and she is always ahead of you getting the job done. Robin is very dependable. Her supervisor says "Everyone needs a person like Robin to get the job done" She is well loved by the people we support as well.
Michelle Bellotti
Michelle has been with Empower Cherokee for 8 months. Michelle likes to get out and do things with the people she supports. Michelle takes the time to really get to know the people she supports. She focuses on what they like to do when they go. Michelle is kind and fair with everyone she supports. One individual commented that he liked Michelle because she is kind hearted.
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