Mission Minute: Service & Dedication

28 Dec Mission Minute: Service & Dedication

In a year where celebrations are virtual and teams are working remotely, it has been challenging to recognize the dedicated associates with milestone service anniversaries this year.

These associates have given years, some even decades, to fulfill New Hope’s mission of providing holistic services and resources to persons with disabilities and their families while advocating to advance the opportunities for those in need of support. Most of them are Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) whose daily job duties include supporting individuals with disabilities with everyday tasks such as showering, grocery shopping, taking medication and more. You’ll also find a number of New Hope’s leaders on this list including the dedicated Team Leaders who ensure that each New Hope home runs smoothly and who advocates for the care of hundreds of our most vulnerable neighbors. You’ll find some of the unseen associates who help with administrative support such as our Benefits Coordinator and our IT Coordinator who help make the entire organization function effectively.

For Gail Mehrlich (pictured with supervisor, Leah Steere), this service is more than a job; it’s a calling. “I have stayed with New Hope because I truly believe in making a difference in our individuals’ lives. I love experiencing their smallest accomplishments like teaching an individual to set the table and then watching them do it on their own. My individuals are not just clients, they are my family. This is not just a job for me. It’s my passion.”

Please help us recognize these dedicated associates and their commitment to the individuals they serve:

35 Years

Amy Flint, Director of Community and Family Connections 35

30 Years

Gail Mehrlich, Team Leader

25 Years

Angela Reed, Benefits Coordinator
Joey Hodges, DSP

20 Years

Kathy Ballard, Director of Community Outreach
Jonel Foreste, DSP
Viola Harris, DSP
Devona Reynolds, DSP
Kim McElwain, DSP

15 Years

Enest Ndebele, DSP
Janice Reynolds, DSP
Codou Wague, DSP
Jean Driskell, DSP
Omotomi Ogunmakinwa, DSP
Annette Davies, DSP

10 Years

Doreen Kojwang, DSP
Deborah Blackwell, DSP
Penny Leeson, DSP
Adelaide Mukunga, DSP
Maimouna Traore, DSP
Tia Garland, Team Leader
Lantoarizaka Dunkhase, DSP
Pamela Bradley, DSP
Victoria Cook, DSP
Tira Davis, DSP
Marquita Mcafee, DSP
Jolene Porter, DSP

5 Years

Veda Johnson, DSP
Michael Ohuabunwa, DSP
Kofi Okrah, DSP
Gifty Agyei, DSP
Bimbo Bademosi, DSP
Madonna Brindle, Nurse Consultant
Victor Esan, DSP
Funke Bamigbola, DSP
Betsabe Bravo-Castillo, DSP
Kenneth Rose, Manager of Capital Operations
Theresa Anderson, DSP
Balmini Bryant, DSP
Theodore Swanson, Home-Based Therapist
Temitope Olaniyi, DSP
Kossi Bokor, IT Coordinator