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American Association of Service Coordinators Announces FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Arlyne Alston POWELL, OH – The American Association of Service Coordinators (AASC) announced four winners of the AASC Awards of Excellence during the 2021 Virtual National Service Coordinator Conference. The three awards – Service Coordinator of the Year, Affordable Housing Team of the Year, and Affordable Housing Innovative Program of the Year – recognize the outstanding achievements made by service coordinators and other affordable housing professionals. “On behalf of the AASC Board of Directors, we are thrilled to honor four committed members who exemplify what it means to serve others,” said AASC President and CEO Michelle Missler. “The number of strong submissions presented during an extremely challenging year only highlights how dedicated service coordinators are to finding new ways to persevere while serving vulnerable residents at affordable housing developments.” Resident Wellness Director Judith Thermidor received the 2021 Service Coordinator of the Year award. Her collaboration with others and dedication to service at Blue Ledge Co-op in Roslindale, Massachusetts has helped residents engage in programs to learn about falls, trauma, nutrition and technology. “For Judith, she isn’t going above and beyond. She is being true to Judith,” said Brenda Carney, Thermidor’s supervisor at CSI Support & Development. “That is what is so remarkable about her, and why she is truly so deserving of this recognition.” Most recently, Thermidor in collaboration with a local provider, utilized her training as a medical doctor to launch a pharmacy outreach program to help her residents understand commonly used medications. This year’s Affordable Housing Team of the Year recognized Service Coordinator Robbie Jowers and Property Manager Sherry McClelland for an outstanding partnership that helps residents succeed. These women took great efforts to beautify the property at Woodland Homes in Lexington, Tennessee, by adding new picnic tables and transforming a community room into an attractive activity hub with board games, puzzles and other social activities. “Mrs. McClelland takes care of business at Woodland Homes Senior Living, and she does it really well,” said Alma Mitchell, one of their residents. “Mrs. Jowers takes care of the health and emotional issues of all of us. Put them together – you have the perfect team. It is my honor to know and love these two ladies. They work to help us feel secure, cared for, and most of all, respected as we age.” To fight hunger, Jowers and McClelland established a food pantry in their community through partnerships with local grocery stores, as well as secured a van through a grant. The duo also planned a resident-driven yard sale that raised $500 for tablets and senior computer classes. Their remarkable dedication and commitment yielded a cost savings of over $500,000 last year for their residents. The final recognition for Affordable Housing Innovative Program of the Year was awarded to Rolling Oaks Nursing Intern Program in Rocklin, California. This unique program, developed by Resident Wellness Director Pamela Galloway, pairs senior residents with graduate nursing students from two local universities – Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California Davis, and California State University Sacramento School of Nursing. Nursing students complete 90 clinical hours over an academic term and learn to provide community-based services while understanding the unique needs of older adults. During the pandemic, nursing students delivered food, taught Zoom conferencing classes and held presentations in the lobby. Sandra Peterson, a resident who participated in the program at Rolling Oaks said, “The students brought joy, good energy and happiness to me. These students are smart, caring and very helpful. The nursing students are a bright light, show eagerness to learn, helpfulness, and they make me feel better when they are here.” Bronwyn Fields, assistant professor at California State University Sacramento, said Pamela Galloway has been instrumental in creating and maintaining the curriculum. What began as a program under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Integrated Wellness in Supportive Housing grant three years ago is now being established in six affordable housing communities under Volunteers of America Northern California and Northern Nevada. All the AASC Awards of Excellence winners received conference registration for this year’s event, training contact hour certificates, letters of recognition and a plaque. The process for deciding winners was completed through a blind review system of the nominations completed by AASC’s Awards Committee.
The American Association of Service Coordinators (AASC) is a national nonprofit membership association dedicated to advancing professionals in affordable housing. Founded in 1999, AASC is made up of more than 3,700 members who connect older adults, people with disabilities and low-income families living in government-funded housing to vital resources in their communities. AASC supports its members through expert education, networking, advocacy and best standards of practice in service coordination. |