by Barb Quaintance
Family Fest doesn’t happen by accident. Dozens of Misericordia staff work year-round to produce the event. But they don’t act alone. Literally hundreds of volunteers work on the day of the Fest, as well as beforehand, setting it up and then taking it all down. And a big thanks goes to Paul Schwartz and many others for pulling together the volunteer person-power!
Want to learn more about Family Fest volunteers?
CALLING ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS, IT’S TIME TO GET TOGETHER!
Sunday, October 20th at Misericordia’s Jean Marie Ryan Center
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
10:00 Sign-in, Coffee, and Bakery Sales
11:00 MFA General Meeting including:
12:00 Social time with beer, wine, soft drinks and pizza from JB Alberto’s
September 20, 2024
Greetings Co-workers and Families,
We have celebrated several holidays since I last wrote. I hope everyone had a good 4th of July and Labor Day. The long weekends are really nice.
From the 4th of July until right before Labor Day, the Human Resources (HR) Sub-committee of the Board met very often to make their recommendation for a new Vice President of HR Services. We are pleased to announce that Hayes Kennedy has joined us in this role. He comes to us from Conagra, but with a wide variety of HR experience. His family has been familiar with Misericordia for years. We are delighted to welcome him as he spends his first couple of weeks meeting everyone and getting acquainted with us. Welcome Hayes! Thanks to Sharon Keane for her years of dedicated service and keeping the Department together as we searched.
by Barb Quaintance
When you were at Family Fest last weekend, eating a hot dog or enjoying a beer, did you wonder just how much food it takes to feed everyone at Fest? The answer: a lot! Take a look at these numbers:
1,000 pounds of fried chicken
500 half chickens
150 corned beef sandwiches
by Barb Quaintance
We all know remarkable Misericordia staff; staff who are engaging, loving with the residents and leaders within their areas. These remarkable staff want to do even better, learn more, connect with other staff and, generally, make Misericordia an even better place.
Begun in 2021, Fit For Success is a staff development program, led by SD/HR staff Mary Ann Goode, Kristina Lipsey and Saul Hernandez. It not only provides staff with practical skills, it helps connect them to the Misericordia mission and their peers across campus. Open to all staff who have been employed for at least six months and with the approval of their Director, approximately 125 staff have completed the program. About fifteen staff--from DT Instructors to Housekeeping staff to Qs to DSPs—form a class and engage in two tiers of training. The focus of the tiers are:
Let’s show our appreciation for the more than 500 direct care staff. The DSPs/CNAs/Therapy Aides are the “backbone” of Misericordia. Their appreciation week will include a food truck and social times for staff to mingle with each other.
Volunteers are needed for the Cheesies food truck (gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches) on Wednesday, September 11th. Duties include greeting staff/thanking them for their service, collecting tickets, helping guide the food line, and keeping the area clean. The shifts are: 9:30 – 11:30 am, 11:30 am – 2 pm, 6:30 – 9:30 pm, and 10:45 – 11:30 pm. For more information and to sign up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EACAE2DA7FBC52-50930396-thecheesies
In addition, volunteers are needed to serve beverages and snacks at “Social Gatherings” on Thursday, September 12th. There will be trivia, games and music. These gatherings will give staff the chance to visit with each other and families. The shifts are: 5:30 am – 6:30 am, 10 – 11 am, and 6 – 7 pm. For more information and to sign up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EACAE2DA7FBC52-50974704-social
The Campus Connections Employee Newsletter is full of interesting information for families also. Click here to read the August 2024 issue. To catch up on past issues, click on Misericordia Info in the Menu bar and then Campus Connections in the drop-down menu.
by Barb Quaintance
If you’ve been in one of our art studios or classrooms, or if you’ve attended The Artist in All, you know that some of the greatest artists in Chicago are Misericordia residents. During August, the campus showcased twenty-six remarkable art installations, all created by residents and their staff partners.
The Art Walk was a campus-wide effort. Twenty-three different groups of residents created these outdoor masterpieces, which were placed throughout campus. The groups were led by DT instructors, CDS instructors, art therapists, recreation/fitness staff, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, McAuley staff and several DSPs. They included mosaics, windchimes, ceramics, sculptures, and other creative, beautiful pieces of art.
Congratulations to our very own Sister Rosemary for her upcoming honor by St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, at the Rector's Classic on September 12 at Pine Meadow Golf Club.
Sister Rosemary will be honored with the 2024 Cardinal Joseph Bernardin In Service of One Another Catholic Humanitarian Award.
Congratulations, Sister Rosemary!
If you would like to hit the links that day and/or attend the dinner, click on: https://usml.edu/rectors-classic/ for more information. Proceeds benefit the University of St. Mary of the Lake – Mundelein Seminary.
During August, Misericordia is recognizing the hard work and dedication of the Supervisors. On August 29th, there will be catered meals, staff gifts, and raffles.
While the Supervisors’ roles vary depending on the residential area, the Supervisors manage the day-to-day routines of the residents, staff, and programming plus the communication with families. Some areas have a Supervisor on-site 24/7, while others have AM and PM Supervisors. Supervisors are an integral part of the care Misericordia provides to its residents.
We need volunteers to help set up, greet the staff, and clean up at the August 29th luncheon and dinner. For more details and to sign up, please go to this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EACAE2DA7FBC52-50560563-supervisors
In addition, we are asking that families write notes of thanks and appreciation to the Supervisors and email them to us at
Thank you,
Lisa Masucci & John Butler
MFA’s Staff Appreciation Coordinators
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