Award Winners

CSDD would like to congratulate our Participant of the Year, Janet Hope. Janet has been attending CSDD since 2002 and since then she has really blossomed. When Janet first attended CSDD she was very shy and quiet. She hardly ever initiated conversations with others. Her goal has been to initiate conversation with others which she has been doing extremely well with over the past year. She talks to her peers and staff regularly and helps others as well. She is very good with directions and can tell staff how to get to her house and others’. Janet loves to bowl, loves animals and having a good time. She recently started attending CSDD 5 days a week compared to 1 day a week. Janet is a role model for her peers attending our program.

Congratulations to our Employee of the Year, Sharon Johnson. Sharon has worked at CSDD since 2000 starting as a Community Skills Specialist. She took various promotions early on, working at New Haven, Case Coordination and Billing. Sharon found her niche as she loves her job as Case Coordinator. Just as important the persons served, families and CMH Supports Coordinators love Sharon as well. Sharon is passionate about what she does and takes her job very seriously while making people laugh and feel good. Sharon is dedicated and committed to providing the best services possible. Sharon is strong willed yet gentle. She is kind and compassionate and one always knows where they stand with Sharon as she says what is on her mind without offending others. Sharon has truly grown personally and professionally. She continues to strive to improve herself always asking for feedback and clarification if she does not understand. Sharon has gained much confidence over the years.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Green,   our Parents of the Year. They have taken over the annual Car Cruise fundraiser and advocated for CSDD to continue to be the beneficiary of this great event. This was a very big undertaking for the Green’s as this was their first time being in charge of the “No Name Car Club” fundraiser. The fundraiser was previously coordinated by Cindy Ball. She had been doing it for many years. Thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Green decided to take on this major project along with the help of many other individuals. Without the help of these people, the fundraiser would not have happened. The “No Name Car Club” raised over $2000.00 for the CSDD annual talent show. Mr. and Mrs. Green have been very supportive of CSDD over the years and their time and dedication is always very much appreciated.

CSDD congratulates Mr. Ortiz on being the Community Person of the Year. Mr. Ortiz is in charge of the Gleaners Food Bank volunteer program where CSDD attends several times a week. Mr. Ortiz has been very supportive of the people we serve in our program. We have been working with Mr. Ortiz and the Gleaners Food Bank for more than four years. He has been a huge advocate and friend of CSDD. Mr. Ortiz attends and participates in our annual Talent Shows; he likes to play basketball and football with the volunteers; he provides music for the people to listen to while volunteering and he will often break out dancing and get the volunteers to start dancing as well. He always includes us in all the activities that Gleaners sponsors, he is very generous to the people volunteering often giving them “goody” bags of products for volunteering. All the volunteers really enjoy seeing him each week and work extra hard because of the great relationship they have. Mr. Ortiz truly is a friend that we can count on and is genuinely interested in the well being of the persons served.