Staff Stories

Please take a few moments to read about KenCrest's staff and the incredible things they do behind the scenes every day.

Everlean Locke, Resident Advisor, Philadelphia Residential Services

December 23 was just another day at Everlean’s community home, busy with making plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Suddenly, there was heavy knocking and ringing of the door bell. Everlean opened the door to find her elderly next door neighbor being held up by her two sons who were looking frantic and begging for help. Their mother was taking her medication when one rather large pill had lodged in her throat and blocked her airway. Everlean flew into action, applying the Heimlich maneuver she had been trained in at KenCrest and expelling the pill from the woman’s throat. Needless to say it was a very Merry Christmas at Everlean’s house and her neighbor’s. Positive Approaches at KenCrest are ready whenever you need them.

Abu Sako, Community Consultant, EmployNet

Numerous agency vans and cars are parked at the EmployNet Robinson Street site each night and weekend. The recent snow storms made the situation quite challenging. So Abu decided to arrive early to work the morning after each snowstorm. First, he cleared all of the entrance ways of ice. Then he started all of the vehicles and cleaned the snow off of each one. All of this before most of the staff assigned to the vehicles arrive! Everyone was able to get into a warm, snow-free car and go about their day’s work. At KenCrest, neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night can stop Positive Approaches!

Jen Stein, Coordinator, Lifesharing & Peggy Brill, Director of Quality and Risk Management, Health, Clinical, and Program Supports,

On a Saturday morning, one of the Lifesharing providers had to take her husband to the Emergency Room. She needed someone to care for the two people she supports. Her Coordinator wasn’t available, so she started calling people who live nearby. Peggy came to the rescue. She picked up the two individuals and kept them with her for the day, making sure they did their Halloween shopping to get costumes for the Lifesharing Party the next week. That evening Jen picked the two up, took them to their home, and stayed with them overnight. The provider returned home with her husband about 1:00 am and everything was as if she hadn’t left. Positive Approaches at KenCrest is a team thing.

Luz Figueroa, Teacher’s Aide, Kensington Center

The nearest community library was too far away for their children to get to readily, so the center wanted to create a library experience for their children with parent volunteers as librarians. There were books stored in the teacher resource room that needed to be moved, sorted, and displayed on shelves built in the Conference Room. When Luz was asked to move the books she did much, much more. She read up on best practices for reading materials for young children, then organized the books accordingly. She came up with decorating ideas for the converted room, gathered posters from around the center, got photos on-line, and completely made over the Conference Room, turning it into an exciting Children’s Library. Positive Approaches at KenCrest is doing more than is expected.

Ray Capistrano, Financial Reporting Manager, Accounting & Finance Department

A staff person was helping out with some overflow work in an unfamiliar office. Their desk chair accidently slipped out from under them as they were moving work from one area to another. The staff person fell to the floor, and the chair flipped over on top of them. Ray was outside the office gathering information he needed. He heard the fall and immediately went to the aid of the person. He was first very calming, asking the person about how they felt, were they in any pain. Once it was clear that there was no serious injury Ray moved the chair and provided support so the person could get up under their own power. He kept the person and the other staff who came in very calm and focused on helping. Positive Approaches at KenCrest is ready at any given moment.

Lauren Love, Support Staff, Personal Support Network

One of the people we support was taken to the Emergency Room. His staff took him, but they could only stay with him for a limited time because they had to tend to other responsibilities. Supervisors called several other staff members to see if they could pitch in and help. In every case either no one was home or they had prior engagements. When Lauren got the call, she noticed that she had a few things on her schedule already, but she agreed to come to the hospital. Lauren relieved the staff and was in the Emergency Room with the person until 2:00 in the morning. Positive Approaches can be seen at KenCrest any time, day or night.