HEADLINES

The Humanim in Action Awards Ceremony at Our Second Do-Bester’s Fest 

The Humanim family gathered at Kurtz’s Beach for a memorable event: the second Do-Bester’s Fest. This staff cookout brought together employees, their families, and friends for a day of incredible weather, celebration, and precious memories.  

During the festivities, we proudly announced the winners of our newest employee award program, the Humanim in Action Awards. These awards honor the legacy of our esteemed former board chairs and recognize employees who embody our core values, demonstrate excellence in service provision, and exhibit unwavering commitment to those we serve. The awards include the David Eberhardt Humanity Award, the Chris Eddings Impact Award, and the Kevin Frank Workforce Development Award. 

Check out the winners and their commitment to Humanim’s mission on our blog or video recap!

Leadership Maryland Visits Humanim

We were honored to host Leadership Maryland, a very successful statewide leadership program, at the Brewery for an insightful and inspiring event. This visit was part of the Central Maryland Health & Human Services Tour, and we are proud that Humanim was one of the tour’s featured stops. The visit included a panel discussion about our Youth Transition Services and the efforts Humanim is making to ensure workplace readiness for youth with developmental and learning disabilities. 

Get the full scoop on our blog or check out our video recap on Instagram. 

Michaela’s Path to Employment 

Meet Michaela, a participant in our Developmental Disabilities program. Michaela has a vivid imagination and a big desire to work.

Despite experiencing setbacks due to the Covid pandemic, Michaela’s eagerness to secure employment never waned. Guided by the dedicated Humanim team, she honed her interview skills, polished her attire, and rehearsed responses to potential questions. “Mr. Jeff helped me with job interview skills, how to dress appropriately for an interview, and practicing with interview questions,” Michaela fondly recalls. 

When a job opportunity arose at Oasis, a local company specializing in crafting dehumidifiers for guitars, the Humanim team immediately saw a perfect fit for Michaela. “The job was a perfect match for what Michaela was looking for,” says Maureen Howley, Manager of Humanim’s Developmental Disabilities Employment Services. 

Learn more about Michaela and her new job here! 

Discover iScan: Pioneering Technology and Empowering Communities

iScan, our first social enterprise, offers quality scanning, shredding, box storage, and DocuWare cloud storage services. Established in 1983 to pioneer technology and employ community members with intellectual and other disabilities, iScan has grown to make a direct social impact, creating local jobs and supporting our communities.  

Need a cloud solution for document storage, workflow automation, and seamless integration with other applications? Try DocuWare with iScan! Even tedious tasks like accounts payable are made easy. Check out our tutorial on processing invoices with and without a purchase order here. 

Announcing Humanim’s New Board Member: Shelly Tumbach 

We are excited to welcome Shelly as the newest member of Humanim’s Board of Directors. 

Shelly has spent the past fourteen years at COPT Defense Properties, currently leading the Operations Accounting team. She restructured the department to support internal growth and development, implemented new systems, and led cross-functional process improvement and training initiatives. Additionally, she has worked closely with Executive and Senior Leadership, gaining support for company initiatives and providing financial and leasing statistical information to help support business decisions. 

Shelly has 30 years of experience as an accounting and financial leader for publicly traded real estate companies. Her passion is to enhance the value of accounting and financial functions to business partners by developing best in class teams that optimize processes, embrace innovative technology, and ensure strong systems of internal control. Prior to coming to COPT Defense Properties, she was the VP of Division Finance for Richmond American Homes’ Maryland and Delaware Valley divisions and prior to that spent over 10 years at The Rouse Company/GGP as the Director, Community Development Accounting. Shelly graduated with a BBA in Accounting from University of Baltimore and her MBA from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. 

Shelly is a caring and committed leader who focuses on achieving goals in support of her team and customers. Her dedication to excellence will contribute to our mission of breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities and socio-economic challenges. 

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

NEWS & EVENTS

HUMAN IMPACT

Breaking Barriers: Donovan’s Path from WBLE to the University of Maryland 

Meet Donovan, not only an alum of our Work-Based Learning Experience (WBLE) program, but a fabulous member of our City Seeds Kitchen serving the Maryland Freestate ChalleNGe Academy at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Donovan is the first participant of our program to be accepted into the University of Maryland, College Park! Through UMD's TerpsEXCEED program, Donovan will participate in the college experience for two years, ultimately earning a certificate beginning this fall. Donovan is particularly excited about attending UMD for the chance to attend their basketball games, as he himself was a star player for his high school team, Joppatowne High School. 

Donovan joined our WBLE program in 2022 when he discovered it through one of his special educators. From the start, Donovan was determined to make the most of this opportunity. He credits Ms. Tasha and Humanim’s Youth Transition Services staff for guiding him every step of the way as he navigated through the program to find the right internship. 

Through the program, Donovan gained practical skills that he can easily apply in any future career. He also learned to work effectively in groups, operate independently, and thrive in fast-paced environments. Donovan’s grandmother describes him as “self-motivated” and “never afraid to do things on his own,” two traits that naturally prepare him for any professional challenges he may face. 

Check out how Donovan found his calling at our City Seeds kitchen here. 

Applauding Kevin's Commitment and Success  

 We extend our deepest congratulations to Kevin for winning the Maryland Association of Community Services Achievement Award! Kevin is a long-time member of Humanim, with roots in our Students to Employment Program. Kevin currently works with our employment services for adults with developmental disabilities and has made groundbreaking achievements on his journey to independence and success. 

After graduating from CVS' internship program, Kevin was immediately hired to work at one of their Baltimore area stores. His excellence in his role quickly earned him numerous awards for superior customer service and teamwork within his first year. Kevin's exceptional performance set a high standard, showcasing his ability to thrive in a professional environment. 

When the pandemic struck, Kevin made the difficult decision to take some time off, prioritizing his health and well-being. Upon his return, he encountered a drastically changed working environment. The store was severely understaffed, and the manager with whom Kevin had built a close working relationship had been transferred. Despite these challenges, Kevin remained dedicated to his role at CVS. After almost a year of working in a post-COVID environment, Kevin took a break to regroup. 

See how Kevin got his career back on track by reading the full story here! 

Help us continue to build pathways to economic opportunity, equity, and independence for our community members by making a donation today.

Thank you for your continued support.