Delaware 1 Mosaic Muse

Mosaic Musea publication of Mosaic in Delaware | 261 Chapman Rd., Ste. 201 | Newark, DE 19702-5428 Fall 2013

Kip’s Caring Communityby Rhonda Patrick

Meet Christopher “Kip” Raphael from Mosaic. Mosaic provides a caring community to people with intellectual disabilities, and that includes helping people like Kip to define that community. For Kip, this community includes the members of the Western YMCA in Newark, Delaware.

During Kip’s Essential Lifestyle Planning Meeting this past summer, he expressed interest in learning how to play a

sport. His father noted that he always enjoyed the water. With Kip’s eager agreement, the team decided that swimming would be a great sport for Kip to try.

The Mosaic staff helped him enroll in swimming lessons at the YMCA. Staff noted that Kip enjoyed the lessons and quickly took to the water. The staff enjoyed watching Kip in the pool because they knew he was having a good time while learning a new skill. He smiled and clapped with excitement and was all smiles each time the staff told him it was time to leave the house for the YMCA.

Staff at Mosaic and the YMCA noted that Kip did really well and has shown improved confidence in the water. The staff at Mosaic are happy to see his progress and feel good knowing that not only has Kip gained swimming skills, but that he also gained new friends and expanded his community.

Kip showing off his swimming skills at the YMCA.

Delaware recognizes two Mosaic in Delaware employeesby Chuck Sipe, Executive Director

The Delaware Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (DelARF) recognized two Mosaic Delaware employees on September 12, 2013. Juslyne Fleurantus, direct support supervisor was this year’s winner of the Star Award and Evans Omanga, direct support supervisor received Honorable Mention recognition in this same category.

DelARF defines the Star Award as follows: “This award is intended for a person who is a shining example for others to follow. This person fulfills the demands of his/her work with the highest level of integrity and demonstrates a strong sense of personal commitment to client satisfaction. In striving to reach his/her fullest potential, this person sets a positive example for individuals they support and also for other direct support professionals.”

Direct support professionals from provider agencies throughout Delaware were nominated for awards in four categories and we are proud of Juslyne and Evans for receiving these awards. The awards were given out at the annual DelARF Direct Support Professionals Day event on September 12. The keynote speaker was Lt. Governor Matt Denn and we are pleased that Rita Landgraf, Secretary of Delaware Health and Social Services and Jane Gallivan, Director of Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, were in attendance.

Two additional Mosaic in Delaware employees were nominated for awards. They are Esther Kargbo, direct support associate and Richard Horace, who was nominated posthumously.

There are thousands of direct support professionals working in Delaware so it is quite an honor to be nominated. About 50 Mosaic in Delaware employees attended the luncheon to cheer these wonderful employees on as they received their much deserved awards.

The first visit with the Paws Pet Therapy team was scheduled for June 2013. Deanna and her dog, Annabelle, arrived at the Mosaic home and immediately CB’s face lit up like the sun. CB embraced Annabelle, initially calling her “Shadow Boy”. Annabelle seemed excited too and was licking CB all over her face. The Mosaic staff stared in amazement as CB and Annabelle bonded like two long-lost friends.

The visits have continued, with Annabelle coming to the house once a week. CB feeds Annabelle treats and they snuggle together. They have a great relationship. CB now knows Annabelle’s name and doesn’t call her Shadow Boy anymore. CB is smiling more, especially when Annabelle is around. Annabelle and Deanna

have been a gift to CB. Mosaic in Delaware staff are thankful to the Paws for People program and volunteers, especially Annabelle and Deanna.

For more information about Paws for People, visit www.pawsforpeople.org.

Mosaic Muse 2 Delaware

Mosaic Muse published by Mosaic in Delaware

261 Chapman Rd., Ste. 201 | Newark, DE 19702-5428P 302.456.5995 | F 302.456.5998

www.mosaicindelaware.org

Executive Director chuck.sipe@mosaicinfo.org

Editor angela.mccloskey@mosaicinfo.org

MissionEmbracing God’s call to serve in the world, Mosaic advocates for people with intellectual disabilities and provides opportunities for them to enjoy a full life.

Integrity at MosaicIf you have a concern, call our national Confidential Reporting Hotline at 800.443.4899, or email integrity@mosaicinfo.org.

RelationshipsMosaic is an affiliated social ministry organization of the Evan-gelical Lutheran Church in America and a member of Lutheran Services in America.

Non-discriminationMosaic will not discriminate in matters of employment or service delivery on the basis of race, creed, age, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status or veteran status.

To be added or removed from the mailing list for Mosaic Muse, or to receive information via email, please contact Mosaic at the address given.

©2013 Mosaic. All rights reserved. Mosaic is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

Pet therapy creates a meaningful lifeby Monica Muchene

CB is a 58-year-old woman who has made one of the neighborhood homes of Mosaic in Delaware her home for many years. Recently, staff have seen a change in CB’s attitude and behavior, in particular a decline in her level of happiness.

Before CB came to Mosaic, she had a dog named Shadow Boy, whom she loved and adored. She and Shadow Boy were very close and spent all their time together. Unfortunately, CB’s dog passed away and accepting the loss of her beloved Shadow Boy has been very difficult for CB.

This past year has been particularly troublesome for CB. She was diagnosed with dementia and staff have noticed her issues with memory loss. CB focuses her attention and behaviors on any dog she sees. When CB sees the neighbors walking their dogs, she shouts from the house “that’s my dog, Shadow”. Seeing the neighbors’ dogs has been challenging, because she would get upset when staff would tell her those dogs are not Shadow Boy. Suffering from dementia and deep sadness, she was forced to relive the loss of her pet all over again with each sighting, making for sad days to follow simply after seeing neighborhood dogs. The depression of missing her dog coupled with the dementia caused CB to become withdrawn and confused.

The frequency of these episodes were growing and Mosaic staff knew that something had to be done to help CB smile again. The staff who support CB had a meeting and decided that Paws for People should be consulted as a possible solution.

Annabelle

Parent/Family GroupFamilies Speaking Up is a non-partisan, grassroots

group of concerned families and friends advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Delaware. To join the group or learn more, visit www.familiesspeakingup.com or send the group an email at about@familiesspeakingup.com.

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Taquan volunteering at Sunday Break-fast Mission. He takes a break with Edwin, staff member from the mission.

Cathy showing off her

finished painting during

an art therapy class with

The Feather’s Touch, Inc.Martin enjoying a dance at one

of the neighborhood homes.

Catherine, Jacinta and Sara sharing a hug after a long afternoon of volunteering in the kitchen at Sunday Breakfast Mission.

From left: Mariah, Angi, Juslyne, Paul and Eileen. The Mosaic 5K team at the Lutheran Community Services (LCS) Hunger Run/Walk raised over $100 to support the hunger programs in Delaware.

Mosaic believes that people with intellectual disabilities deserve the same rights as people without disabilities and that includes being able to enjoy the same types of activities and social life as everyone else, at their own choosing. People are given opportunities to decide how they want to spend their time and many choose to keep active. Here are few highlights from the past few months.

OUT ON THE TOWN

The trip started out well with the flight to Missouri. The flight was smooth and was a good flight because there were no delays at the airport, although we had to connect flights.

I enjoyed all the activities that had been planned for the trip especially the performance by the entertainers. They had perfor-mances by [impersonators] Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and other famous actors. We took photos with the actors and got to talk with them after the show. We visited the wax museum and took pictures with statues of famous actors. We also visited the Titanic Exhibition where we took many photos. That was really nice. I got many souvenirs.

The food they offered on the trip was delicious! We ate at different hotels and restaurants. I liked all the foods and places we stopped to eat. Everything was well organized and good.

The only thing that I was afraid of on my trip was the eleva-tors! I was afraid of some of the elevators because I did not want to get stuck on one of them. However, the team was well orga-nized and the counselor made sure I was safe. I want to get his contact information so that I can call him and update him with ideas for other trips. I promised to get his number and stay in touch with him. It was a really good trip.”

Amos gives credit to The Guided Tour, Inc., for provid-ing an organized trip with well trained and caring staff. The staff made all the difference in the experience Robert had this summer. He also noted that when they finished with the story Robert had tears in his eyes, partly tears of happi-ness as he reminisced on his trip of a lifetime and tears of missing his new friends. Amos asked Robert how he was feeling and Robert said, “I miss Ryan and the team.”

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Giving a Voice: My trip to Missouri by Robert Litchford, with Amos Kimani

Robert Litchford is a gentleman who lives in the Grubb Road home and is supported by Mosaic in Delaware. This summer he had a wonderful and very exciting trip and could not stop talking about it when he came home. Amos is a Direct Support Specialist who supports Robert. Amos was overjoyed with Robert’s experience and encouraged him to share his story in our newsletter. Robert has limited vision so Amos agreed to capture the story on paper as Robert told it to him.

“My trip to Missouri was great because of the excellent trip counselor, Ryan, who was my tour guide. He was very helpful to me during the trip. I will miss him and the team that went on this trip.

Robert with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson wax figures.

Robert with Tom Hanks wax figure.

Robert poses with an Elvis impersonator during his trip to Missouri.

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Giving Tuesday set for DecemberWe have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting

deals. Now we have #GivingTuesday™, the giving season’s opening day.

On Tuesday, December 3, 2013, charities, businesses, individuals, and families are coming together to transform the way people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.

Mosaic in Delaware is proud to have joined the efforts as a #GivingTuesday partner!

What we love about it? It’s a simple idea.Find a way for your family, your community, your

company or your organization to join in acts of giving. That’s it! Tell everyone you can about what you are doing and why it matters. Join a national celebration of giving at www.givingtuesday.org or participate by sharing the Mosaic in Delaware story in a unique way through this national movement by following www.facebook.com/mosaicindelaware or www.twitter.com/mosaicinde.

Together we’ll create ways to give more, give better and give smarter.

Thrivent Members can support Mosaic through Choice Dollars

The new Thrivent Choice program makes it easy to support Mosaic with added gifts. If you have received a letter from Thrivent saying you are eligible to give through the program, simply visit www.thrivent.com/choice and follow the instructions or call Thrivent at 1.800.847.4836 to make Mosaic your choice! You can choose from The Mosaic Foundation (that supports all of our programs) or designate a local Mosaic agency such as Mosaic in Delaware. Your gifts will support a life of possibilities for people with intellectual disabilities. Thank you for your support.

Mosaic encourages reporting concerns

Having a complaint is never fun. It generally means that something has gone wrong or at least a little off-kilter, and is not measuring up to the standards of what is meaningfully expected.

Mosaic takes pride in maintaining a consistent high level of quality, yet despite our diligent efforts toward ongoing success, we too at times experience occurrences when we have had to retrace our steps to take a look at an area that requires re-assessment and improvement. Rather than viewing these incidents as negatives, we choose to embrace them as learning opportunities for the purpose of growth.

We realize that filing complaints may be uncomfortable for some, yet we encourage family members, members of the community, and staff to always feel comfortable enough to inform us if there is an area in which we need to improve, despite any reservations of doing so.

Below describes some of the primary reasons one would file a complaint, but not limited to this criteria:

Potential incidents involving abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of people served.

Violation of a law, rule, regulation, or code of conduct.If you would like to file a complaint, please feel free to

contact Mosaic in Delaware’s Executive Director, Chuck Sipe, at 302.565.6285 or contact the Confidential Reporting Program by calling 800.443.4899, emailing integrity@mosaicinfo.org or writing to Mosaic, Attention: Corporate Integrity Office, 4980 S 118 St., Omaha, NE 68137.

Your voice is important to us, as your concerns serve as a vehicle in our efforts to improve upon how we provide quality service to the people we support.

Follow Mosaic in Delaware on Facebook and Twitter!

facebook.com/MosaicinDelaware

twitter.com/MosaicinDe

Mosaic Muse 6 Delaware

Why do we need ephemera?by Chuck Sipe

Mosaic provides a meaningful life in a caring community, giving a voice to those we serve. As example of how we give a voice to the people we serve, we decided to start a small business. A venture that would create a safe and integrated work environment in which people with and without disabilities can work side by side for competitive wages. After many internal discussions, a concept new to Mosaic in Delaware was born.

One of the people we serve, Saretta, had shared with us that her job placement would be ending for the summer, and her wish was to work at the Mosaic office like one of the other people receiving services, because previously, we had hired someone as our morning receptionist. Saretta also mentioned that she liked working with the computer.

We decided to hire Saretta to help us put the new concept into action. We enlisted the aid of a wonderful volunteer named Joyce Mbogo. Together Saretta, Joyce, and a committee of Mosaic office staff met for several brainstorming meetings and discussions, and soon Mosaic Auctions was born!

Mosaic Auctions is an online auction business (we’re currently using ebay as our primary site), through which we put donated items up for bid. Creating a mission focused business to meet the needs and dreams of those we serve, Mosaic Auctions is a work environment in which people

with and without intellectual disabilities work side by side in meaningful jobs that pay competitive wages. The goal of Mosaic Auctions is to generate enough revenue to sustain the business and to hire more individuals with intellectual disabilities over time.

We specialize in selling paper ephemera. Paper ephemera is a category of collectibles that includes all items made primarily of paper and generally not meant to last very long. Some examples are vintage or antique postcards, sheet music, photographs, catalogs, greeting cards, magazines,

movie posters, advertising posters and programs from events, such as the 1939 World’s Fair or the 1912 Indianapolis 500.

We chose to specialize in paper ephemera because it is easy and inexpensive to ship and because there is a known market for this collectible. While we will specialize in paper ephemera we will accept donations and attempt to sell anything that is relatively easy to handle and not too expensive to ship. We have decided that we will generally not handle furniture or used clothing unless there is something particularly special about the items.

Mosaic Auctions went live at the end of August with our first 10 items going up for bid for 10 days. We made our first sales in September and are thrilled to be on our way!

Check out our current listings at www.ebay.com, seller ID: MosaicAuctions.

Saretta is ready to take your Mosaic Auctions donation.

Delaware 7 Mosaic Muse

Sparkle’s SectionWe welcome back Sparklann

Sparrow. Sparkle, as she is known around the office, is Mosaic in Delaware’s administrative assistant, and when she is not assisting people who walk into the office, she is scouring magazines and websites for the latest and greatest tips to share with family and friends. In each edition of the Mosaic Muse, Sparkle shares her research in the areas of parenting, health & beauty, cooking & recipes.

*Please note that Sparkle does not claim to be an expert in any of these topics, just an active mom on the go who is willing to share her research for keeping life sparkling!

Cooking Corner: Sparkle’s Famous Holiday Seafood Pot Pie

Sparkle says, “This is a wonderful comfort food meal to keep you warm during the cold winter months!”

■ ¼ cup butter ■ 1 cup chopped onion ■ 1 cup minced celery ■ 1 cup sliced mushrooms ■ 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour ■ ½ cup of grated parmesan ■ 2 cups of half and half ■ 1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and drained ■ 1 pound fresh bay scallops ■ 1 (8 ounce) container lump crab ■ 3 tablespoons of butter melted ■ Biscuits of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking pan. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, mushrooms and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in Parmesan cheese and half and half, cook 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and add shrimp, scallops and crab. Lay your favorite uncooked biscuits over the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Health & Beauty Tip10 alternative uses for olive oil

1. Shave. Olive oil can provide a closer shave when used in place of shaving cream.

2. Shine stainless steel. Many cleaning standbys, such as ammonia, can dull and even corrode chrome and stainless steel. Olive oil, however, is a safe and effective shining agent.

3. Remove eye makeup. Dab a little under the eyes and rinse off with a washcloth.

4. Prevent wax from sticking to a candle holder. Rub a thin coat on the base of the holder before inserting a candle. Dripped wax should peel away easily.

5. Care for your pet. Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to your cat’s food to help prevent hairballs.

6. Moisturize cuticles. Apply a small amount of olive oil to the nail beds.

7. Treat dry skin. Rub a thin layer over the skin after show-ering or waxing.

8. Unstick a zipper. Using a Q-tip, apply a drop to lubri-cate the teeth. (Avoid touching the fabric.) The zipper should move up and down freely.

9. Dust wooden furniture. Apply a bit of oil to a cloth and wipe.10. Silence squeaky doors. Lubricate hinges by applying a

small dab to a cloth, then wiping the top of the hinges so that the oil runs down the sides.

Source: www.realsimple.com

Parenting TipsProtecting the kids from illness during the winter monthsIt is that time of year to take extra precautions to help

prevent your kids from illness. The following are important things that you can do to help prevent them from getting illnesses like the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as swine flu. The key is good preparation.

1. Keep Vaccinations Up-to-Date - Work with your pedia-trician to track when vaccinations are due.

2. Keep Germs at Bay - Keeping the hands away from the nose and mouth are the most helpful steps in prevention.

3. Practice Good Hand Hygiene - Good hand-washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of colds, the flu, and viruses. Washing your hands after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, handling trash, touching animals, and prior to touching food will help eliminate germs.

4. Help Your Immune System - An unhealthy diet and not enough sleep can also affect the immune system and lower their resistance to illnesses. Drinking water helps prevent dehydration and helps flush out the body. Sleep is crucial to maintaining your child’s health. Sleep is the body’s time to repair and rejuvenate itself.

5. Stay Home if You’re Sick - If your children get sick remember to keep them home until they have been symp-tom-free for 24 hours. It is typical when a child runs a fever that the fever is elevated in the evening and lower in the morning. So if they had a fever (100.4 or higher) prior to going to bed that evening, they should probably stay home the next day from school. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the illness further.

Source: Children’s Hospital of St. Louis/BCG Healthcare (www.stlouischildrens.org)

the survey, giving valuable feedback to our national office. This type of reflection helps us better understand ourselves and will only make us wiser, allowing Mosaic to continue to provide quality services to the people we serve. Thank you Mosaic in Delaware staff!

Welcome new direct support managersWelcome to the newest members of the management

team at Mosaic in Delaware, Dorine Arita, Kevin Wanjohi and Juliet Keshinro. Dorine and Kevin were promoted to direct support managers of the Whitman and Llangollen homes, respectfully. Juliet joined the Mosaic family in August as the manager of the Foulk Road home. Welcome Juliet and congratulations on the promotion, Dorine and Kevin!

Quality Service AwardsBeginning in August, Mosaic in Delaware started a new

program called Monthly Quality Service Awards. Employees can be nominated by a colleague or supervisor whenever they go above and beyond to assist individuals in realizing their hopes and dreams. Nominations are reviewed by a committee and awards are distributed to employees the following month. Awards include a commendation letter from the executive director and the person who nominated them, along with a modest monetary one-time bonus.

The first quality service awards for August were presented to the following employees:

Boniface Rukwaro While watching TV one afternoon with R.S., a person

supported by Mosaic, Boniface noticed that he became very excited about seeing trains on the TV. He asked R.S. if he liked trains and R.S. jumped up and down with excitement. Boniface decided to take R.S. out for his very first train ride and helped him get over his fear of stepping up onto the lift to get onto the train. Boniface helped R.S. express his dream, discover the dream, and overcome a fear in order to reach the reality of that dream!

Mosaic Muse 8 Delaware

Mosaic employees receive national awardDavid Oruko was among 50 professionals, including

four other Mosaic employees who received an award for being an Outstanding Direct Support Professional by the American Network of Community Options & Resources (ANCOR) national organization. David represented the state of Delaware and received the 2013 Direct Support

Professional of the Year Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. this past spring.

David is the direct support manager for one of our neighborhood homes, and has been with Mosaic for approximately 14 years. David’s leadership is seen in the way staff perform and work together. Executive Director Chuck Sipe said, “It is really artful the way David’s

team seamlessly adapts to what is happening in the home at any given moment. There is no drama, regardless of what is happening. David’s team works collaboratively to provide the right amount of support to each individual at the right time … It’s not just a job for him.”

Delaware employees receive recognition from Mosaic national

Some of us have heard or read the phrase, “He who knows others is learned; He who knows himself is wise,” taken from the classic Chinese text, Lao-tzu, Tao te Ching. This past summer at Mosaic, we had the opportunity to reflect on ourselves and share that feedback with our national office. The number of staff at Mosaic in Delaware who participated was outstanding – earning our agency recognition!

Mosaic in Delaware was one of four agencies out of 37 receiving top honors for having the highest rate of employee participation in the recent Employee Engagement Survey. We are proud of our employees who took the time to complete

& Kudos& Kudos

Amos Kimani Bob, an individual supported by Amos, was experiencing

some concern over his planned vacation, due to the need to get up early and travel to the airport. Bob was fully aware of the traffic situation from Delaware to the airport in the morning, and this made him anxious. Amos contacted the travel agent and was able to make arrangements for Bob to stay with the travel guide staff in the hotel at the airport the night before, making Bob feel much more relaxed before his trip. Amos made sure to travel to the airport the next morning to see him off as he left for his vacation, again making Bob feel supported and relaxed before his flight. When Bob returned from his trip, he was full of great stories about his experience. Amos asked him if he wanted to share some of these stories in the Mosaic newsletter and Bob agreed with excitement. Amos assisted Bob with sharing his voice by helping him to write an article which can be found on page four of this newsletter.

Zabele Zaza Zabele implemented a new and specific personalized day

program for J.P. at Mosaic in Delaware. Staff members had observed how much J.P. likes and trusts Zabele, which has made the implementation and transition from traditional day program a smooth process for J.P. This new program was implemented with flexibility and patience by Zabele. He has displayed creativity and efforts to show that he wants to provide the best possible program and services to J.P.

Congratulations to the first months Quality Service Award honoree’s. Please visit www.mosaicindelaware.org each month to read about Quality Service Award recipients and how they are helping to create a life of possibilities for the people of Mosaic in Delaware.

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You are invited to Discover the Possibilities

We would like to offer you the opportunity to attend a free, one-hour event called Discover the Possibilities at Mosaic in Delaware. Those who attend will be given a tour of Mosaic’s mission and work through stories told by the people who know it well, the people we serve, their families and our staff members. Discover the Possibilities will be held several times a month. The tour opens our doors in an attempt to share our mission, vision, and passion for those being served. For tour dates visit www.mosaicindelaware.org. For more information, or to RSVP for one of these upcoming events, please call Angi or Sparkle at 302.456.5995.

Wish ListThe following items are in need for those we serve at

Mosaic in Delaware. Please consider donating new or gently used items to Mosaic by contacting Angi McCloskey, community relations manager, at 302.565.6301 or angela.mccloskey@mosaicinfo.org.

■ Manual wheelchair with seat belt ■ Loveseat (easy to clean fabric) ■ Snow-blower ■ Power lift recliner ■ iPad ■ Wii gaming system and Wii Fit or sports games

Please consider the environment and our budget by having this

newsletter emailed to you. To sign up to receive the newsletter

via email, email your name and email address to our Community

Relations Manager Angi McCloskey at angela.mccloskey@

mosaicinfo.org. Use “Email Newsletter” in the subject line.

Mosaic Muse 10 Delaware

261 Chapman Rd., Ste. 201 Newark, DE 19702-5428

A life of possibilities for people with intellectual disabilities.

Letter from the Executive Director by Chuck Sipe

Dear friends of Mosaic,We have been engaged in a number of exciting initiatives

since our last newsletter. Until recently, we were exclusively a provider of residential services. Our vision is to create and provide services based on the needs of the people we serve and the people who come to us looking for services. With that vision before us, we recently designed a day services program for one of our individuals who was struggling in his traditional day services program, and are hoping to create individualized day service programs whenever the need arises.

We have also been inspired to do whatever we can to help individuals in our service to find or create meaningful work experiences. Over the past 12 months, we have hired two of the people we serve to fill jobs at the office, and we are hoping to hire another person within the next six months. We created a small business, Mosaic Auctions, with the intent to hire those in service to staff the business, and we believe that if we continue to think outside the box, there is no limit to the opportunities we may provide for the people we serve.

We were fortunate enough to end the 2013 fiscal year with a surplus, and since we were not able to do an across-the-board wage increase this year, we decided to give the surplus back to our employees in the form of bonuses.

We are delighted to be able to give a little back to the amazing Mosaic employees who have answered and embraced the call to serve. Some of those employees have distinguished themselves by winning impressive awards that you will read about in this edition of the newsletter.

The Mosaic national office distributed an Employee Engagement Survey to gather useful feedback from the employees. The feedback obtained from this survey will be used to improve the level of employee engagement we have across the agencies. There was a little incentive challenge attached to this survey, and the agencies with the highest percentage of employees completing the survey won an incentive award. I am excited to report that Mosaic in Delaware won! We received an award of $1,000 to be used for employee appreciation or recognition. This is just another example of how this team in Delaware rocks!

There will always be challenges ahead of us – that is life. We are ready for the challenges because, as imperfect as we are as individual human beings, our team is endowed with incredible dedication and talent, and we are guided by God. Given that, I don’t think failure is even possible.