March 2021
Announcing Annual Award Recipients
In a year like no other, when healthcare workers across the country made truly heroic personal sacrifices to contain COVID-19, Ceca Foundation is especially humbled to honor extraordinary health caregivers with our Annual Ceca Awards. Below are details on two recipients of the award.
Melissa Amburn (left) is a Receptionist at Providence Place in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Melissa, also known as "Happy Feet," was recognized for her kindness, positivity, and her bright, engaging demeanor.

Margo Buda (right) is the Clinical Director at Knollwood Life Plan Community in Washington, DC. Margo was honored for her exceptional leadership, initiative, judgment and determination to protect residents during the COVID pandemic.
Over 2,500 caregivers were nominated last year, and these exceptional caregivers were selected out of many deserving caregivers to receive our Annual Award. “Each of these individuals is a shining example of the spirit of caring that takes place in our nation’s healthcare communities every day,” said Ceca’s President, Nate Hamme. “Some caregiver acts have been truly heroic, particularly during this pandemic, but the simple act of connecting with patients, residents, and their families has become even more meaningful during this time. If there was ever a time to show our appreciation to caregivers, it is now.”

Read an interview with Margo, and for more about each recipient, see our press release.
Our Expanding Network
Ceca Foundation is growing to a nationwide footprint with the addition of two new partnerships over the last several months. We are pleased to welcome Baptist Health of Arkansas and Arosa to our list of healthcare partners.
Baptist Health is Arkansas’ largest healthcare organization, with more than 200 points of access that include 11 hospitals, urgent care centers, a senior living community, and specialty care clinics. The partnership expands the Ceca Award to 11,000 new caregivers.
Arosa is a leading provider of senior care management and in-home healthcare, and the first organization of its kind to partner with Ceca, currently operating through locations in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas providing innovative models of care through its 2,000 home healthcare workers. 
Give the New Blog a Read
We are excited to announce the launch of our blog! The new Ceca Foundation blog was created to be a place for us to share inspiring and heartwarming stories, photos and videos from award celebrations, examples of successes from our partners, best practices for employee engagement and retention, musings on current events, and more. Read some of our first few posts, “From Homeless to Making a Happy Home for Seniors” featuring caregiver Patricia Murray, and Ceca President Nate Hamme's, "The Time is Now." Check back over the coming weeks and months for new stories, which we will also include in future issues of the Network News.
Ceca Foundation Named a Moxie Finalist
Ceca Foundation is pleased to have been named a finalist in the 2021 Moxie Award. Organizations are recognized for having demonstrated boldness and innovation as an integral part of their growth strategy. These outstanding organizations not only help make the D.C. metro area a great place to do business, but also an incredible place to live, thrive, and play.

“I want to congratulate our team for enabling us to be recognized among the boldest and most innovative organizations in the D.C. metro community,” said Ceca President Nate Hamme.

Finalists were recently announced by the 2021 Moxie Award chair and winners will be announced at a celebration in October. A complete list of finalists can be found on the 2021 Moxie Award site.
Share a Story
Caregivers have been working tirelessly day and night amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many of them making huge personal sacrifices now more than ever before. At Ceca Foundation, it is our daily mission to highlight and honor these amazing caregivers. We have worked closely with many healthcare communities over the years to regularly recognize and reward caregivers, but there are many more caregivers out there that deserve extra praise.
That is why we are announcing the Share a Story campaign, to recognize exceptional caregiving in healthcare communities around the country. We encourage you to share a personal story about a caregiver--whether a doctor, nurse, housekeeper, dietician, or any other healthcare worker--that made a difference. Please take this opportunity to recognize what a healthcare worker has done for you, a family member or a friend through our Share a Story form.
Think Positively! You can help your brain and reduce stress by thinking compassionately about yourself. By reversing negative thinking, you'll form new pathways in your brain and weaken the old ones.

Source: Mather-Lifeways Institute on Aging
We've Moved!
Ceca Foundation is now housed at 1875 K Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20006
Follow us on social media or visit CecaFoundation.org