Happy New Year! 

SMCR is excited to embark on our 5th year of providing inclusive social, recreational and educational opportunities for individuals with developmental differences. We are thankful for all the blessings of the past year. In 2017, we continued to grow membership and participation in our programs, celebrated and raised funds with our 2 ^nd annual successful DragonBoat Festival, and expanded our programs into Calvert County. Additionally, we continued to strengthen our relationships with many wonderful partner organizations and providers as we work together towards the common goal of providing meaningful inclusive experiences for all. In 2018, we will continue to offer more programs and to expand our reach to increase membership and volunteerism.

 

As always, our members are our top priority. We value their voice and we strive to provide experiences that will enrich their lives and the life of the community.. At the end of 2017, we conducted a broad survey to see how we are doing and how we can improve. We are excited to analyze and address the results of the survey. We will keep what works and add and adapt in response to the results. Stay tuned for new programs on the horizon!

 

In 2018 we will also be increasing our social media presence as well as sending a monthly newsletter and event flyers via email. Hopefully, this will help to enhance communication and increase awareness of our activities. We don’t want anyone to miss out on the fun!

 

As always, our goal is to provide inclusive, social,recreational and educational, free or low-cost programs where individuals with developmental differences can contribute their unique gifts and develop their potential. As we build bridges with all members of our community, we celebrate the gifts of each individual and enable all participants to discover that our similarities are always greater than our differences. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2018 to you and yours!

In Gratitude,

Bonnie

On January 20th, SMCR and Helpful Hooves Equine Therapy presented "A Winter Gathering" at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Solomons. Our evening featured the phenomenally talented Southern Maryland Youth Orchestra and Choir.

Everyone enjoyed dinner and refreshments, photo props, engaging music, lively conversation, and dancing.

Thank you to all who participated to make this night a memorable one!

Ashley Collins, one of our amazing volunteers and a student at St. Mary's Ryken High School has organized a special fundraiser for SMCR on February 6th at The Greene Turtle in Prince Frederick. No coupon or flyer is needed. Dine all day from 11:00am until 2:00am and a portion of the sales will be donated to SMCR. Thank you to Ashley and our friends at The Greene Turtle for their generosity! We look foward to seeing you there!

See below to learn more about Ashley in our Volunteer Spotlight!

We have many different types of volunteer roles available, but our greatest area of need is to have volunteers join us in participating in our inclusive programs, socializing, and having fun, right alongside our members.

Please contact Caryn Fossile at 410-610-0375 for more information.

Bruce Dale is Chairman of the SMCR Board of Directors. In his youth, Bruce loved cars and baseball. With the encouragement of his father and brother, Bruce channeled his love of cars and mechanics toward an engineering degree. He attended the University of Maryland and went on to earn a Ph.D from Purdue University. In 2007, Bruce established the Mickey Dale Family Foundation Scholarship in Engineering. In honor of his late wife, this foundation provides a helping hand to engineering students who otherwise might not be able to afford an education.

Bruce lives in Lexington Park with his wife Mary Ann. They have five children and ten grandchildren. Below Bruce tells us a little about himself and his role with SMCR.

What is your role with SMCR?

I try to keep us focused on our mission and what we need to do to grow our program for adults with developmental differences. Mainly this means trying to help Bonnie Elward be as efficient as possible and remove roadblocks that slow her down.

 

What about SMCR’s mission and work really motivates you?

The members have been a joy to meet and get to know. And their caregivers are remarkable people who deserve a special place in heaven. I'm still in the learning stage with SMCR but it's been a joyous ride so far.

  

Name one of your favorite books or movies and explain why it’s a favorite.

Anything by CS Lewis or Timothy Keller. They have such remarkable insight in to what Christianity means on an everyday level.

 

If you were to tell one person "Thank You" for helping me become the person I am today, who would it be and what did they do?

I was blessed with wonderful parents but my father, in particular, always had higher expectations for me than I had for myself. I would have taken the easy roads if it had not been for my fathers guidance and persistence. He put me and helped keep me on a course where my life has become very fulfilling. He believed strongly in the value of education, integrity, and hard work.