The Advocate

A Message from our Executive Director

May peace and plenty bless your world

With a joy that long endures

And may all life’s passing seasons

Bring the best to you and yours

Happy St. Patrick’s day to all! This holiday brings to mind the word “luck.” Some believe that luck is something that is graced upon you, others believe you create your own luck, and still others say there is no such thing as luck. Whether you believe in luck or not, we all can agree that the Harford Center is so lucky. Lucky to have the best staff, lucky to be honored to provide service to its participants, and lucky to have the support of its community. At a time where there is great uncertainty and strife in the world, many of us reflect upon those things in life that we can control and our blessings. It is easy to get wrapped up in all the dysfunctions and societal ills; however, I want to pause for a moment and encourage each and every one of us to take notice of the joys that fill your days. At the Harford Center, we experience joy every day. Our mission is about creating joy! Joy is an attitude that starts with gratitude!

Another way to find joy is through service and advocacy. We welcome visitors to the Harford Center and are always seeking volunteers, donors, and advocates. If you are interested in giving back to your community, consider stopping by to see the many ways you can get involved.

Finally, I wanted to provide an update on COVID and safety. As you know, the Harford Center has put the safety of its participants at the forefront of our decision-making. We continue to wear masks and encourage staff and participants to get vaccinated. We recently acquired almost 500 test kits that we are making available to our participants and staff to prevent exposures. We continue to disinfect daily as this is just good practice. We will be re-visiting our COVID protocols monthly and responding in accordance with the area’s positivity rate.

I wish everyone a joyful, lucky, and blessed month.

Earlton Location Now Licensed for Employment Services!

The Office of Health Care Quality: Developmental Disabilities Unit has approved The Harford Center's license to provide employment services as well as day habilitation at our Earlton location. Special thanks to Dave for working so hard to make this happen!

We're Saying

Goodbye to Terry!

Terry has meant so much to The Harford Center over the years.

Watch Our Goodbye Video Here!

We're also saying goodbye to Pastor Ron! Ron has made a big difference at The Harford Center, and he's been a good friend to us all!

We're Hiring!

We are looking for Direct Support Professionals! DSPs make a real difference in the lives of the people they support. You'll feel good about the work you do here. We offer competitive wages, a great benefits package, paid holidays, PTO, a Monday-Friday daytime schedule, and a generous sign on bonus! Click here to apply on our website or email [email protected] for more information.

Giving Back To The Community

Getting Into

The Spring Spirit!

We're pleased to announce that we will be giving all staff a $50 spot bonus on their next paycheck in order to offset some of the rising costs of gas and groceries. At the end of December, we lost our beloved Board Chair, Anne Cerruto. Her family asked for donations to The Harford Center in lieu of flowers. Anne prioritized the wellbeing of our staff throughout her tenure here, and it is through the generosity of her family and loved ones that we are able to provide this bonus to our staff. We are so grateful for everything Anne did for us, and for the continued support from her family and friends.

Golfers, Sponsors, and Volunteers Needed for our 2nd Annual Golf Tournament!

Golfers: Early Bird Registration (Just $125 per person) ends April 1st!

Sponsors: Please get in touch soon to ensure your logo and information is on signage and in promotional materials.

Please visit our event page to learn more! We'd love to see you there!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Jim Cerruto and

the Cerruto Family

Legislative Updates

Maryland House Bill 226, which would require special education classrooms in public schools to be monitored by video, has passed its third reading and has been referred to the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.
Maryland House Bills 103 and 224, which would grant property tax credits and exemptions to certain disabled veterans, are currently being reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee.
House Bill 78, which would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified employees with disabilities so long as doing so would not pose a financial hardship or give preferential treatment to the candidate with a disability, has passed its third reading and been referred to Judicial Proceedings .
House Bill 221, which would allow people in the Healing Hunting and Fishing Program (primarily disabled veterans) to receive no-cost hunting and fishing licenses, has passed its third reading and been referred to the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.
House Bill 80, which would change the Home and Community Based Services Community Options Waiver Cap, is currently in the House Health and Government Operations Committee.
Senate Bill 93, which would increase the tax credits for employers who hire people with disabilities, has passed the MD State Senate and been referred to the House's Ways and Means Committee.
Senate Bill 235, which would allow a $1,000 personal exemption on Maryland taxes for individuals with permanent physical disability, is being reviewed by the Budget and Taxation Committee.
House Bill 529, which authorizes supported decision making for adults in certain situations, and oftentimes prevents the need for guardianships, is being reviewed by the House Judiciary Committee.
Senate Bill 636, which requires the Health Department to reduce the waitlist for Waiver programs, is being reviewed by the Budget and Taxation Committee.
House Bill 161, which alters the definition of "undue influence" to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable adults, has passed its third reading and been referred to Judicial Proceedings.