Employee Recognition Dinner 2011

People, Incorporated honored employees for dedicated service and accomplishments Thursday, December 1, 2011 at its Annual Employee Recognition dinner, which took place at The Venus de Milo Restaurant in Swansea, MA. Over 300 employees, guests, and members of the Agency’s Board of Directors were in attendance to celebrate and recognize the extraordinary work being done by employees of People, Incorporated.

Rick Gauvin, Chairman of the Board of Directors at People, Incorporated began the evening’s events by stating, “It’s RARE to be a part of a non-profit agency, or any organization for that matter, that seems not to be satisfied or limited by last year’s accomplishments and successes. It is RARE to find oneself a part of a Board of Directors who work tirelessly and seamlessly together with a distinct and clear mission. It is RARE to experience the level of partnership, collaboration and trust between the Board of Directors and Executive Management Team. And, it is very RARE to discover such “fierce” loyalty to People, Incorporated, its consumers and one another as shown in both deed and words by the team of employees at People, Incorporated.

Following Mr. Gauvin at the podium, Robert Canuel, President and CEO of People, Incorporated continued, “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to these outstanding employees on their service, dedication and commitment to the Agency and our community. Through their hard work and years of service, this Agency has continued to grow and has provided adults, children and families in the southcoast region the highest quality care and services to people of all abilities. I am honored to recognize each and every one of them for their excellence and exceptional performance day in and day out.”

Bill Perkins, COO of People, Incorporated, led the recognition portion of the evening’s program. “I am honored to once again be recognizing employees who have committed a significant portion of their professional careers to the children, adults, and families supported by People, Incorporated. Staff retention is a key element in the Agency’s success and People, Incorporated’s ability to retain and reward our employees is a fundamental and essential ingredient of our Agency.”

Employees were recognized for their years of service ranging from 5 to 25 years. In addition, Divisional and overall “Employee of the Year” awards were announced as well as the recipient of the Agency’s Mildred F. Midura Scholarship Fund. A native of Fall River, MA, and a long-time employee of People, Incorporated, Mildred devoted her life to enriching the lives of children and their families throughout the Fall River Community. Upon her passing three years ago, The Mildred F. Midura Scholarship was been established in her memory. This year’s recipient was awarded to Kim Ferreira, who is pursing her degree in nursing.

The 2011 Day Service Employee of the Year went to Theresa Haskel who has been with the Agency for four years and is an integral part of the Day Habilitation program at our Riggenbach Road facility.

The 2011 Children’s Divisional Employee of the Year went to Lisa Cordeiro who began her career with People, Incorporated as an assistant teacher in our Young Parents’ Learning Center in 2006 and currently holds the position of Lead Toddler Teacher.

The 2011 Family Advocacy and Community Education (FACE) Divisional Employee of the Year was awarded to Jason Medeiros who is the Lead Family Support Advocate for the FACE Center. Jason is involved in multiple areas of the Center and leads our integrated Cub Scout troop each week.

The 2011 Residential Services Divisional Employee of the Year was awarded to Patrick Perrotta. Pat was identified for this award because of his tremendous capacity to accept and excel in many new and sometimes difficult challenges presented to him within the Residential program.

The overall Agency Employee of the Year was awarded to Maria Medeiros, Program Support Coordinator. Maria began her career at People, Incorporated in 1996 and has steadily risen through the ranks of the Agency. Maria routinely works among every division within the Agency, serves as a First Aid/CPR Trainer, a NVMAB Trainer, and serves on a number of committees and sub-committee within the Agency. Maria exemplifies the best that we are and provides consistent leadership in her role at People, Incorporated.

People, Incorporated’s five-year employees were also recognized for their years’ of service. They include, William Berard, Denise Bernardo, Nancy Cabral, Elizabeth Chew, Lisa Cordeiro, Suzanne Courchaine, Sandra Curt, Nancy DeBarros, Gabriel DeOliveira, Debra Donle, Jenna Facchiano, Suzanne Ferreira, Robin Fournier, Linda Franco, Juliana Goncalves, Karen Harris, Chanserey Hem, Rosa Jacob, Shelly Leitao, Kelli Little, Anne-Marie Maillet, Diana Pacheco, Karl Papoula, Amy Paulhus, Kellie Perkins, Albert Ragonesi, Cheryl Robert, Joyce Rogala, Karen Sigman, Lychheng Tea, Pauline Wright, and Jack Yates

Employees being recognized for 10 years of service include: Rachel Boutin-Zackaseski, Linda Cordeiro, David Cordeiro, Jr., Kristen Cornman, Maritza Irizarry, Renee Petrin, Louisa Rego, Lynn A.Silva, Corinne Silvia and Carolina Swiader.

Our 20-year employees who received awards included: Linda Bouchard, Deborah Leduc, and Jacqueline Robinson.

And finally, we were proud to recognize our COO, Bill Perkins and Luana Souza, our two employees with over 25 years of service to our Agency.

The Jack Rua Invitational 2011

The Jack Rua Invitational was held on August 16, 2011 at the Crestwood Country Club in Rehoboth, MA and was a great success. This event marked our second year at the beautifully scenic Crestwood Country Club and it also was the second year that this event benefited both the Diabetes Association, Inc., a program of People, Incorporated, and the Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce. Over 110 golfers enjoyed a beautiful day of golf, delicious food, amazing prizes and perfect weather.

"We are incredibly grateful to all of the businesses, organizations, community members, participants and volunteers who have supported The Jack Rua Invitational this year and in the past," said Jeff Marques, Chairman of the Event. "Their support helps us sustain the programs and services we provide in our communities."

Sincere thanks to our Lead Sponsor, Mechanics Cooperative Bank for their continued support of our mission. A special thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, Citizens-Union Savings Bank; our Gold Sponsors, Rua-Dumont-Audet Insurance; our Silver Sponsor, Bristol Pacific Homes; and our Bronze Sponsors, K.P. Manning Auto Parts, Inc., and M.R. Durocher Construction.

This year's Tee Sponsors included: ABC Floor Covering, Auclairs Market, BankFive, Brad's Auto Center, Dominos Pizza, Higgs Painting, J.D. Byrider Auto Sales, Jillian's Sports Pub and Grill, John T. Lally, Karam Financial Group, Kiewit Construction Company, Law Office of Jane E. Sullivan, Esq., Mallard POPS Printing, Martelly Construction, Paquin Insurance Agency, Quality Inn, Ralco Electric, Inc., Read Insurance & Financial Services, Roland Tire Service, Safety Insurance, Southpointe Rehabilitation & Skilled Care Center, Tech Service Center, Inc., Twiggs Automotive Service, and the Venus de Milo.

Thank you everyone-See you on the links next year!

Walking the Distance for Diabetes was a huge success!

The Diabetes Association, a program of People, Incorporated, hosted their “Walking the Distance for Diabetes” walk on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Heritage State Park.

The weather was not a deterrent to the more than 250 walkers that came out to support us on a rainy Saturday morning. Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan was the event’s Title sponsor and many local businesses, organizations and supporters participated in this event by becoming sponsors and by also forming teams of walkers. Fernando Garcia, of Fall River Ford and our event Chairperson, kicked off the walk by graciously thanking everyone for attending and for giving back to community by supporting Walking the Distance for Diabetes. “The prevalence of Diabetes in Fall River is at epic proportions. Many of you here today have been affected personally either with this disease or by a family member or friend who has diabetes. I am truly blessed to be not only the chairman for Walking the Distance for Diabetes, but to be part of an organization that understands the need for resources and education regarding diabetes within our community”, stated Garcia. “This walk, which ensures that all proceeds go directly to support the Jack Rua Camp for Children with Diabetes, is a perfect example of that type of resource and education that the Diabetes Association provides to The Greater Fall River community”, said Garcia.

The Jack Rua Camp for Children with Diabetes is a friendly place where kids with diabetes, ages 5-14, their siblings and friends benefit from hands-on learning experiences in diabetes management and support within a fun and welcoming environment. Camp Jack runs for six weeks during the months of July and August and is held at the beautiful Camp Buxton in Rehoboth, MA. The program's small enrollment and staff-to-camper ratio ensures a quality camp program in which the campers receive plenty of supervision from exceptional role models, take part in a variety of camp experiences, and learn something new every day. Camp Jack has Registered Nurses on site with a local pediatrician as the Camp Health Care Consultant. All staff are trained by a Certified Diabetes Educator and are also certified in CPR and First Aid. Camp Jack is accredited by the American Camp Association and is a member of the Diabetes Education and Camping Association.

People, Incorporated is incredible grateful to everyone who supported Walking the Distance for Diabetes. Special thanks to our Title sponsor, Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, our Gold Sponsor, Fall River Ford, our Silver sponsor, Citizens-Union Savings Bank, and our Bronze Sponsors, Atlantic Home Medical Supply, BankFive, and Fall River Municipal Credit Union. We would also like to acknowledge and respectfully thank the Rua family for their incredible support of Camp Jack!

For more information about Camp Jack or any of the other programs of People, Incorporated, please contact Pamela O’Neill at 508-679-5233 x11 or via email a poneill@peopleinc-fr.org.

8th Annual Wine Tasting Event

People, Incorporated welcomed over 500 supporters and friends who gathered at the Fall River Cultural Center on Thursday, May 12, 2011 for their 8th annual Wine Tasting Event. At 5:30 p.m., the doors opened for our guests to mix, mingle, and enjoy fine wines and cordials and to taste some of the most delicious hors d’oeuvres provided by our generous, local restaurants. This event was sponsored by our Diamond Sponsor, Citizens Union Savings Bank, and this year, we greatly exceeded expectations and goals!

Particular thanks goes out to our Platinum Sponsor, Rua-Dumont-Audet Insurance Agency, Inc., and our Silver Sponsors, Apollo Safety, Cardi’s Furniture, deViller’s Pharmacy, H.T. Berry Co., Inc., M. R. Durocher Construction, Mechanics Cooperative Bank, Read Insurance and Financial Services, LTD, and Standard Pharmacy. Thanks to our Bronze Sponsors, which include: ABC Floor Company, Almeida & Associates, Altus Dental Insurance Company, Inc., BankFive, Bristol Pacific Homes, Inc., Business Furniture Outlet, Robert and Susan Canuel, Century 21 Associates Realty, Inc., Coastal Orthopaedics, Dominion Energy, Fiore Toyota, Richard Gauvin, GM Refrigeration, Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co., Ltd., Law Office of Gary P. Howayeck, P.C., Law Office of Jane E. Sullivan, Mallard & POPS Printing, MITC, Munro Electric, Nate Lion’s Warehouse, New England Office Supply, William Starck Architects, Patrick Sullivan and Quality Van Sales, Inc.

One of the highlights of the evening was the announcements of our six grand raffle prize winners. Our guests participated in six grand raffles which included such prize categories as the New England Sports Enthusiast Tickets, Gorgeous Getaways, The Home Improvement Spectacular, The New England Golf Tour, Fine Dining, and The Entertainment Package. Each raffle package was valued at a minimum of $1,000. Robert Canuel, President and CEO of People, Incorporated stated, “This event has become our premiere fundraising event for the organization and over the years, the generous donations we have received from our supporters has helped us to accomplish a great deal that we might not otherwise would have been able to. I continue to be impressed with the outpouring of support from all of those involved which contributed to a truly successful evening.” Mr. Canuel acknowledged the tremendous efforts of the Wine Tasting Event Committee members, chaired by Jeff Marques of Mallard & POPS Printing, which included, Mark Duval, Kevin Furtado, Attorney Gary Howayeck, Robin Jones, Linda Moniz and Pamela O’Neill.

A very Special thanks to People’s Liquor Warehouse for supporting our event, and to our spectacular dining establishments for providing the food. We could not have been as successful without the contributions from Blount Fine Foods, Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, Entourage Sports Bar and Nightclub, The Fall River Cultural Center, LePage’s Seafood & Grille, Quequechan Club, Sagres Restaurant, Starbucks Coffee Company, The Silver Stone Catering, Trio Cafe & Lounge, and Venus de Milo Restaurant.

People, Incorporated would also like to thank the following who generously donated to the Grand Raffle Packages: 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille, Alberto’s Ristorante, Allendale Country Club, Capriccio, Cardi’s, CF Landscaping, Charles Norton Citizens-Union Savings Bank, Crestwood Country Club, Fernando Garcia, Fall River Ford, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Highland Country Club, Horner Millwork, Luciano’s, Mallard & POPS Printing, Montaup Country Club, New England Revolution, Old Canteen Restaurant, Richard Gauvin, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Spa Nōōr, Swansea Country Club, The Boat House Restaurant, The Candleworks Restaurant, The Capital Grille, The Narrows Center for the Arts and Trio Cafe & Lounge.