Ecumenical Retirement Community Named Employer of the Year by United Cerebral Palsy of Central Pennsylvania

Diana Bixler, Ecumenical’s Dynamic Living Director, accepts the UCP Employer of the Year Award.

Ecumenical Retirement Community is proud to announce that it has been named Employer of the Year by UCP Central Pennsylvania. This honor recognizes Ecumenical’s commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace environment and supporting and empowering UCP participants to grow personally and professionally through steady employment.

“At Ecumenical, every co-worker has the opportunity to contribute their talents and bring their caring hearts to work with the goal of impacting the lives of our residents,” said Denise Ocasio, Ecumenical’s Executive Director. “Our partnership with UCP has enriched our community as we welcome co-workers who are passionate and eager to learn and support the seniors in our community.”

Together, Ecumenical and UCP create ways for individuals with disabilities to enter and thrive in the workforce. Through job coaching, onboarding and training and the collaborative team culture, UCP participants not only further their skills, but they also gain confidence.

Current co-worker and UCP participant, Emily has served on the Dynamic Living team since 2017. She supports the activities planned for residents in all levels of care and has also found success in helping the culinary team—especially serving the residents’ favorite desserts: ice cream and cake! Her manager, Dynamic Living Director, Diana Bixler describes her as a hard-worker who is always looking for ways to help fellow co-workers and residents and leads with positivity—one of the reasons she was recently voted “Most Likely to Be the Life of the Party!” by her peers in our Superlative awards!

Ecumenical was nominated for this award by Chris Hartman, Supervisor of Employment at UCP. Through visiting Emily and shadowing her while at work, Chris commended the ways Emily is supported and the opportunities she has had to learn and grow.

“We appreciate the dedication the entire campus community has displayed over the years, including maintaining the partnership after COVID restrictions limited the employment opportunities for our participants,” described Chris. “Watching Emily thrive has been a joy to witness.”

UCP’s mission is to empower people of diverse abilities to live a meaningful life through innovative support services. When a participant is looking to gain work experience, employment specialists work with the participants to identify skills and character traits that they have or would like to develop. From there, UCP works with partner employers to find the right fit for everyone involved.

Emily got her start in senior living because she values the relationship she has with her own grandparents and thought a job working with and helping seniors would be something she’d be interested in. Whether it is helping run Bingo or arts and crafts activities, and especially distributing the desserts at meal time, Emily loves interacting with everybody.

“I love the people. They always make my day, and I try to do the same for them—make them happy!”

“Our residents are so deserving and it’s a privilege to have caring co-workers like Emily support them,” continued Denise. “This recognition not only celebrates our commitment to providing opportunities, but it is also a testament to our co-workers. We look forward to continuing a partnership with UPC and expanding opportunities for participants interested in working in the senior living.”