JOURNEYS - St. Mary's Home...about shaping the next generation of women to be well-educated and compassionate leaders for their communities,” Geluso said. “Mem-bers of Troop #5067

JOURNEYSNonprofitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDNorfolk, VA

Permit No. 2218

Because it is in the process, as much as the progress, that we measure each journey. Spring 2013

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I N S I D E

2Board President Says

Farewell

2Save The Date To Dedicate

The Albero House

3Guardian Society

Founding MembersCommit To The Future

4Dietary Staff Play RolesIn And Out Of Kitchen

5St. Mary’s Says “Aloha”

To PT Director

6Join Us At The

Auxiliary’s Gala

8Girl Scout

Cookies Sell Out

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A B O U T U SWe provide quality,

specialized care within ahomelike environment forchildren and adults with

severe disabilities, so eachperson can achieve his or

her fullest potential.

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Nancy Wolfe isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. In fact, she relishes it. And she likeshelping kids at St. Mary’s Home get their hands dirty, too.

A clay artist, Wolfe has been teaching some of the children and young adults how tomake bowls and other objects using a potter’s wheel. Kerneos Inc. generously provided the

funds for St. Mary’s to buy the wheel for sensory activities, and we were grateful that Wolfe wanted tovolunteer her time to help the children put it to use.

Wolfe actually has been volunteering at St. Mary’s for about a decade, bringing her dog, Joey, tovisit the children. The Husky-yellow Labrador mix is a therapy dog, and Wolfe became acquaintedwith St. Mary’s when she was invited to bring him to the Home shortly after Joey passed his certifica-tion tests. Joey, who tended to get rowdy, was very animated when they pulled into the parking lot, butwhen they walked through the front door, “he was so gentle, so loving,” Wolfe recalled. “It was a miracle.And I knew that’s what I was supposed to be doing.”

Within a couple years, she quit her job as a paralegal to focus on volunteering full time with Joey,taking him to schools, nursing homes, oncology clinics and St. Mary’s. She also helped the children andyoung adults move in 2005 from the former St. Mary’s building into the current Home.

Early this year, Shirley Justice, St. Mary’s community liaison, emailed Wolfe to reschedule a visitwith Joey. When Wolfe replied, Justice noticed in Wolfe’s email signature that she owns Wobbly

Continued on page 7

Many Hands Make Light Work,Thanks to Volunteers

1

The members of St. Mary’s Girl Scout Troop#5067 have been very busy. Amelia,Alysha, Alexandria, Ashley, Lauren and

Koko (seen here with Robin Geluso, child supportcoordinator) recently set up shop in St. Mary’sfront lobby. Staff, families and other visitors provedpowerless to resist the Scouts’ persuasiveness andthe pull of their Thin Mints and Samoas. TheScouts sold 362 boxes of cookies —their entire stash. The funds raisedwill help pay for Girl Scout member-ship dues, programs and materials,as well as help the troop conductcommunity service projects.

“Girl Scouting is very muchabout shaping the next generation of women to be well-educated andcompassionate leaders for theircommunities,” Geluso said. “Mem-bers of Troop #5067 actively guideour troop by voting on projects towork on and by using technologyand adapted materials to complete

their badge requirements. Our hope is that theirexperience in the Girl Scouts will  teach them howto advocate for themselves and their peers, and topositively affect their home at St. Mary’s and theircommunity. The girls get especially excited aroundcookie time, because they love seeing how eagerpeople are to buy their cookies and how happy thecookies make everyone.”

8

Journeys is published by the nonprofit St. Mary’s Home. Questions or comments?Contact the editor, SonjaBarisic, at (757) 352-2700 [email protected].

Thank you to Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc., our newsletter sponsor.

Please donate today to help children and young adults with severedisabilities live well and get the best care, in a cheerful, homelike

environment. You can make your life-altering gift online at saintmaryshome.org, call (757) 622-2208 or (800) 237-6555, or send

it, with our deep thanks, in the envelope provided with this newsletter. Gifts to St. Mary’s Homeare tax-deductible and help our residents in many ways. For example, supporters like you helpmake it possible for the children to take more than 200 field trips a year.

You also are invited to create your legacy by making a planned gift to St. Mary’s Home andbecoming a founding member of The Guardian Society. Gifts made through estate plans — forexample, leaving St. Mary’s in your will — offer benefits to you and ensure that future generationsof children and young adults will benefit from the excellent care at St. Mary’s Home. For moreinformation, contact Martha Price Stewart, director of development, at (757) 446-6797 [email protected].

YOUR HELP is NEEDED

A publication of St. Mary’s Home.

Take a “Journey” with us online.

If you would prefer to read Journeys in a digital version insteadof receiving a print copy in the mail, pleaseemail Sonja Barisic [email protected] will email you tolet you know when thenext issue is availableonline. Thank you.

Girl Scout Cookie Sale a Sweet Success

Meeting the complex needs of children and adults with disabilities.6171 Kempsville Circle, Norfolk, VA 23502 • (757) 622-2208 • (800) 237-6555 • saintmaryshome.orgSt. Mary’s Home

Haleigh tries her hand atthrowing a pot, with a littlebit of help.

It has been my honor to serve as the president of St. Mary’s Board ofTrustees since 2011. I took over from Rick Knapp, who ably led theEmbrace Capital Campaign. Thanks to Rick’s direction and the gen-

erosity of donors like you, the campaign exceeded the goal to raise $3 millionto build The Albero House. It has been my pleasure to work with CEO BillGiermak and the construction team to ensure a sound and attractive residence for adults,which you will see when we open the doors this year.

During the past two years, St. Mary’s also began formulating a long-term plan that showsgreat promise for extending St. Mary’s professionalism and care to more people with disabili-ties throughout Virginia. Now, I turn over the position of president to Trustee Tom Godfrey,president of Colonna’s Shipyard, who will lead St. Mary’s into this next phase. He will needyour support and encouragement, so thank you for being such good friends of St. Mary’s Home

and for your continued guidance.Of all the organizations I have had the pleasure

to be involved with, St. Mary’s has truly been themost grounding experience I have encountered,while at the same time being the most rewarding.Witnessing the remarkable dedication of the entirestaff and the constant smiles they share with ourchildren will forever be a part of my memory whenreflecting on my time at St. Mary’s.

I look forward to continuing my Board involvementand working with Tom and each of you to provide the very best care possible for those who puttheir trust in us. Thank you.

St. Mary’sBoard of TrusteesVincent A. Napolitano

PresidentThomas Godfrey

Vice PresidentGeorge L. Consolvo

TreasurerNancy Wilcox

SecretaryRichard N. Knapp

Immediate Past PresidentCarl M. AlberoMichael P. CotterMichael E. DuffySharon S. GoodwynH. Gregory KilduffJudi E. LuffmanDonald F. PriceAlvin J. Schexnider, Ph.D.Norma J. TaliaferroClare Davison

Auxiliary President

HONORARY TRUSTEESGeorge CompoJoan Damsey, FACMPESandra R. GordonDaniel J. HurleyFrederick J. Napolitano, Sr.Patricia PerrySuzanne PuryearCynthia Rector-JonesWilliam S. Ripley

St. Mary’s FoundationBoard of TrusteesMichael P. CotterThomas W. Godfrey Jr.H. Gregory KilduffJudi E. LuffmanDonald F. PriceNorma J. TaliaferroJ. Hume Taylor, Jr.

Joseph Toland, M.D., North Shore Pediatrics

Medical Director

Your guidance is critical to the children’s care

From our President Vincent A. Napolitano, Board of Trustees

This spring, the construction crew has been busy putting the final touches on TheAlbero House, a 10,000-square-foot wing at St. Mary’s that will provide 24-hourcare for 12 adults who have severe disabilities. To celebrate the opening of The

Albero House, we’ll hold a dedication on Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. Please join us and see thisbeautiful, state-of-the-art building for yourself. More information will follow closer tothe date. Or, contact Allison Bough, major gifts officer, at (757) 622-2208 ext. 391 [email protected].

Mark Your CalendarsSept. 19 is New Date to Dedicate The Albero House

Mike Duffy, a vice president withMerrill Lynch, became involvedwith St. Mary’s when the Board of

Trustees asked him for advice on managingthe Home’s funds. Soon, they asked him tojoin the Board. A trustee for more than 20years, Duffy is part of a group of business andcivic leaders who embrace a clear vision ofthe mission of St. Mary’s Home.

Duffy and his wife, Sandy, also are com-mitted to St. Mary’s future as founding membersof The Guardian Society, a group of people whohave planned for a future gift to the childrenand young adults of St. Mary’s, whether by will,trust, insurance or life income arrangement.Mike Duffy recently answered a few questionsabout why it was important to him to invest inthe future of St. Mary's.Q. What inspired you to make a plannedgift to St. Mary’s? The children — the ability to bring happiness

to children, and provide them with good experiences. Q. Was the process of making a plannedgift easy? Yes, I picked up the phone and said (to my attorney), ‘This is what I want to do.” It’s sosimple. It’s a phone call. It’s a riskless way tobenefit the children.Q. Why was it important to you to make aplanned gift? To give back, to help those in need, to helpthose who never had a voice. To help those whonever experienced what I experienced in life. 

If you make a planned gift to St. Mary’s bythe end of 2014, you, like Sandy and Mike Duffy,will be recognized as a founding member of TheGuardian Society. Of course, you may prefer tojoin and remain anonymous. For information,contact Martha Price Stewart, director of devel-opment, at [email protected], (757) 446-6797or (800) 237-6555. Thank you. 

32

“”Thank you

for being such good friends of

St. Mary’s Home.

Artist’s rendering of thegreat room at The AlberoHouse.

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ComeLearnWith UsYou are invited to join us for

“Friday Forums at St.Mary’s Home” — free, informa-tive talks by doctors and otherhealthcare professionals fromthe community.

Michelle Burnette, MPH,district epidemiologist with theNorfolk Department of PublicHealth, opened the series onMarch 22 with a discussion ofinfluenza. Jason Gerber, M.D.,developmental and behavioralpediatrician at PortsmouthNaval Medical Center, isscheduled to speak about basicbehavioralprinciples onMay 31, andMarybeth R.Dixon, M.D.,of Woman-Care Centers,PLC., is set to finish the serieson Oct. 25 with a talk about pre-cocious puberty. Each lecture isheld in our Atrium at 1 p.m.

“Friday Forums” continuesin the tradition of the “FifthFridays” lecture series begun in2010. Thank you to our return-ing sponsor for the 2013 lectureseries, Children’s SpecialtyGroup. Each year, thousands ofchildren and adolescents whoseillnesses or injuries require spe-cial care turn to the physiciansof Children’s Specialty Group.

For more details about the“Friday Forums” lecture series,go to saintmaryshome.org,News>Events>Friday Forums.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Guardian Society Founding Members: Sandy and Mike Duffy Commit to the Future

When Rhonda Bailey was finishing her associate’s degree as a physical therapist assistantstudent at Tidewater Community College, she did a clinical rotation at St. Mary’s Home.At the end of those eight weeks, she couldn't imagine never seeing the children again, so

she became a volunteer. Then, Soozi McLain, the director of physical therapy, left temporarily tomove to Hawaii with her husband, who was in the Navy. That meant a shift in the department thatcreated an opening for Bailey to work as a physical therapist assistant.

Nearly 20 years later, McLain has left St. Mary’s again, this time to retire. And that createdanother opportunity for Bailey, who succeeded McLain as director of physical therapy on March 1.

Bailey, who also holds a bachelor’s in health sciences with a minor in management from OldDominion University, is focused on making sure that staff are trained to use proper body me-chanics as they work with the children so both children and staff are comfortable. Bailey alsostill loves working directly with the children herself. Physical therapy treatment may includeactivities and exercises for strengthening, stretching, range of motion, relaxation and endurance.

“Any time I am really stressed and overwhelmed, I go back and work with a child. That’swhy I’m here,” Bailey said. “They give me more than I ever give them. They center me and getme back on track.”

McLain worked at St. Mary’s for about 25 years. She’s known for her dedication to the childrenand for her passion for physical fitness and philanthropy. She participated in many 150-mile bikerides to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research. She also encouraged staff to support causes,from donating platelets at the Red Cross to collecting peanut butter for a food bank and blanketsand other pet supplies for animal shelters. 

To say goodbye, St. Mary’s threw a Hawaiian-themed party for McLain. Staff memberspitched in to present McLain with a swing for her homeand to honor her with a palm tree that will be planted in acourtyard at St. Mary’s. Next to the palm tree will be arock engraved with the words: “Soozi McLain, P.T./Humor Joy Healing/for Everyone She Meets.” As Baileytold McLain during the party: “You have been our rock,and we love you.”

In her retirement message to the staff, McLain saidthat she had wanted “to be able to bring joy, laughter,hope and encouragement to your lives every day. Whenyou like what you do and remain positive, it makes a jobfun, even on the days it becomes challenging.”

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Jurors were just about to deliver their ver-dict in the case of the purloined puddingwhen a cry of “Wait! Wait! I have evi-

dence!” rang through the courtroom.Crystal Anderson, CDM, CFPP, St. Mary’s

food production manager, had something important to show Judge Mercedez, jurors andspectators: a video from the “crime scene” thatshowed the dessert hadn’t been stolen after all.Anderson had accidentally knocked some ontothe floor of the Atrium, then scurried off whensummoned elsewhere.

The mock trial on Jan. 31 was the culmi-nation of a school exercise in which studentswere given a fictionalscenario and practicedthe writing process,from composing a mes-sage about a topic to incorporating reason tosupport an opinion.Anderson was happy tocome out of the kitchento help. She’s alsobrought her culinaryskills to the class-rooms, for example,demonstrating how tosauté fresh vegetables,giving the kids the opportunity to smell,touch and taste.

“It’s fun for me tosee them have fun,” Anderson said. “If peo-ple are enjoying whatI’m doing, that makesme happy.”

Growing up, theDetroit native was moreof a sampler than a cookin her family kitchen.She became a food service specialist in theArmy, which stationed her in Germany for sixyears. She earned an associate’s degree in med-ical assisting and worked for an open-heartsurgery team before pursuing her bachelor’sdegree in culinary arts from Johnson & WalesUniversity. She then cooked at several hospitals,hotels and restaurants. She was the executivechef at Norfolk Naval Station when she heardabout an opening at St. Mary’s and decided toreturn to healthcare. In her nearly six years atSt. Mary’s, Anderson has proven that food

served in a healthcare setting can be deliciousas well as nutritious.

A registered dietitian, Lynn Earle, MPH, RD,oversees the children’s diets. Anderson createsmenus based on the children’s individual needs,making sure to also follow public school dietary guidelines. She supervises nine otherhardworking members of the dietary servicestaff: kitchen lead Grace Peart and Milton Elliott, both also graduates of Johnson &Wales, and Tina Scott, Emmanuel McCloud,Sylvia Bonner, Mary Taylor, Omari Humes, Deshawn Hawkins and Janice Joyce. They prepare and deliver all meals, snacks and

gastrostomy tube feedings, and they make surethat plates, cups and utensils tailored to eachchild’s specific needs are sent out at meal times.

While caring for the children is their pri-mary focus, Anderson and her staff also catermeetings and events at the Home. Andersonlikes to make sure that families, visitors and staffdon’t go hungry; she started a tradition of servingfresh-baked cookies to staff every other Friday.

Read more about how the dietary stafftake care of the children’s needs, at saintmaryshome.org.

– RHONDA BAILEY BECOMES PT DIRECTOR –St. Mary’s Says “Aloha” to Soozi McLain

Beyond CookingDietary staff play many roles at St. Mary’s

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KITCHENCONFIDENTIALSlightly fewer than half of thechildren and young adultswho live at St. Mary’s eat bymouth; others receive theirnutrition via tube feedings.

Did you know that St.Mary’s dietary service staffprepares and serves:• About 41,500 meals per year • About 41,500 snacks per year• 40,000+ beverages per year• 4,000+ gastrostomy tube

feedings per year – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Upcoming EventsAPRIL 27, 2013Auction and gala, pre-sented by the AuxiliaryBoard of St. Mary’s. Westin-Town Center, Vir-ginia Beach. Information:(757) 352-2705– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –MAY 10, 2013Graduation, 10 a.m., St. Mary’s Atrium. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –MAY 31, 2013 “Friday Forums at St. Mary’s Home” lectureon basic behavioral princi-ples, by Jason Gerber, M.D., developmental and behav-ioral pediatrician atPortsmouth Naval MedicalCenter. Sponsored by Chil-dren’s Specialty Group. 1 p.m., St. Mary’s Atrium.Free. Information: (757) 622-2208 ext. 321– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SEPT. 19, 2013Dedication of The AlberoHouse at St. Mary’s Home. 10 a.m. Information: AllisonBough, (757) 622-2208 ext.391 or [email protected] – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –OCT. 5, 2013 Fall Festival at St.Mary’s Home with Milefor Movement. 10 a.m. –2 p.m. Information: MaryHelen Hilton, (757) 446-6793or [email protected].– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –OCT. 25, 2013“Friday Forums at St. Mary’s Home” lectureon precocious puberty, byMarybeth R. Dixon, M.D.,of WomanCare Centers,PLC. Sponsored by Chil-dren’s Specialty Group. 1 p.m., St. Mary’s Atrium.Free. Information: (757) 622-2208 ext. 321– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Crystal Anderson, CDM, CFPP,St. Mary’s food productionmanager, demonstrates how tosauté fresh vegetables.

Rhonda Bailey, left, andSoozi McLain at McLain’sretirement party. For morephotos from the party, seeSt. Mary’s Facebook page,facebook.com/StMarysHome.

Rhonda Bailey, St. Mary’snew physical therapy direc-tor, helps Hanna practicebreathing exercises.

Continued from page 1Wolfe Pottery in Chesapeake. They chatted, and Wolfe ended up teaching Justice the basics of usingthe wheel. Wolfe also now comes to St. Mary’s regularly to help the kids create pieces — some of whichwill be available to be bid on at the St. Mary’s Auxiliary Auction & Gala on April 27 (see page 6 for eventdetails). Wolfe fires the pieces in the kiln at her studio. “She has been very generous with her talent andresources,” Justice said.

On a recent weekday afternoon, Wolfe patiently guided Haleigh’s hands around a lump ofwet clay. Haleigh touchedthe clay tentatively at first,then her eyes widened asshe watched the clay trans-form while turning roundand round.

“Are you smiling,Haleigh bug?” Barbara Graeff-Taylor, a physicaltherapist assistant, asked asshe helped Haleigh lean incloser to the wheel. “Fromphysical therapy’s perspec-tive, it’s significant that herarms are stretching outwards,” Graeff-Taylorexplained. “She’s reachingout to get to the clay. Also,she gets sensory input fromthe clay — the coolness, thesquishiness.”

Plus, Justice added,Haleigh was alert and aware of what she wasdoing. “And that’s why she’ssmiling,” Justice said.“She’s interacting with herenvironment, and that’ssometimes hard to have ourkids do.”

Then it was Whitney’sturn at the wheel. Shestopped fidgeting and wavingher arms about and concen-trated on the clay, giggling asshe flattened it into a disc.As Whitney worked, Joey,

who had been sitting quietly by Wolfe’s side, tried to get in on the act, too, pacing about andsticking his snout close to the clay.

If you’d like to volunteer at St. Mary’s Home, please contact Shirley Justice, our community liaison, at(757) 622-2208 ext. 369 or [email protected]. You can also find out more information about volunteeringand download a volunteer application form at saintmaryshome.org, Donate>Volunteer. Thank you.

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News Families Can Use St. Mary’s has a special email newsletter just for families and

guardians of the children and young adults who live at the Home.If you’re not receiving the newsletter but would like to, please

contact Sonja Barisic, director of marketing communications, [email protected] or (757) 352-2700.

In The News“NORFOLK PERSPECTIVES” week of March 10 CEO William. C. Giermak,Auxiliary Board PresidentClare Davison and ToddCollins, general manager ofauction sponsor CheckeredFlag Volkswagen, discussedthe Auxiliary gala and auc-tion and The Albero House. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –INSIDE BUSINESS week of March 4Jo-Kell raised $8,000 to bedonated to St. Mary’s Home. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –INSIDE BUSINESS week of Feb. 25Auxiliary Board to hold April 27 gala.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –THE SOPC NEWSLETTERFebruary issueThe SACT Officers’ PartnersClub presented a check to St.Mary’s and toured the Home. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –THE VIRGINIAN-PILOTJan. 7Director of DevelopmentMartha Price Stewart dis-cussed reinstatement of theIRA rollover benefit, whichallows people 70 1/2 andolder to donate up to$100,000 from individual retirement accounts tocharities, tax-free. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –THE VIRGINIAN-PILOTDec. 10Photo of Salim, one of our residents, enjoying a concertat St. Mary’s by the HamptonRoads Chamber Players.

For links to these and other mediamentions of St. Mary’s Home, go to saintmaryshome.org,News>News Coverage.

Keep up-to-dateWITH US Subscribe to our periodic

email newsletter at saintmaryshome.org.

For more news, visit:

facebook.com/StMarysHome

twitter.com/StMarysHome

youtube.com/StMarysHome

saintmaryshome.org (go to News>Blog)

@

Nancy Wolfe has been volunteering at St. Mary’sfor more than a decade.

The Auxiliary Board of St. Mary’s Home isproud to host the 8th Annual Gala &Auction, presented by Checkered Flag

Volkswagen, on April 27 at The Westin TownCenter in Virginia Beach.

WVEC-TV reporter Joe Flanagan will beyour host for the evening as you enjoy musicby saxophonist Johnny J., mouthwateringfood, a silent auction and an exciting live auc-tion featuring items such as a one-week stayin a centuries-old village house in Provence,France, with two business-class airline ticketsto Europe included.

The outstanding support of St. Mary’sfriends, families and donors like you has helpedthis fundraiser evolve into a spectacular eventthat has raised funds for medical and therapyequipment, field trips throughout the commu-nity and prom for the Home’s older teens. Pleasemark your calendar and plan to attend an event

that changes lives. For the third year in a row, our friends

at Checkered Flag Volkswagen, with specialthanks to General Manager Todd Collins,have donated a beautiful car for a raffle tobenefit the children and young adults of St. Mary’s Home. When you buy a raffle ticket,you are giving a gift that will have a direct impact on the care of our residents. This year,your ticket is a chance to win a silver 2013VW Passat S. Only 800 tickets will be sold, at$50 apiece. The winning ticket will be drawnduring the gala, but you can buy your ticketonline now, and you don’t need to be presentto win.

To buy your ticket to the gala and/or for theraffle, or to watch a video to learn more aboutthe auction, click on the Events box at the bot-tom of the home page at saintmaryshome.org.Or call (757) 352-2705 for more information.

Join Us at the Auxiliary’sGala and Change Lives

Under the Provencal Sun