Media Contact: Emily Dubyoski
Marketing Manager
440-666-6147 / EmilyD@Blossom-Hill.org
For Immediate Release
COVID-19 Relief Funds Support Blossom Hill’s Supported Living Program
October 1, 2020 – As part of a county-wide effort to ease burdens on its many group homes, Blossom Hill, Inc. received supplemental COVID-19 Relief funding from the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) when the Governor issued the stay-in-place order and the pandemic went into full-swing in March, 2020. Those emergency funds were used for the organization’s Supported Living program that provides training and support to its Homemaker Personal Care (HPC) staff members, typically family members who are trained to take care of their individuals with disabilities in their own homes.
“When the stay-in-place order was put into effect, most of our individuals with disabilities could no longer attend their normal Day Program, which put additional stress – both financial and mental – on the Homemaker Personal Care staff,” said Lisa Kristosik, Chief Executive Officer at Blossom Hill. “That’s where we saw the money being the most impactful, for these families that already had limited resources and were also feeling very isolated.”
“This is a group that often tends to get left out of the conversation and we are grateful for the support of the DODD to provide this type of relief to those who truly need it the most,” said Lynne Urbanski, Chief Operating Officer at Blossom Hill.
In the Greater Cleveland area, there are hundreds of individuals with mental and physical disabilities who need very specialized support with their daily activities. Blossom Hill meets these needs by providing licensed Homemaker Personal Care (HPC) services that include transportation and delegated nursing services.
Homemaker Personal Care staff are trained by Blossom Hill and licensed by the DODD to make sure the individuals receive proper round-the-clock care. Most HPC staff are family members who take care of their loved ones in their shared home. Blossom Hill also employs Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who work with those with disabilities directly from the individual’s home.
About Blossom Hill, Inc.
Founded in 1968, Blossom Hill is a nonprofit organization that that owns and operates family-style group homes for adults with profound intellectual and physical disabilities living in the Greater Cleveland Area. Our homes provide a loving environment and personalized 24-hour care for our individuals, short-term respite care for families that need temporary care for their love ones, and supported living care options. For more information, visit our website at blossom-hill.org.
