OGDENSBURG – This year’s group of Margaret R. Spies Award winners was a unique blend of veteran staff and newcomers who made a positive impact within the first few months of their careers. However, United Helpers Chief Operating Officer Stacey Cannizzo said each of the recipients have one thing in common.

“The people being recognized here today exemplify everything United Helpers stands for,” she said.

This year’s winners included Madison Longamore of Watertown, a med-certified direct support professional at the Pleasant Valley IRA in Norwood, Kelly Woodward of Gouverneur, a direct support professional at the Rensselaer Falls IRA, Kimberly Mattice of Canton, a certified nursing assistant at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care, and Deborah Aldrich of Ogdensburg, a certified nursing assistant who works in the therapy department at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care.

Among this year’s winners was also a new member of the two-time winner club, as Ms. Aldrich also received the Spies Award in 2010. United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons said that while she may not know it, Ms. Aldrich has also been nominated for other honors as well.

“Pretty much every year you’re nominated for something,” Mr. Parsons said, as he addressed Ms. Aldrich prior to presenting her with this year’s award. “You’re like the Meryl Streep of CNAs.”

Mr. Parsons also read an excerpt from United Helpers Director of Rehabilitation Trent Worden, who serves as Ms. Aldrich’s supervisor.

“She has a true passion for her work and is as valuable of an asset to our rehab team as anyone. When she has a well-deserved day off, we notice,” he said. “During the worst of COVID, she stepped up more than anyone to help serve the residents she cares deeply for. We will always be grateful for her dedication and commitment to the residents, and for always being a great co-worker and friend to so many.”

Ms. Mattice, this year’s second winner from Rehabilitation and Senior Care is a newer member of the team, but one Mr. Parsons said made an impact right away.

“Kim came to work at United Helpers in 2021, so she has seen the toughest of times working in a nursing home,” he said. “She was able to work in the capacity of a CNA before officially becoming certified due to waivers issued by the state during the pandemic.”

Once she was able to enroll in the CNA class to officially earn her certification, Mr. Parsons said it wasn’t unusual for her to attend a full day of class either before or after working a shift. “She has since made it through the class, and as is evidenced by this honor, is now one of our finest CNAs,” Mr. Parsons said.

Honorees from the Behavioral Health and Life Skills, who work with people with developmental disabilities, also included a veteran employee and a relatively new hire.

With roughly two years of service, Ms. Longamore, who works as a MDSP at the Pleasant Valley IRA, may not have the veteran status that other nominees had, but according to United Helpers Program Leader Paul Linden, that doesn’t mean she’s not one of the most valuable members of his team.

“Her ability to pick up on things quickly, her professionalism, and her demeanor, make her one of the very best mentors that we can offer any new hire or Med-cert,” he said. “Madison knows our program members as well, if not better, than many of us know our own families. She cares for everyone as if they are members of her own family, and she has quickly become a part of their family and our community. She is a “’favorite’” of many program members, because it is so evident to them how much she truly does care.”

Ms. Woodward’s nomination came from the unique position of someone who was initially trained by her, but also worked as her supervisor.

Alicia Durant, who was working as a Residence Supervisor at the time of Ms. Woodward’s nomination, wrote, “I first met Kelly when I began working as a DSP at Rensselaer Falls. She was one of the first staff members I got to shadow on my first week of work,” she wrote. “Kelly conducts herself professionally when dealing with both residents and co-workers. She’s courteous and helpful, and always greets everyone with a smile.”

Ms. Durant said the dedication shown by Ms. Woodward isn’t something that goes unnoticed. “She truly values and enjoys the time spent with residents. She goes above and beyond for all of us.”

This year marks the 21^st year of the Margaret R. Spies Awards. Since 2001, the award has been presented to employees from both Rehabilitation and Senior Care, as well as Behavioral Health and Life Skills who embody the most desirable qualities in direct care staff: dedication to the people they care for and a willingness to go above and beyond expectations.  Nominations for the honor come from fellow United Helpers employees.

A plaque that lists the names of all the Spies Award recipients hangs at United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care in Canton. The honor is named for Margaret R. Spies, a former resident and retired educator. It is endowed and presented each year by her daughter, Ann.

This year the Society of the United Helpers presented its 21st annual Margaret R. Spies Awards to four employees, two each, from United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care, and from United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills. Recipients included Madison Longamore of Watertown, who works at the Pleasant Valley IRA; Kelly Woodward of Gouverneur, who works at the Rensselaer Falls IRA; Deborah Aldrich of Ogdensburg, who works as a CNA in the therapy department at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care; and Kimberly Mattice of Canton, who also works as a CNA at Rehabilitation and Senior Care. From left, Ms. Woodward, Program Leader Paul Linden, Ms. Longamore, Margaret Spies’ daughter, Ann Spies; Behavioral Health and Life Skills Director of Residential Services Colleen Aldridge, Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons, and Ms. Aldrich; absent from photo, Ms. Mattice. Kimberly Mattice, of Canton, who was unable to attend this year’s Margaret R. Spies Award presentation, was presented her award the following day in a brief ceremony that took place at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care where she works as a CNA. From left, Graduate Nurse Amber Curtis, Ms. Mattice, Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons, and Staff Development Assistant Charlene Dawley.

CANTON – Sitting in the dining room at United Helpers Independent Senior Living, or looking out the windows of an apartment on the back side of the building, one could be treated to amazing views that could include fall foliage, flowers in a raised garden bed, or even deer wandering through the property. However for Community Housing Manager Jennifer Dean, something had always been missing…

That is until now. Thanks to a group of students from the Building & Trades program at St. Lawrence-Lewis’ BOCES Seaway Tech campus in Norwood, program members at United Helpers Independent Senior Living now have a gazebo to call their own.

The gazebo, according to Mrs. Dean, not only give program members a place to sit and enjoy the outdoors, but overall enhances the beauty of the site. 

Jen Dean and Tim Parsons celebrate the ribbon cutting.

“One of the things I’ve wanted to work on since becoming manager was enhancing the landscaping outside, so the beauty of our property outdoors matches the beauty of the building itself,” she said.

United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons said the gazebo was built by students, with United Helpers covering the cost of materials.

“With the amount of labor that goes into building something like this, a gazebo is something that would have been difficult for us to fit into the budget, but thanks to these students and their teachers, the program members now have something to enjoy for many years to come,” he said.

Building and Trades Instructor Lawrence Ashley said eight students from Canton, Massena, Colton-Pierrepont, and Parishville-Hopkinton spent two hours a day working on the project for nearly a month with more than 200 total hours of work going into the final product.

“This was a unique project for us because it is an octagon,” he said. “That means these weren’t your typical 90 degree cuts. Instead we had to do 22.5 degree cuts, which had to be incredibly precise in order for everything to fit together and make 360 degrees.”

Mr. Ashley said the students built the entire gazebo and then cut it in half to transport it to United Helpers for final assembly.

“They showed a degree of professionally beyond what would be expected of students by pre-drilling the wood, so the floor, hand railings, and ceiling would not crack or split,” he said. “The students took great pride in knowing this project would benefit residents of United Helpers.”

Students from the Building and Trades Program at St. Lawrence-Lewis’ Seaway Tech Career Center recently dropped off the gazebo they had built for program members at United Helpers Independent Senior Living. Given the size of the structure, it had to be cut in half and reassembled after being dropped into place. From left, Building and Trades Instructor Lawrence Ashley, Wyatt Colton, of Colton-Pierrepont Central School, Josh Hall, of Massena Central School, Building and Trades Teaching Assistant Michael Rodenhouse, and United Helpers Community Housing Manager Jennifer Dean.

OGDENSBURG – Three high school seniors who are looking to enter the health care field were recently honored by United Helpers with the presentation of our annual Helen S. Randles Scholarships.

The $750 scholarships presented by the Society of the United Helpers, are funded through an endowment created by the late Ms. Randles, who established the scholarship more than 45 years ago.

This year’s winners included students from Madrid, Canton, and Ogdensburg.

Rylee McCallus of Ogdensburg, will be attending SUNY Canton, where she is enrolled in the school’s nursing program. She is one day hoping to become a nurse practitioner working in labor and delivery. She is the daughter of Danielle McCallus.

Kayla Booth of Lisbon, will be attending SUNY Canton and entering the school’s nursing program. Ms. Booth said she is one day hoping to become a specialty nurse, however she has yet to choose a specific field. She is the daughter of Shane Booth and Kelli Brislan.

Both Ms. McCallus and Ms. Booth are current United Helpers employees, who work as Direct Support Professionals.

Angelie Bush of Madrid, will be attending Nazareth University and enrolling in the school’s Occupational Therapy program. She is planning to become an Occupational Therapist. She is the daughter of Brian and Tina Bush.

Society of United Helpers Vice President Patti Wood chaired this year’s scholarship committee and praised the recipients at the presentation, even reading from one of their essays.

“I think this is the first time we’ve done this,” she said before reading an excerpt of Ms. Bush’s essay. “Typically, we will talk a little bit about Ms. Randles, but this year one of our recipients wrote about her in their essay.”

“It is impressive how Ms. Randles served the United Helpers organization for over 45 years as a Board Member, as President of the Society of the United Helpers, and in many other capacities during her tenure with the organization,” Ms. Bush wrote. “If I can achieve just a portion of what she did, I will consider myself successful.”

Ms. Wood said the path to success is one that all three students are already headed down, a point echoed by United Helpers Chief Operating Officer Stacey Cannizzo.

"The people we are honoring here today are the future of United Helpers,” she said.

The Helen S. Randles Scholarship is awarded each year to three students from St. Lawrence County, who are furthering their education and planning to enter the health care field. Ms. Randles’s hope in creating the scholarship endowment was that the recipients would one day return to become United Helpers employees. 

The winners of this year’s Helen S. Randles Scholarships came from Ogdensburg Free Academy, Canton Central School, and Madrid-Waddington Central School. Three $750 scholarships are presented by the Society of the United Helpers each year from funds generated by an endowment created by the late Ms. Randles. Seated, from left, Rylee McCallus from Ogdensburg Free Academy, Angelie Bush from Madrid-Waddington Central School, and Kayla Booth from Canton Central School; second row, from left, Scholarship Committee members Darlene Liscum, Dr. Edward Gordon, Committee Chair Patti Wood, Molly Pressey, and Yvonne Lewandowski.

CANTON - United Helpers Independent Senior Living will hold an open house on Friday, June 24th from 1-3 pm. 

If you or a loved one is thinking about retirement living, you owe it to yourself to call United Helpers Independent Senior Living today to schedule your tour time. Staff will be on hand to provide scheduled tours and free refreshments will be served.

Retirement living means something different to everyone. Whatever your definition, the best place to retire remains the same. 

At United Helpers Independent Senior Living, members enjoy the luxury of a private home while nestled within a safe community. Your freedom is all your own. We’re just here to lend a hand.

For more information, or to schedule a private tour, please call 315-379-1428 or visit United Helpers Independent Senior Living virtually online at www.unitedhelpers.org.