High Honors for 2016

Marcheta Townsend Community Partner Award:

Bob Begley, the recipient of the Marcheta Townsend Community Partner Award, received the award on behalf of Martha’s Kitchen and the many volunteers who have brought Martha’s Kitchen from a soup kitchen to a community kitchen. Bob came to Vermont from Lowell, MA and for 10 years served as a nurse in the prison system where he also ended up managing four medical units. Bob has also worked with the Community Justice Centers, first in South Burlington and then here in St. Albans, connecting with victims as well as their offenders. Martha’s Kitchen first opened in 1984, but when Bob arrived two years ago he saw that changes would be required to fulfill the original mission: to improve the quality of life and restore dignity for individuals and families by providing nutritious food and comradery in a safe, warm and caring environment.

After Bob arrived he opened the lines of communication with local support agencies ranging from the Turning Point to the Community Justice Center, Probation and Parole, to NCSS. Just as with NCSS, Martha’s Kitchen struggles with stigma and during his tenure Bob Begley has made tremendous strides in reversing that perception.

NCSS is proud to grant this award to Bob Begley on behalf of Martha’s Kitchen.

 

Partnership in Excellence Award:

The Partnership in Excellence Award is given to an employee that represents the top 1% of the organization. Melissa Machia is one of two recipients of this award for 2016. Upon her hire, Melissa dug into her work at NCSS with a true passion for those we serve. Melissa has shown a dedication to both her personal family and her working team, always in pursuit of the best for those around her. Melissa’s dedication has been proven by her outstanding performance in finding competitive employment for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, resulting in a doubling of DS employment grants funds.

Melissa has also been a key player in increasing percentage of individuals employed from 32% five years ago to 42% last fiscal year.

Melissa presents as quiet and unassuming but when it comes to finding and creating niche jobs for those we serve she is relentless. NCSS is proud to award Melissa with this award.

 

Partnership in Excellence Award:

Tric Rogati also received this high honor this year. Tric is humble and quiet about her own accomplishments, and is always first to identify her co-workers as heroes. She started out an intern on the Family Support Subsidy Team and helped families move toward financial security. She then moved to the Early Childhood Mental Health Team working with families to assure that children had access to mental health supports at an early age. She now works on the Children’s Mobile Crisis Team and has proven indispensable in this role.

For years Tric has done this work and still has the same passion and dedication as when she started. NCSS is lucky to have her and proud to present this award!