Every year the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation celebrates unsung heroes during the annual Excellence in Caregiving Awards. Join us as we spotlight three of our 2018 honorees and toast to their kindness, compassion, and dedication to making a difference every day.
If these stories remind you of someone you know, we want to hear their story.
Make a nomination before time runs out! The deadline to submit is July 31, 2021 at 11:59pm.
Kathleen Kraemer
Nominated by Kimberly Martin
“Kathy is an unsung hero. She cares deeply about persons affected by epilepsy. Her efforts to help the families are beyond those of an ordinary social worker. She has met patients at the pharmacy to pay for medications when they couldn’t afford them. She cleaned a patient’s house to keep them from losing their residence due to unsafe home conditions. She has provided transportation to patients for support group meetings, and was instrumental in starting a free counseling program for families that includes e-counseling for those unable to drive. She fostered a partnership to have helmets donated and arranged for them to be painted by a Women’s Prison to destigmatize the helmet and for the inmate to give back to the community. Her humanitarian qualities and fine moral and ethical character compliment her exceptional ability to make decisions that positively affect our community.”
Cheryl Ann Bayer
Nominated by Judith Laufer
“Cheryl combines the heart of a close friend, the medical savvy of a nurse, and the intuitive respect for her clients of the perfect employee. She brings a natural warmth and humor to her job as a caregiver for the three very different men and women with intellectual disabilities she has supported for the last four years. A thirty-year veteran worker in the field of direct caregiving, Cheryl currently cares for Charlie, who has significant disabilities; and Gabby and Richard, a couple with moderate disabilities who keep her on her toes.”
Lisa M. Lopez
Nominated by Belinda Putska
“For 40 years, Lisa has worked with deaf children at Sunshine Cottage helping them learn listening and spoken language. Currently, she is the director of the Parent Infant Program. In this role she meets every parent whose child has been identified as deaf when they enroll in the Parent Infant Program and provides hope to these families. Over the past 12 years alone, Lisa has provided hope to more than 1,800 families that have walked through the doors at Sunshine Cottage. Rarely do you find an employee who is as dedicated and committed as Lisa, and she has worked enthusiastically in this field for 40 years. Her care and compassion has never waned.”