ABC WJLA 7 news in Washington, DC presented a Veteran’s Day special focused on the story of Mary Lawlor and the creation of Ceca Foundation. Co-Founder Matt Lawlor’s mother lived at Knollwood Life Plan Community in her later years and the compassionate care she received and friendships she formed were the nexus behind Ceca’s founding and the development of the Ceca Award. Watch the video to hear the full story and interviews with Matt Lawlor and Knollwood’s Col. Paul Bricker.

Ceca President Nate Hamme was quoted in an article for i Advance Senior Care magazine on his thoughts about what healthcare employers can do to boost staff morale. He honed in on the research behind why recognition and acknowledgement of quality work play such a key role in staff morale, and provided several recommendations for how to incorporate it into staffing and company culture at senior care facilities anywhere.

Oceana County Press covered the newly launched Ceca Award program with Oceana County Medical Care Facility in Hart, Michigan. The partnership was made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation, and in collaboration with the Health Care Association of Michigan. Kory Hansen, Administrator at the facility, was quoted in the article saying, “‘Recognizing caregivers is an important part of our culture and aligns directly with our mission and person-centered care approach… We’re excited to launch the program and start hearing more heartwarming stories of the positive impact our caregivers have on our patients and residents.'”

Do you know someone who works for a hospital, nursing home, long-term care, hospice or homecare organization who has made a big difference in your life or the life of a loved one this year? We want to share your stories of what exceptional care looks like! Ceca will be presenting $2,500 to the selected Ceca Caregiver of the Year Award recipient, and find ways to ensure everyone you recognize—whether a nurse, doctor, housekeeper, security guard, or other healthcare worker—knows the impact they had. Tell us how they went above and beyond to care for you. We’ll announce the recipient in February 2023.

Just in time for the holidays, Ceca Foundation is officially on Amazon Smile’s Charity Lists Program, which means you can select Ceca to be your favorite charity. Every time you shop, AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. If you already have a Smile Account and want to change the designated charity, just go to smile.amazon.com and select Ceca from the list.

And, during year-end giving this holiday season, we'd be delighted if you keep Ceca Foundation in mind and consider making a donation in honor of a loved one or an exceptional caregiver you know!

We’re always thrilled to see our partners having fun with the Ceca Award program and finding new and creative ways to promote it to their staff and residents/patients. In particular, we are moved to see the impact that Lionel Taylor (pictured left) has had in his 2 years at Carroll Manor Nursing Home. He took a Ceca Award program with waning participation and more than doubled engagement by walking around the campus with a cart full of snacks and a laptop to help staff register, raise awareness, and increase recognition. Now the program at Carroll Manor is running flawlessly, and the staff regularly recognize each other and look forward to the upcoming award celebrations.

In collaboration with Ceca Foundation, LifeSpan Network recently recognized five deserving healthcare heroes for their spirit of selflessness at their 2022 Annual Conference and Expo. Watch the amazing stories of the 2022 Hero Award recipients—like Edgard Calegari, a Maintenance Director at Springvale Terrace, who worked tirelessly to make sure the community was running in tip-top shape during the height of the pandemic. LifeSpan worked with Ceca for the second year in a row to recognize everyday people that do extraordinary things, making the world a bit better for all.

Ceca Foundation elected C. Lynn O’Connell to its Board of Directors, effective October 3, 2022. She is an accomplished and visionary executive with over 20 years of success leading social entrepreneurship initiatives and driving nonprofits to the next level of growth and long-term sustainability. She is a seasoned nonprofit leader with extensive experience in administration, fundraising, and program management, making her a wonderful addition to the existing group of talented board members.