Marrakech's Diane Millan Joins Rotary Club of Woodbridge

Marrakech is excited to announce that Diane Millan, Vice President of Risk Management, was inducted into the Rotary Club of Woodbridge this month.

The Rotary Club is a local, as well as international, organization focused on giving back to their community. The Woodbridge Rotary has done clean up programs for parks in the area, provided dictionaries to young children, and hosted a holiday party for residents at Southbury Training School. They have also held food and coat drives. Diane recently participated in the holiday party the Rotary hosted for the local Senior Center.

When Diane was in high school, her family hosted international exchange students. Eventually, she applied to be one and was chosen to spend her junior year living in Mexico. That exchange program was sponsored by Rotary International. Fast forward several years later and an opportunity arose to attend a Rotary meeting when Diane met Anna Dickerson, Secretary for the Rotary Club of Woodbridge, at Marrakech's Health and Wellness Fair this past October.

Diane says, "I decided that Marrakech, as a Woodbridge-based company, would benefit from connections and networking in Rotary. Rotary is not only an organization that gives back locally but the opportunity exists to get involved at a higher level through the districts or on an international level. No matter where I travel, I can call on other Rotarians and create connections for Marrakech and myself through Rotary."

The current Rotary venture that has peaked Diane's interest is to work with a group of high school students in a club called Interact that is supported by Rotary. These students plan and budget for various community service projects of interest to them, such as creating clean water sources for countries or areas where clean water is an issue.

Marrakech is proud of Diane, as well as our many other employees who volunteer their time to give back to the communities in which we live and work. Thank you for your service and dedication!

Diane Millan, pictured with fellow Rotarians (L-R): Bill DeRosa, President of Diversified Employment, Caty Poole, Executive Director of Massaro Farms, and Carol Yingling, Minister/author

MARRAKECH AWARDED THREE-YEAR CARF ACCREDITATION

CARF International announced that Marrakech, Inc. has been granted a three-year accreditation for the following programs:  Community Employment Services – Employment Supports and Job Development, Community Housing, Community Integration, Employment Planning Services, Family Services (Children and Adolescents), Host Family/Shared Living Services, and Supported Living.  CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served.  CARF establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.  For more information, visit www.carf.org.  This latest accreditation is the 8th consecutive Three-Year Accreditation that the international accrediting body, CARF, has awarded to Marrakech, Inc.

The accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards.  An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process.  It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.

In the final report completed by CARF, surveyors stated that a strength of the organization is that “funding and referral sources have high praise for Marrakech, its services, and its staff members”.  The organization is further described as “responsive, effective, creative and flexible and willing to respond to community needs”.  CARF surveyors also congratulated staff members for “going above and beyond to serve the individuals either directly or through collaboration with other community resources”.

For 45 years, Marrakech has been providing person-centered, unique and cost effective supports to children and adults with and without disabilities across Connecticut. Marrakech assists individuals who face barriers to securing employment, connecting to necessary supportive services, accessing safe and affordable housing, and participating fully as contributing members of their communities. To learn more about Marrakech, Inc. visit www.marrakechinc.org.

Marrakech's 15th Annual Gala a Huge Success!

On Saturday, November 14, 2015, Marrakech, Inc.’s 15^th Annual Gala took place at the Grassy Hill Country Club in Orange, CT. This year, the party took on the Great Gatsby as a theme and guests arrived ready for some 1920’s-inspired fun.

The event was our most well-attended gala to date, with over 270 guests present. This was in large part due to the hardworking honorary chairs of Marrakech’s 2015 Gala, Debra and Richard Epstein of L.H. Brenner Inc./Thompson and Peck Insurance, who led a dedicated working committee composed of community members and Marrakech employees responsible for making sure there were interesting auction items, entertaining  music, and enough inspiration to motivate guests to give generously to the organization.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the event is the opportunity to educate guests on the work that Marrakech does in the community. William Boateng, the keynote speaker for the evening, succeeded in doing this simply by telling his own personal story. Boateng lived in various foster homes throughout his childhood. When he first came to Marrakech at age 18, he had difficulty communicating with and trusting staff as well as others, which made managing relationships difficult and hindered his overall independence.  Boateng, now 23 years old, said, “Since coming to Marrakech, I have made so much progress. People tell me I’m a different person and I am.  I am happy and I have positive plans for the future. Tomorrow I will be moving into my very own apartment. If it weren’t for Marrakech, I may have been going to jail.” This was the inspiration the guests needed to help the organization surpass its financial goals for the evening.

For almost 45 years, Marrakech has been providing person-centered, unique and cost effective supports to children and adults with and without disabilities across Connecticut. Marrakech assists individuals who face barriers to securing employment, connecting to necessary supportive services, accessing safe and affordable housing, and participating fully as contributing members of their communities. To learn more about Marrakech, Inc. visit www.marrakechinc.org.

Debra and Richard Epstein of L.H. Brenner Inc./Thompson and Peck Insurance chaired Marrakech’s 15th Annual Gala & Auction

Marrakech President & CEO, Heather LaTorra, poses with Gala keynote speaker, William Boateng, who inspired guests that evening with his personal story of success.

Photo Credit: Larry Brownstein

                                  

MARRAKECH HOSTS ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH HELP FROM MARCUM, LLP

For almost a decade, Marrakech has hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at our Whalley Avenue site in New Haven for the people we support who have no other place to go on the holiday. The event started as a project of retired Marrakech employee, John White. Marrakech’s Director of Employment Services, Patrick Shaw helped out each year and since John’s retirement has taken over as coordinator of the feast.

This year, Marrakech served dinner to over 150 people. This was only possible because of a generous outpouring of community support. One such supporter was the New Haven office of Marcum, LLP. Based on a suggestion by Marcum employee and Marrakech Board member, Ann Arpino, 25 Marcum employees showed up at Marrakech the day before Thanksgiving to help with food prep and set up.  Several Marrakech employees along with their families and friends donated their favorite dishes to the meal and volunteered to help serve on Thanksgiving Day.

To learn more about Marrakech, Inc. visit www.marrakechinc.org. To learn more about Marcum, LLP visit http://www.marcumllp.com/

Marrakech President & CEO, Heather LaTorra with Marrakech employee Victoria Gribko and Marrakech Board member Ann Arpino (right) from Marcum LLP, who recommended Marrakech as a volunteer site.

Marrakech President & Heather (left) is proud to pose with Michele Dubois, chef and manager of Marrakech's Village Cafe, where the Marcum volunteers lunched after their busy morning of volunteering and Marrakech employee Patrick Shaw, who has been spearheading the annual Thanksgiving event for several years, serving more and more people with help and donations from Marrakech employees, board members, neighbors, and volunteers.