Bello Machre is a proud recipient of a $13,000 Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County Ladders to Success Grant for its 2013 Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Skilled Nursing Training Program. “The grant funding is extremely important to Bello Machre and its employees,” states Dr. Robert T. Ireland, President and CEO. “We are extremely grateful to the Community Foundation and its Board for this very generous gift in support of our CNA Program.”
Jan Hoffberger, Program Director of the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, comments, “Every day, the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County sees examples of the good work being done by many non-profits throughout our community, including Bello Machre. Our Ladders to SUCCESS grant program is an opportunity for us, hand-in-hand with our donors, to support this great work and have a real and positive impact on individuals throughout our County.”
The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC), established in 1998, is one of the largest funders of non-profit organizations in the county, has assets over $3 million, 60 diverse funds, and makes annual grants of $800,000+. The Community Foundation is building a caring community of donors committed to working together to make meaningful, lasting and positive change in our community. They are also making investments in local non-profits through grant making and providing leadership on vital issues. The CFAAC’s mission is to connect people who care to contribute to causes that matter in our community and enable all people with charitable interests to support the issues they care about in our community, easily and effectively.
The CFAAC through its grant program, Ladders to SUCCESS, invests in local non-profit organizations that provide opportunities for low wealth or vulnerable Anne Arundel County residents to live healthy, vibrant, and successful lives. The Ladders program focuses on broad areas – Youth Development and Economic Opportunity.
The Bello Machre CNA Program is only one of two programs in the State of Maryland and the only program of its kind in the Developmental Disabilities Administration’s Central Region. The program is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing and the Developmental Disabilities Administration.
The course includes 110 hours of training – 66 hours of lecture and lab practice, 42 hours of clinical experience, and two hours of testing. Bello Machre pays the CNA tuition for each employee attending as well as compensates them for the hours in the training. The CNA Program enhances job opportunities and flexibility for Bello Machre employees as well as the possibility of promotion into a higher paying position. Tracy Lynott, Development Director for Bello Machre, comments, “This generous grant helps us by investing in our employees who work in our homes giving them the necessary tools for success both professionally and personally.”
Bello Machre, founded in 1972, means Home of My Heart in Gaelic. It is a non-profit organization in Anne Arundel Country, Maryland that provides homes and support to children, teens, adults, and seniors with developmental disabilities. Its mission is to enrich the lives of those served through loving care, guidance, and opportunity so that they can live life to its fullest. Many of the people served live in its 53 community homes located throughout Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Bello Machre also provides help and support to hundreds of children and adults in their own homes. The Ray of Hope Program offers assistance with expenses such as specialized summer camp, physical therapy, and adaptive equipment. Trained and caring staff also provides residential respite care during family hospitalizations, emergencies, and vacations – 24-hours a day – seven days a week. Bello Machre is there to help with whatever is needed, empowering people with developmental disabilities to live life to its fullest.
