Jennifer Collins
Heartly House
Jennifer (Jenn) truly touches lives every day in her work as a Child Sex Trafficking Regional Navigator. For the past two years, she has worked tirelessly to support some of Frederick County’s most vulnerable youth by providing emotional support, safety planning, case management, and much more. Jenn says, “In my position, I work with youth up to age 24 by providing case management, referring them for therapy and other services, and making sure their critical needs are met. I interface with various community organizations, including law enforcement, behavioral health providers, Department of Social Services/Child Protective Services, the Child Advocacy Center, the court system, and FCPS.”
Her greatest accomplishment has been using her networking skills to take advantage of all the supports that are available for the youth that depend on her. Collaboration and systems navigation have been a hallmark of her tenure, especially in her role as Co-chair of the Human Trafficking Response Team for Frederick County. When asked what the biggest surprise has been for her in her work, Jenn appreciates that Heartly House embraces the trauma informed model in every aspect of staffing and its activities, which is a best practice and very progressive. She has always wanted to work in this field and has a passion for making sure that youth with significant trauma do not have to walk alone on their journey toward healing and well-being. “I like to think about passion as compassion,” stated Jenn. “When you allow your passion to become your purpose, then it becomes your profession. I love the quote stating ‘Never stop doing little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.’”
Thank you, Jenn, for turning your passion into compassion and for continuing to do those little things that Touch Lives in a myriad of ways for our local youth.
The mission of Heartly House is to end domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse, and to provide victims with safety, shelter, and supportive services.
Sarah Cosgrove
Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley, Inc.
Sarah, Manager of Mission Services, began her tenure with Goodwill in early 2022 and has patiently guided job seekers and students through skills workshops and other pathways to employment. Sarah says “I love working with people and, in my work, I enjoy connecting those who are unemployed and underemployed with sustainable living jobs so that they can positively impact their lives and the lives of their family members. Empowering individuals to gain skills that will ultimately mean a better life is fulfilling and rewarding.” Goodwill locally has managed quite a bit of change during the past year: moving to a new facility, launching new programs, new partnerships, helping the community understand the mission, and expanding direct services that build a stronger workforce. “This has been an exciting time to be a part of the Goodwill team,” says Sarah. “I have especially enjoyed helping the people we serve connect the dots for how our workplace behaviors affect our employment potential and how they reflect on our job performance and our relationships with colleagues.”
Sarah wanted to become a teacher, but became hesitant about this career choice when she realized that she needed to have all the answers for her students. Social work was a more natural fit as she helps people find the skills and their inner talents to be the best they can be. “I find it incredibly inspirational to work with people. People can overcome so much on their journey to full employment and it is a privilege to be a bystander and watch their individual positive change and personal growth.” As a native Frederick Countian, Sarah is touched to be able to live and work in her home community. Her personal motto of “In all things, be kind” serves her well and is one of the reasons that Sarah is a 2023 Touching Lives honoree.
“Sarah’s warm disposition and caring nature fuels the Goodwill Mission Team. Sarah is dedicated to serving our local community and helping all job seekers find meaningful employment and earn a family sustainable wage, which is making a true impact throughout the Frederick community. We’re extremely honored to have Sarah as a vital part of the Goodwill team.” Amy Lyons, Director, Mission Services
Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty through the power of work.
Toni Davis
Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Frederick County Chapter
As the department manager responsible for scheduling and executing all deliveries in Frederick County, Toni gives credit to her entire team for making everything happen. Toni is described as self-sacrificing when it comes to making sure that children sleeping on the floor get the beds they need. When she asks her team to take action on behalf of the kids, she is often there right beside them to help them and make sure that the children and their families get the best possible outcome for their request. Her kind, gentle, and soft spoken manner quickly helps the delivery recipients feel at ease with the whole interaction. As a result, she and her team come away knowing that they have made an immediate impact on the children and their families.
In the past few years, she has seen to it that 1200+ beds were delivered, and installed into the homes, apartments, and trailers of more than 640 Frederick County families. Toni described one of her greatest accomplishments was delivering a bed to a 13 year old child who had never had a bed, and seeing her experience the joy of having her own space. Toni and her family take their talents and compassion for others to wherever people need help. It does not matter whether the need is food, furnishings for the needy moving to their first dwelling, transportation for those without the means to get to appointments, or just a listening ear; they are there.
“Toni has fully absorbed the essence of our mission to get kids off the floor and into beds so they get a good night’s sleep. They will enjoy lives with reduced health, behavioral, and academic challenges and go on to leave fruitful lives. Many people wonder if they have made a difference in the world. Toni does not have that question to ponder.” Lou Stavely, Chapter Support Lead
Sleep in Heavenly Peace believes that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. They are a national organization answering the call to a national problem.
Kathleen Siedor
The Frederick Children’s Chorus
Kathleen (Kathy) has been an integral part of The Frederick Children’s Chorus since 2019, bringing an impressive level of dedication to her job as Office Manager. She manages the bookkeeping and administrative tasks, interfaces with members, runs rehearsals, and concerts. She is available seven days a week to answer questions, communicate with families, participate in events, and promote the organization’s mission in the community.
Kathy is described as passionate about making sure that any child who wants to sing, gets the opportunity to sing in their chorus. In addition, she is known for being incredibly thorough, driven, and warm, making sure everyone feels well taken care of and appreciated. She considers her greatest accomplishment to be able to provide a safe space where kids can feel comfortable talking with her, or who may need emotional support. Kathy goes out of her way to ensure that the community has a great experience whenever they interact with The Frederick Children’s Chorus.
“Kathy joined our organization during a time of transition, followed by a period of uncertainty when a pandemic forced singers to be siloed from each other, and our only option was to sing on digital screens with each other, from our homes. It was a dark time for singers all over the world. Kathy has never strayed from our mission to bring children together for the joyful exploration and celebration of singing. For the last 3+ years, Kathy has been a pivotal member of our team, and we don’t know where we would be without her!” Lee Fuhr, Executive Director
The Frederick Children’s Chorus mission is to bring children together for the joyful exploration and celebration of singing.