Having a heart for service is a critical component of those who care for others at Solid Rock LLC in Chardon.
Having a heart for service is a critical component of those who care for others at Solid Rock LLC in Chardon.
The family-owned agency helps meet the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities using their resident and daycare programs. CEO Tiffany Smetana said her employees and caregivers are extremely caring and always incentivized.
“Our employees and residents will help us celebrate 10 years of Solid Rock. Staff say they’re grateful for the clients and they work here because they are so appreciated,” she said.
Solid Rock is hosting a 10-year anniversary party Sept. 21 for their staff and families, as well as their clients and their families. The party will include games, food and gifts to show appreciation to employees who offer a lot to the individuals within their care.
Tiffany and her husband, Justin Smetana, began their work with group homes and day program centers more than 15 years ago. They have grown to owning two group homes in Burton; two in Munson; occupying five apartments and group homes in Berkshire Hills; and now a new day program in Chardon. Twenty-one individuals with special needs live under close supervision in the group homes and a capacity of 30 people is growing at the new 831 South Street location.
Staffing continues at Solid Rock as the search goes on for new caregivers.
Although not all the individuals get full residential care, the focus is heavily on activities, learning and stimulation. It is not a vocational program nor sheltered workshop, but rather one that reaches out to the community to provide integration opportunities, according to the agency.
Volunteers, with coaches, are placed in churches, schools, nonprofits, as well as some commercial businesses. One such example are the individuals who worked to prepare the summer lunches for children, Tiffany said.
“We have flipped the script. The concept is no longer we exclusively want to service the developmentally disabled, but rather let’s see what skillset of our clients can serve the community,” she said. “We believe our folks have so much to give, but we’re realistic about who can go into the community and how we create a good fit. We have put pandemic safety measures in place and none of our clients has experienced COVID.“
Tiffany added, “The interaction with our daycare individuals and residents is so moving with all they have to offer, that community members’ lives will be forever changed by the interaction.”
To date, Solid Rock has placed individuals at grocery stores to move carts, restaurants to wash dishes, nursing homes to help in the laundry and McDonald’s to keep the lobby clean and work the food prep line. The soft skills individuals bring to the workforce are quite unique, Tiffany said, adding they are devoted to doing a good job and trying to exceed expectations.
Individuals are passionate and eager, and many companies benefit from showing the public through volunteer hiring that these individuals bring value to their community, she said, adding in some cases, there is developmental disabilities funding for job development and coaching.
One such resident in the Solid Rock program is Jack Schmidt, who personnel describes as personable, friendly and considerate. He loves fishing and live music and working on activities at the center like tie-dying shirts. Jack volunteered this summer preparing and delivering lunches for the summer lunch program for kids, Tiffany said.
“My staff are nice to me and help me do the things I like,” Jack said.
Another day program participant is John Resnick, who cooks in the facilities kitchen.
Dawn Fleming, director of pupil services at Berkshire Schools, has been in program development with Solid Rock and sees the value of not only volunteer services, but also the broad educational exposure children receive by working with people who have special needs.
“The new school’s goal is community involvement and we see potential with Solid Rock,” Fleming said of Berkshire’s new K-12 school being built on the Kent State University-Geauga campus. “Their services are collaborative and welcoming.”
Some of the tasks being explored are help in the school’s coffee shop or logo gear store, as well as summer care of a community garden. Composting care is another area of volunteerism, Fleming said.
“Our food waste is 100 pounds per day at school, so composting is a wonderful way to provide soil for our greenhouse,” she said, adding these opportunities also build vocational training for students and volunteer help is welcomed.
