Benedictine was awarded a 2022 Rural Impact Award for Outstanding Rural Community Development. This award is presented by the Rural Maryland Council (RMC) which serves as the State’s federally designated rural development council and advocates for the interests of rural Maryland. Through their work they recognize individuals and organizations that have performed extraordinary acts of service to communities throughout rural Maryland.
Awards were presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting held at the Kent Island Resort in Stevensville. The Outstanding Rural Community Development award is given in recognition for leadership, dedication and noteworthy achievement to help improve rural communities.
“We are honored that Benedictine has been selected for a Rural Impact Award. Benedictine’s impact on Maryland’s eastern shore is significant and we are honored to do this work for our community and the people we serve,” stated Scott Evans, Benedictine Executive Director.
Benedictine Executive Director Scott Evans poses with (left to right) Janine M. Lis, Marketing and Communications Manager, Claudia Cunningham, Chief Advancement Officer, and Caroline Bauerle, Director of Development at the Rural Impacts Awards Ceremony held at the Kent Island Resort in Stevensville, Maryland.
Benedictine’s work began over 60 years ago as a school for 17 children with Downs Syndrome and has grown into a multi-functional year-round education and residential center serving close to 200 students and adults with a variety of services. Benedictine is one of the largest employers on the eastern shore with over 350 staff members, a school campus in Ridgely, 22 group homes, and an office in Easton.
Rural jurisdictions share common characteristics that set them apart from their suburban and urban counterparts, such as geographic isolation, lack of transportation, and lack of access to and availability of health care, and includes 18 of the 24 jurisdictions in Maryland. RMC’s vision is a future where all of Rural Maryland is prosperous with thriving resources, vibrant economies and healthy, connected communities.
Benedictine was nominated for this award by Anthony S. Casey, Commissioner, Town of Ridgely. Support for this nomination was provided by Larry C. Porter, President, Board of Commissioners, Caroline County, MD; Steven J. Arentz, State Delegate; and Tony Holt, Account Manager, BDK, Inc.
For more information on Benedictine, please go to www.benschool.org. If you would like information on how you can support the children and adults with developmental disabilities and autism at Benedictine reach their greatest potential, please contact Claudia Cunningham at [email protected].
About Benedictine:
Benedictine is a non-sectarian nonprofit organization helping more than 200 children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities and autism achieve their greatest potential. Benedictine’s year-round educational program is one of only 26 nationwide to earn a two-year accreditation from the National Commission for Accreditation of Special Education Services (NCASES). This program includes home-like living and learning options on the Ridgely, Maryland campus, for children ages 5 to 21 who come from Maryland and surrounding states. Benedictine’s Adult Services program offers employment and vocational services for transitional youth and adults, ages 22 to 70+, in the community and those who live in Benedictine’s group homes in Caroline, Talbot and Anne Arundel counties. The Easton Community Services & Training Center prepares the adults it serves to enter the workforce and collaborates with the Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Caroline and Dorchester County public schools to provide services to their students through the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) Program. For more information, visit www.benschool.org.
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