| EAGLE Fall 2021 Newsletter |
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In This Issue
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A Reflective Time
Mary Kemper
President & CEO
UMA
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Time expands and contracts in ways we don't always comprehend. These past two years in particular, time's rhythm has altered for many of us. Yet, certain milestones invite us to pause and reflect on where we have been and the progress we've made. Most of all, it offers a chance to stand still, be present and express our gratitude for the important people and organizations in our lives.
September marked my five-year anniversary as president and CEO of UMA. I am profoundly grateful to the UMA board, staff, members and sponsors who make up our UMA family. Without hesitation, I can say that you - the UMA members - and your dedicated |
| commitment to your organizations continue to inspire me. You are truly servant leaders who strive to grow and learn, to do more, to do better, to serve more and to do so in fresh and innovative ways... read more.
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Growing in Partnership will be the theme for the 2022 UMA Annual Meeting.
The Shared Learning Committee, chaired by Adalay Wilson, Vice President of Programs at UMFS, convened last month to review a record number of quality education proposals.
Mark your calendar and plan to bring your leadership team to join your UMA peers for this engaging in-person meeting. With more than 20 outstanding education sessions, general sessions and events, you'll learn, discover, and grow together as individuals, organizations and partners.
Registration will launch in in mid-January 2022.
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Board of Child Care is pleased to announce a recent award by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide home study and post-release services as part of the Caminos Nacional network. Home study and post-release services promote a safe and smooth transition for unaccompanied children as they leave shelter settings and enter their new homes and communities. These services ensure the long term safety and success of the youth by assessing their potential future homes and creating connections to essential services and supports upon placement.
Board of Child Care will host a brief online educational session to introduce UMA member agencies to the home study and post-release services program on November 17 from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M, Eastern. To register, please contact Nieasha Walker (nwalker1@boardofchildcare.org) by November 15. |
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EAGLE Principle 1.6 Mission-Oriented Careers asks organizations to consider opportunities to provide experiences that encourage individuals to explore careers in faith-based settings. Asbury partnered with LeadingAge on a 12-week summer enrichment program designed as an immersive internship for college students. Click here to read more about this innovative internship program that is an exceptional example of EAGLE excellence in action.
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Thrive Steering Committee Achieves Consensus on Essential Quality Areas
Members of the EAGLE Thrive Steering Committee identified key areas of focus that they deemed essential for quality not-for-profit organizations during their first meeting of the full committee on September 29th. Comprised of diverse UMA, EAGLE and outside expertise in health and human services, the 13-member committee has been charged with guiding the review and revisions of the EAGLE principles. The intent is to affirm standards that will lead organizations to the highest level of service and operational excellence while also positioning them for long-term sustainability.
In addition, the committee outlined expertise and expectations for a consultant who will be recruited to facilitate and support this initiative. The group aims to complete its work in time to implement a new EAGLE manual for 2023 accreditations. See the full committee list here. The committee plans to reconvene this fall.
Reminder: EAGLE Annual Reports due in December
As a condition of continuing accreditation, each EAGLE accredited organization is required to submit an annual report to the EAGLE Commission in either June or December depending upon the accreditation cycle. The purpose of the report is to make the Commission aware of any changes for the organization since its accreditation or the previous annual report that might affect the organization's accredited status. The report should include progress being made with Opportunities for Improvement noted during the last accreditation review. In the coming weeks, EAGLE coordinators and CEOs of the 15 organizations with annual reports due on December 1 will be contacted via email about next steps in this process.
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Welcome new Peer Reviewers
Congratulations to Ginger Mills, Director of Advancement, Cunningham Children's Home, Pam Richmond, Chief Strategy Officer, Otterbein SeniorLife and Jill Kinser, Donor Engagement Specialist, Flat Rock Homes for completing training and earning certification as an EAGLE peer reviewer. They join our peer reviewer pool that includes individuals representing 25 different UMA members and EAGLE-accredited organizations.
Serving as an EAGLE peer reviewer offers professionals a chance to gain a deeper understanding of the EAGLE process and principles. At the same time, reviewers have a chance to take back innovative solutions and best practices they learn from other organizations. The next three-part EAGLE Education Series for peer reviewer certification starts October 14. Click here for details.
Special need for bilingual Peer Reviewers in 2022
The EAGLE staff is working with four children/youth organizations in Puerto Rico pursuing EAGLE accreditation for the first time. To provide the best EAGLE experience for these organizations, EAGLE is seeking reviewers who are fully bilingual. If you are bilingual and would like to be trained as a peer reviewer, please email Emily Robbearts (erobbearts@ouruma.org) for more information on this opportunity to serve EAGLE.
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UMA has entered into an agreement with Care Purchasing Services (CPS) to offer its members additional purchasing power through this non-exclusive group purchasing agreement.
UMA was involved with CPS many years ago. Much has changed at both UMA and CPS since that time. UMA President and CEO Mary Kemper felt the time was right to reengage with CPS. She hopes members will take a fresh look at the CPS purchasing benefits to support their purchasing needs.
With ongoing financial pressure to reduce operating costs, CPS offers another resource to help organizations control the costs of a wide range of supplies, equipment and services including products that to support administration, culinary, environment, health, therapy and fitness, construction, renovations and technology needs.
"We see this as a value add for members as they seek to manage their costs and access supplies amidst inflation pressures and ongoing supply shortages," said Kemper.
If interested in learning more, please visit our website or reach out to Susan Packin at spackin@ouruma.org with any questions.
"CPS is a strong option as we all look to get the best pricing for our organizations. The pricing programs, which can be shared with our employees, are not just good for our organizations, but also a great benefit and many employees have seen significant savings, especially with the GE appliance program."
- Alan Brown, CEO, Methodist Retirement Communities, TX |
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EAGLE Communications Network Underway
EAGLE coordinators, communications and marketing staff collaborated on ways to share resources during the EAGLE Communications Network meeting, which launched on September 15. A total of 16 participants from newly accredited EAGLE organizations, those with a long-standing involvement with EAGLE and even two organizations who are still moving through the accreditation process attended. This group discussed numerous ways to promote the value of EAGLE with internal customers (staff/clients) and external audiences (board members, donors, churches, community).
To better support the needs of this network, an EAGLE Communications Toolkit has been created in the EAGLE Accreditation Portal. The toolkit includes a news release template, sample social media posts and videos that can be downloaded and shared. The group looks forward to adding their own shared resources of ways they communicate the value of EAGLE. Email Emily Robbearts (erobbearts@ouruma.org) to request access to this folder.
The next Communications Network Call is scheduled for November 17. Click here to register.
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"The LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
(Isaiah 52:12)
Louisiana EAGLE Organization Shares Lessons from Crises
A total of 24 members gathered to share in the experiences and lessons learned by Louisiana United Methodist Children & Family Services (LUMCFS) as members of their leadership team recounted their preparations for, and response to the Covid-19 pandemic and hurricanes Laura and Ida.
Just a few months into the Covid-19 pandemic, Laura made landfall as strong category 4 hurricane near Cameron, Louisiana shortly after midnight on August 27, 2020, bringing extreme rainfall, storm surge, and winds up to 150 mph. Though Laura delivered a devastating blow to the southern campus, LUMCFS credits their faith-centered mission and EAGLE planning for helping to focus and prioritize their efforts.
Here are a few key lessons they offered:
- Stick to the Mission
- Be an Example
- Be a Servant Leader
- Be Consistent
UMA expresses appreciation to presenters Lauren Royer, Daryl Altic, Andrew Morse, Luke Allen and Gary Rambin for this inspirational presentation with practical recommendations. If you missed it, please contact Kristen Jones at kjones@ouruma.org.
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October is...
Every day the world's infection preventionists (IPs) fight to keep our communities safe from infectious threats: a global pandemic, healthcare-associated infections, measles outbreaks, flu season, and so many others. International Infection Prevention Week (October 17-23) aims to shine a light on the infection prevention profession each year. This year's theme is "Make Your Intention Infection Prevention."
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