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About Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania
Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania provides services to more than 3,000 adults and children with physical disabilities and developmental delays, including individuals affected by conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania Board of Directors help to guide the agency and set its direction.
Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania Administration and Staff
Our employees are our most valuable commodity. Our staff is comprised of direct services clinical employees (physical, occupational and speech therapists) and other personnel in administration, finance, development, human resources and marketing. These caring individuals ARE Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania.
David L. Bateman
President/CEO
Carrie J. Ryan
Chief Financial Officer
Janet K. Pennington, M.S., CCC-SLP
Clinical Director-Speech, Feeding & Swallowing Therapy Services
Gabe Walter
VP of Program Services
Heather Withrow
Director of Operations
Matthew B. Ernst; CTRS
Director of Therapeutic Recreation
Kathleen Zdenek
Director of Child Development Center, North Central Region
Tammi G. Sullivan, CI/CT
Director of Deaf Services
Jim Watt
Sr. Development Associate
Christina Baldwin
Sr. Development Associate
The Story of Easter Seals
Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for more than 85 years. Whether helping someone improve physical mobility, return to work or simply gain greater independence for everyday living, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals.
Tragedy Leads to Inspiration
In 1907, Ohio-businessman Edgar Allen lost his son in a streetcar accident. The lack of adequate medical services available to save his son prompted Allen to sell his business and begin a fund-raising campaign to build a hospital in his hometown of Elyria, Ohio. Through this new hospital, Allen was surprised to learn that children with disabilities were often hidden from public view. Inspired by this discovery, in 1919 Allen founded what became known as the National Society for Crippled Children, the first organization of its kind.
The Birth of the Seal
In the spring of 1934, the organization launched its first Easter "seals" campaign to raise money for its services. To show their support, donors placed the seals on envelopes and letters. Cleveland Plain Dealer cartoonist J.H. Donahey designed the first seal. Donahey based the design on a concept of simplicity because those served by the charity asked "simply for the right to live a normal life."
The lily -- a symbol of spring -- was officially incorporated as Easter Seals' logo in 1952
for its association with resurrection and new life and has appeared on each seal since.
Easter Seals Emerges
The overwhelming public support for the Easter "seals" campaign triggered a nationwide expansion of the organization and a swell of grassroots efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. By 1967, the Easter "seal" was so well recognized, the organization formally adopted the name "Easter Seals."
Easter Seals Today
Easter Seals assists more than one million children and adults with disabilities and their families annually through a nationwide network of more than 450 service sites. Each center provides top-quality, family-focused and innovative services tailored to meet the specific needs of the particular community it serves.
Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania services include:
Outpatient Therapy
Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Speech and Hearing Therapy
Sensory Integration Therapy
Aquatic Therapy
Audiological Services
Child Development/Child Care
Early Intervention Program
Early Learning Centers
Before and After School Programs
Summer Camp
Recreational Programs
Horseback Riding
Respite Care
Therapeutic Recreation Programs
ACES
Sport Activities
Water sports
DeafLink
Interpretation Services for the Deaf Community
Advocacy
Easter Seals also advocates for the passage of legislation to help people with disabilities achieve independence, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Passed in 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination against anyone who has a mental or physical disability, guaranteeing the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Commitment
At the core of the Easter Seals organization is a common passion for caring, shared by its 13,000 staff members and thousands of volunteers, and by those who support its mission. This heart-felt commitment to helping people with disabilities and their families is what Easter Seals is all about.
For more information about Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania, contact us.
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