Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC) is excited to announce nine Loyal Service Award winners for 2020!
Each year, LSC honors staff members who fulfill its mission by serving clients and residents in an extraordinary way. Nominated by their peers and supervisors, Loyal Service Award winners lead by example, whether or not they are in a traditional leadership role. In short, they are the heart and soul of LSC.
Marie Primm has worked at Trinity Village for almost 20 years and is the clinical dietary supervisor. With a compassionate heart, Marie always puts residents first and works tirelessly to ensure that their experience with food and nutrition services is positive. She is known to be an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to the food likes and dislikes of residents. She often calls on the weekends to make sure things are running smoothly and often volunteers to come to work if needed.
Helen Turner works as a nursing assistant at Trinity Place and has been a devoted teammate since 2003. She shows great leadership and customer service to both residents and co-workers. Helen is known to be humble, dedicated, genuine and caring. A quiet person with a strong spirit, she takes pride in her work and displays the core values of LSC. She makes people she comes in contact with feel valued and special.
Jennifer Teeter started at Trinity Place 20 years ago. She began as a CNA and worked her way up to medical records director. Positive and energetic, Jennifer is always willing to help out where needed, whether it’s by giving an admissions tour or helping out in the kitchen. She is the “go to” person who is always ready for a challenge. She has high standards for herself and expects the same of others. Genuine, sincere, and helpful, she is a reflection of the LSC Way.
Brittaney Belk has worked as a nursing assistant at Trinity Living Center in Salisbury since 2014. Brittaney has demonstrated great flexibility, handling staff changes at TLC like a trouper as she jumped in to train a new employee. She’s known for suggesting ways to improve TLC’s processes and scheduling. She always comes to work with a smile and is willing to jump in to help. Her sweet, kind nature has made her a favorite among the participants. She meets participants where they are, and her gentle nature often inspires participants to share with and confide in her.
Tacara Clark, a transportation aide at Trinity Ridge since 2017, she has a knack for planning ahead and is a great problem-solver. Families depend on her and appreciate her kindness, flexibility, and compassion. She has established great rapport with medical offices in the community, and Trinity Ridge gets much positive feedback about how friendly and professional she is. Both a leader and a team player, Tacara is inspiring and motivating to everyone she comes in contact with. “I love taking care of our residents,” Tacara says – and it shows.
Employed since 2011, Deforrest LaGrone works in the adult residential program, always striving to help his residents in care live their most abundant life and succeed in their goals. Deforrest is reliable, dependable, compassionate, and serves with enthusiasm. Known as a man of integrity, faith, and kindness, he is well-respected by residents and staff alike. “A call to serve is evident in the light he radiates and in all he does to give back within his gift of service to others,” his nominator said.
Willie Mae Pharr is the lead dietary aide for second shift at Trinity Oaks health and rehab. She always has a positive attitude, even in times of personal hardship, and she will do anything for the residents. She’s highly dedicated and often spends breaks visiting with residents and even stays late to visit after work. A patient, kind communicator, she’s always happy, always smiling, and always serving. Teammates and residents love to see Willie Mae coming up the hall because they know their day is about to get better.
Misty Willis has been a CNA/med aide at Trinity Ridge since 2013. She has been described as “the perfect role model” for the staff, setting the standard for compassionate, patient-centered care. She encourages coworkers to anticipate resident needs and think outside of the box. A dependable problem-solver, Misty has provided suggestions to enhance care for all residents, suggestions that have been implemented successfully. Social work staff have reported that Misty receives more compliments during family care plan reviews than any other employee.
Tashema Wiley is a CNA on the rehab hall at Trinity Glen, where she has worked since 2017. A wonderful resident advocate, Tashema takes excellent care of the residents and works well with therapy and other departments. Some call her “Sunshine” because of her joyful nature and upbeat personality. She is calm, kind and helpful to everyone she comes in contact with and truly exemplifies the LSC Way. Tashema says being a CNA is the best job she has ever had. “I treat every person as if they were my grandmother,” she says.
