Page 24 - Top Workplaces 2018

Operator: lwahowskidoell Desc: Time: 02-16-2018 13:22 Jobname:

MIDSIZE COMPANIES NO. 3
COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

APRIL GAMIZ/THE MORNING CALL
Gail Bethea works with children at Community Services for Children in Allentown. Bethea and her fellow employees are dedicated to the success of children and area families.

Community Services for Children walks the walk

Employees are committed to a mission of children’s success.

By Margie Peterson lives,” she said. “They come back to me and say, Its first class was a small group of pre-
Special to The Morning Call “It’s just a testament to how much ‘Hey, I go that job! Thank you for that schoolers in Easton. The nonprofit was
they care.” tip!’” Reyna said. headquartered in Bethlehem for several
n late November 2015, Deidra That’s because Community Services She appreciates how approachable years before moving to the Donley
Vachier and her husband got word — which operates Head Start, Early Community Services managers are. Children’s Campus near the Allentown
that their application to foster two Head Start and Pre-K Counts in the “If I make a mistake in my work, I State Hospital in 2001. Today, its Head
I small children with the intention of Lehigh Valley — walks the walk when go to my managers and in their eyes, Start, Early Head Start and Pre-K
adopting them had gone through and the it comes to valuing families and chil- everything is fixable,” Reyna said. Counts classes serve about 1,275 kids in
little ones would be arriving within dren, employees say. Community Serv- “They understand that we’re all human.” Lehigh and Northampton counties.
three weeks. ices captured the No. 3 slot among Paula Margraf, CEO of Community In addition, Community Services
“I ended up having to apply for a midsize employers in the 2018 Top Services, said she was reminded of how also operates the Regional Key program
family and medical leave at the drop of Workplaces survey. important that approachability is when of Northeast Pennsylvania, which pro-
a hat,” said Vachier, who is vice presi- Joely Reyna, a child care information she asked a relatively new employee vides resources for child care centers
dent of Early Childhood Development services specialist for the group, found what was different about the group and runs the STARS program, which
for Community Services for Children, that same commitment when she gave compared to the last place she worked. evaluates such centers in 16 counties.
based in Allentown. “The entire man- birth to her daughter Delilah two years Margraf recalls: “She said, ‘I had to Community Services employs about 310
agement team of 35 people pulled off in ago. Between paid maternity leave, make an appointment with my supervi- people.
a week’s time an amazing kind of child vacation and other leave, she was able sor to ask a question and sometimes it Angie Somogyi, who is the group’s
shower. Colleagues, vice presidents, the to stay home with her baby for 12 weeks was two weeks before the supervisor Northeast Regional Key STARS man-
CEO, managers were all sitting around at full salary, she said. could even fit me in. And what I know ager, spends most of her days in the
this table, [they] completely surprised Reyna works with needy parents to here is that there is always someone field working with child care centers to
me.” help them get assistance in paying for available to help me or answer ques- help them improve, so she is only in the
They gave her huge gift cards to child care while they are working or tions. And I don’t need to make an Allentown office a few times a month.
Walmart and Babies “R” Us. going to school. She takes great satis- appointment.’ ” She stays connected to her colleagues,
“They were supporting my walking faction in her clients’ successes, even Community Services began as a in part through Community Service’s
out of here for 12 weeks at a moment’s giving them tips on how to conduct job Head Start program in 1965 under Presi-
notice to bring these children into our hunts and do job interviews. dent Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.
See Page 25

24 2018 ❘ TOP WORKPLACES