Ernestine's Women's Shelter
Nominator Comments:
Laverne is recognized for her commitment to clients and staff coupled with her tireless work ethic. She is a strong promoter of advocacy both within the shelter setting and externally in the community. For example, she successfully built a solid relationship with another organization to have student lawyers visit the shelter to facilitate free legal information sessions for clients.
Laverne implemented the “Drops in a Bucket” team building initative to strengthen team relationships and to recognize individual staff for going above and beyond when assisting a client. Each staff were given a box to decorate and a notepad in the shape of drops. When a team member noticed a co-worker working exceptionally well in the fight against violence against women they could give their co-worker a personalized message to acknowledge that coworker’s strength and support to a specific client or project.
To quote her nominators: “Ernestine’s as an agency would absolutely not be where it is today without the constant drive and determination that Laverne puts forth on a daily basis.”
