We are thrilled to recognize the winner of the 2020 Belden Special Merit Citation. The Charles A. Belden Special Merit Citation was established in 1994 by the Board of Directors to honor Charles Belden. Mr. Belden served Springbrook in many capacities, including 40 years as a member of the board. The recipient of this award has demonstrated a compassionate spirit and an unusually high level of care for the people served by Springbrook, as exemplified by Mr. Belden during his many years of service.
We recognize our winners differently from previous years as we adapt to the challenges of the COVID-19 virus. Raising several health and safety concerns, the Employee Luncheon—a time to come together and celebrate accomplishments and recognize our award winners—was canceled. While we cannot celebrate these awards in person, we can spread the news of the 2020 award winners throughout the Springbrook Community by other great means.
The Belden Special Merit Citation
DEB CAREY • CUSTODIAN
Deb started her career at Springbrook in 2006 and has been with us for 15 years working as a Custodian at the School at Springbrook. Deb is complimented on her work ethic, and she always attributes it to her father for teaching her the importance of hard work. Deb tirelessly works to keep the School at Springbrook safe for students and staff by cleaning and sanitizing every day. If you talk with Deb, she always shares that one of her favorite parts of her job is seeing all the students’ smiling at Springbrook. COVID-19 has brought many changes to how the school operates—changing some of Deb’s job responsibilities and affecting the part of her day that she usually looked forward to most. “The hardest part of the virus is not being able to be around the students,” she said.
In her free time, Deb likes to be outside and keep active. She enjoys riding her bike, going for walks, and just being outdoors enjoying the fresh air. Deb’s friends, family, and colleagues will tell you that she is humble, caring, dependable, and truly passionate about her work. “Deb’s work ethic is very admirable. She goes about her job with steadfast dedication and is very focused on what she has to do, and the time she has to do it. Her dedication keeps her scheduled, and she knows what it takes to get through a day and touch all bases,” shared Deb’s supervisor Kevin Morris, Director of Facilities. When Deb found out that she won the Belden award, she said, “I was so happy and surprised. It shows how much people care about you and how much they respect me for what I do. I feel valued here because people care about me, and it is a family atmosphere.” Deb wanted to thank everyone who nominated her for the award and express how much it means to her.
It’s no secret that Deb is a hard worker, and her advice for current and new staff is simple: “Just come to work and do the best that you can—make sure you keep busy—and enjoy every single day.” Deb’s kindness, passion, and positive attitude are inspiring. It’s easy to tell that she enjoys what she does. Congratulations on receiving this award, Deb, and we are hopeful that things will soon be back to normal, so you can once again get around to seeing all those precious smiles that make your job special for you.