BEAT Spotlight: Dianne DePasquale-Hagerty, Medina Creative Housing
Editor's Note: To read more about Medina County Creative Housing (MCH), see our Medina County Creative Housing Archive Page with Angela and Russ Huston. Click Here
Dianne DePasquale-Hagerty, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Medina Creative Housing and Affiliates (MCH), a non-profit organization, works to help families who have children with disabilities. Over the past 20 years, Dianne has developed a host of new opportunities for individuals with disabilities such as the Grande Café & Roastery where they roast and package their own coffee beans, Medina Creative Therapy Ranch which offers therapeutic horseback riding for individuals with disabilities, and Medina Creative Pet Play where they have individuals who care for and love on the community’s dogs and cats.
“It hardly feels like work with all the fun our employees are having,” said Dianne. Medina Creative Housing has developed 80 housing units and 18 different programs. “I am proud to say that we now serve over 800 children, youth and adults with disabilities,” Dianne said.
There are many challenges a non-profit organization like MCH goes through, having limited resources, fundraising challenges in a difficult economic environment, facing staffing shortages, and having to tell families that their child must sit on a waiting list for housing or services. Although the challenges may be hard, Dianne says, she gets great satisfaction from her work. “It is my privilege every day to be a part of each individual’s life that we serve and to watch the growth and development that takes place,” she stated.
Although with all of the long hours and heavy workload that Dianne does, she said there is nothing she would do to change her career path. “If you delight in what you are doing, your work becomes more than a job, it becomes a passion,” she said.
Saige Cicic, Brunswick Middle School, is one of over fifty student “backpack journalists” (grades 6-12) in the award-winning BEAT Video Program. The program is sponsored by KDK Mitsubishi, Discount Drug Mart, Plum Creek Assisted Living Community, Baskets Galore, Scripps Howard Foundation, and the Brunswick Rotary Club. Go to https://www.bcsoh.org/domain/1154 to learn more about the Program, or visit https://thebeat.viebit.com to view videos produced by the students.