Catalent San Diego Awards
Mountain Shadows Outreach Services $5,000 Grant |
Catalent Cares team visits Mountain Shadows for Thanksgiving. |
by Sheryl Wilde
Catalent San Diego: Changing Lives, One Table at a Time
Thanks to a big-hearted grant from our longtime partners at Catalent San Diego, Mountain Shadows Outreach Services (MSOS) recently received the life-changing table pictured below: |
Smirthwaite Mobil Changer, Portable Changing Table for Adults with Disabilities. |
While some may say an electronic changing table is not glamorous, it allows our MSOS staff members to provide critical personal care to our day program participants in a safe, dignified, and respectful manner.
“A mechanical changing table is not a piece of equipment I had ever really thought about,” says Ruth Cellery, Director, Human Resources (CA), Catalent San Diego. “But when I read the Mountain Shadows grant proposal, I saw the extent to which MSOS staff members care for so many participants each day, providing this basic human need in a dignified manner. “It’s important. It’s important that it is done safely for both the participants and the staff members.” |
CSD Cares team at Mountain Shadows Outreach Services. |
MSOS serves up to 120 intellectually and developmentally disabled adults, offering services to enhance life, leisure and work skills, including community integration, mobility training, arts and crafts, sensory therapy, computer classes, cooking workshops, volunteer opportunities and much more. The majority of MSOS participants are non-ambulatory, and/or non-verbal, and are solely dependent upon the staff to provide this essential care.
Currently, our MSOS staff members provide changing services, five days per week, to roughly 60 incontinent individuals each day, twice per day. Ten of these individuals require changing three times per day. It can take three staff members to safely lift each individual up onto the table. Electronic changing tables are one of the many needs, central to supporting those we serve, that are not covered by State or other funding sources. |
Catalent San Diego, Ruth Cellery, with MSCH – SD Resident, Lupita. |
Catalent San Diego has been an integral partner with Mountain Shadows for the past twelve years.
Catalent is a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), trusted by pharma, biotech, and self-care companies to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and delivery of products that improve lives.
Each year, Catalent delivers more than 60 billion doses of medicine across global markets. |
Catalent has a long history of giving back to the community to help people live better, healthier lives. Through their Catalent San Diego (CSD) Cares program, employees volunteer for organizations that serve patients, expand STEM education and protect the environment. In the past year, more than 80 CSD Cares volunteers have given their time to support local causes ranging from the San Diego Food Bank to STEM Kits for the Boys and Girls Club to joining a walk to support cancer research. |
Says Ruth, “One of our longest standing partnerships is with Mountain Shadows. Each year, we enjoy the time-honored tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving luncheon for Mountain Shadows residents and staff. “Together with a holiday meal and pie, we enjoy time together doing arts and crafts, singing, and playing bingo.” |
CSD Cares volunteers celebrate Thanksgiving with Mountain Shadows residents and staff. |
“CSD Cares focuses on putting the patient first,” adds Ruth. “That makes our relationship with Mountain Shadows the perfect connection. Although Mountain Shadows residents are not patients, I think it’s the same concept of providing people with medical care, physical care and personal care. And that aligns perfectly with our CSD Cares values.
“So, we enjoy spending time with the residents and staff on Thanksgiving, and, when we can, we provide financial support, through donations, such as this grant for the changing table. That’s very meaningful to us, and that’s very well aligned with our commitment to the community.” |
MSCH-San Diego resident, Ty’Marri, wins at bingo during the Thanksgiving celebration. |
“The MSOS participants and the staff, we’re all very happy with the new changing table,” says Flor Angel, Program Director, MSOS. “It’s safer and easier to use for everyone.
“Becky, one of our participants, was really excited to get this new table. It’s a larger table. It has padding on the side. It has side rails. It’s not as tight-fitting for her and she feels much more comfortable on it and she feels safer. She was so happy about it, she wanted to cry. “So, we want to say, ‘Thank you. Thank you! Thank you very much to Catalent for this changing table! We appreciate it so much! It is helping everyone here at MSOS a lot!”
“Our partnership with Mountain Shadows has always been about people,” says Bryan Knox, General Manager, Catalent San Diego. “For more than a decade, we’ve had the privilege of building relationships with the residents, participants, and staff, and this grant is another way we can support the outstanding care they provide every day.”
Adds Stacy Sullivan, Executive Director, MSSG/MSAS, “On behalf of our entire organization, we extend our deepest gratitude to Catalent for their steadfast support over the years. Their continued generosity has been instrumental in helping us achieve our mission and create a lasting impact in the community. We are honored to have their trust and partnership, and to call them integral members of our Mountain Shadows Family.”
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Please Join Us at Our Upcoming Events |
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4th Annual Trunk or Treat |
Register to host a Trunk or to Volunteer at: mtnshadows.org/2026TOTVolunteer
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The Mountain Shadows Foundation – Because We CARE |
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, the Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: -
Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family!
To learn more about Mountain Shadows volunteer opportunities, please click below:
Learn about Mountain Shadows Volunteer Opportunities Here |
Mandy Huiras
Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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