GeneseHubbard

Mission in Action Award Honoree Genese Hubbard, Villa Maria Community Resources Fallsway Clinic, Peer Recovery Specialist

Each year, Catholic Charities awards staff who have consistently embodied our Mission: Inspired by the Gospel mandates to love, serve and teach, Catholic Charities provides care and services to improve the lives of Marylanders in need.

Genese’s ability to connect, relate and serve the people she meets gives them the courage to accept the help that is offered. She exudes authenticity and genuine joy no matter what her task at hand for the 16 years she has worked at Catholic Charities.

View video here.

Read what her colleagues have written about her:

Anyone who meets Genese Hubbard will never forget her. She is a fountain of energy, positivity, warmth, and laughter.

Her colleague Rhonda Battle remarked “I have never worked with or encountered an individual like Ms. Genese. Ms. Geneses’ personality is gigantic and full of energy.”

Her “self” is her greatest asset and she selflessly gives of herself to help others in need.

I first met Genese when she was program assistant at My Sister’s Place Women’s Center. She was working part-time but was running a Narcotics Anonymous group twice a week, weekly Bingo, and line dancing on top of her daily Program assistant tasks. Her NA meetings filled the MSP dining hall and during the pandemic, she continued to host them virtually. When it was BINGO time, the entire building knew it. Genese could be heard calling numbers and the ladies could be heard laughing and joking and having a good time.

Genese’s positivity infects everyone she is around, including her coworkers. “I look forward to coming to work in anticipation because the first person you will see or hear is Ms. Genese being her bubbly personality every day”.

Genese has an art of bringing joy and hope even though it seems as if none should be there. “No one can be around Ms. Genese and have a low day her outlook on life is amazing and she is so grateful for life every day.” We often ask her where she gets the energy to oversee all these projects. Helping people energizes Genese, and as she serves people, people invigorate her. Her ability to connect, relate, and serve the people she meets gives them the courage to accept the help that is offered.

During the pandemic, Genese earned her certification as a peer recovery specialist. In June 2022, she was able to transition as a peer recovery coach with Villa Maria Outpatient Clinic. She was able to get someone in treatment on her first day on the job! In less than 2 months of working for the clinic, she has connected at least 12 people to treatment and over 40 to job readiness and client services (often personally providing transportation).

She continues to go above and beyond, bringing her own cooler so she can serve cold water while doing her outreach in the heat and she started women’s groups at Weinberg Housing Resources Center (one of the 5 places she does outreach). When a man needed pants and the facility did not have any available, Genese brought some from her home. Her commitment and dedication to the people we serve are innate gifts she has. 

Ms. Geneses’ experiences in life have placed her in the right place at the right time. She uses her story of hardship as a tool to encourage people that there is always a chance to start over, start again and start fresh. Although it’s her hardship that helps her relate to people, it is the authenticity and genuine joy that she exudes when working with others that helps her connect with others. Genese seizes every opportunity to uplift and support people. It can be as small as walking a hesitant client to a testing center, holding your hand as you get your COVID shot, or talking to you about a treatment facility and taking you there personally to ensure you get checked in. She is always giving 100% to any task she has been assigned from providing a meal to washing the clients’ laundry.

Genese is an invaluable asset to Catholic Charities. With every program, she is assigned to she goes above and beyond to see that people are touched and changed. The service that she provides to the clients is always done with sincerity and love. She always communicates both directly and indirectly that people are worthy of that sincerity and love regardless of their circumstances. Genese serves with diligence, excellence, and compassion and fully embodies our Catholic Charities mission in action