For Penny Brown, making people feel welcome is more than part of her job. As a Client Support Specialist, she is often the first person clients see when they walk through the doors at 330 Delaware Avenue.
Every week, Penny has the opportunity to get to know clients and their families as they come in for their appointments. She remembers the little things they share and gets to know people beyond a simple greeting at the front desk. Whether someone is having a good day or a difficult one, Penny wants everyone to know they have a friendly face to say hello when they arrive.
One client in particular has become close to Penny over the years. Frequently, they would talk about what they did over the weekend. During one of their conversations, Penny shared a story about her family picnic and described all the desserts she had made for the event. Intrigued by the story, the client insisted he had to try her baking. Penny remembered and eventually brought him his very own mini peach cobbler.
“When I gave him the peach cobbler, his face lit up like a Christmas tree,” laughed Penny. “He was telling everyone at the clinic how excited he was.”
For Penny, the moment was about more than a dessert. It was a reflection of the relationships she builds with clients through regular, everyday interactions.
“Building those relationships with clients creates a strong mutual respect,” Penny said. “It makes me so happy to be able to check in and make them feel seen.”
Those connections have lasted across generations. Some people who first met Penny as younger clients when they were children have returned to the clinic years later with children of their own.
Interactions like these are a reminder of what the C+FS mission looks like in practice. It is about meeting people where they are, building genuine connections and treating every person with care and dignity, no matter what they may be going through.