The Community Foundation of Howard County has announced that Winter Growth is the recipient of the 2025 Casey and Pebble Willis “Making a Difference” Award. The award will be presented to Winter Growth at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner & Celebration of Philanthropy on the evening of Tuesday, December 9.
The Willis Award celebrates some of the amazing work being done by nonprofits in our community by showcasing an organization or particular program that directly impacted residents of Howard County and made a quantifiable difference in people’s lives over the past year. The recipient nonprofit receives a $5,000 grant as the winning organization.
The award was established 23 years ago by the Willis Family to honor Casey Willis, a remarkable woman who was engaged in both civic and charitable institutions throughout our community.
Casey cared about people and loved Howard County. She had an impressive record of service. She represented the county on task forces and commissions. Casey was a member of the Rotary Club of Columbia, the American Heart Association and the YMCA. She served on the board of her church and The Arc of Howard County, and she helped raise funds for Howard County General Hospital. She was everywhere.
Because Casey made a difference in so many people’s lives, and was so committed to and passionate about causes she believed in, her family established this award in her memory to recognize her contributions and support the wide variety of causes she considered so important to a thriving community.
Her husband, Dr. Eugene “Pebble” Willis, was an orthopedic surgeon dedicated to providing excellent care and services to his patients and to making a difference in our community. Pebble loved presenting this award in Casey’s memory on an annual basis. When Pebble passed away in 2009, the award was renamed to honor the memory of both Casey and Pebble and their legacy of “Making a Difference” in our community.
Winter Growth nominated its Ensemble-in-Residence program, which is offered in partnership with the nonprofit Iris Music Project. Piloted over the past three years at Winter Growth’s Columbia Center with support from the Howard County Arts Council, the program was expanded in FY2026 thanks to support from the Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation. It now brings weekly, interactive musical experiences to residents and day program participants across Winter Growth’s locations, with a special focus on individuals living with dementia.
Rooted in joy, connection, and creativity, the Ensemble-in-Residence uses live music, lyric writing, rhythm, movement, and reminiscence to foster emotional well-being and social engagement. The program serves older adults – including those with complex medical and cognitive needs – while also offering meaningful opportunities for staff and family caregivers to engage.
The Ensemble-in-Residence program is transforming the experience of aging for Howard County residents living with dementia. Designed and delivered by the Iris Music Project in partnership with Winter Growth, the program integrates professional musicians into the weekly rhythm of care – offering older adults more than just a performance, but a relationship. Each session centers around co-creation: participants sing, write lyrics, explore instruments, and move to music.
For those with limited verbal communication, body language, expression, and presence become powerful tools for connection. One daughter recently shared: “It’s like you’re reaching a part of my mom that we thought we had lost.” The need this program addresses is both urgent and growing. Dementia is isolating – for both the individual and their loved ones.
Traditional care often prioritizes physical safety over emotional vitality. This program meets a critical gap by providing meaningful cognitive stimulation, emotional uplift, and creative engagement. For many, it becomes the highlight of their week.
Outcomes are assessed through a combination of participant engagement observations, staff feedback, and caregiver surveys. Findings indicate that this innovative, music-centered approach meaningfully reduces social isolation, enhances communication, and lifts participants’ overall mood.
Caregivers regularly report that their loved ones return home more relaxed, emotionally energized, and eager to share their experiences. Staff also note a boost in confidence and morale, as the program empowers them to incorporate musical elements into daily care routines – extending its positive influence well beyond the sessions themselves.
Accessibility is central to the model. Sessions take place on-site in familiar spaces, are adapted to the needs and energy levels of participants, and are inclusive regardless of mobility or cognitive stage. Musicians receive training in dementia care, trauma-informed practice, and disability awareness to ensure dignity and safety are prioritized.
What makes this program exceptional is its innovation and relational model. It’s not a one-off performance. Instead, it’s a long-term commitment to person-centered engagement. The program is also intergenerational in spirit, incorporating family caregivers and younger volunteers into musical storytelling. It has been recognized as a core component of Winter Growth’s FY2026 project, funded by the Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation, and is gaining attention as a replicable best practice in memory care.
The Ensemble-in-Residence program at Winter Growth has sparked profound moments of connection, creativity, and self-expression – especially among participants living with memory loss and cognitive decline. These experiences illustrate the program’s extraordinary ability to improve quality of life through the transformative power of music.
Take, for example, Ms. J, a former choir leader living with dementia. During a lyric-writing session with the Iris Music Project team, she composed an original song that recounted a long-ago love. The process gave her an opportunity to reflect, share, and reconnect with a part of herself her family hadn’t seen in years. For her loved ones, the song revealed a chapter of her life they had never heard about. The finished piece was later performed by the Iris musicians in a community concert – allowing Ms. J’s personal story to touch the wider community and giving her a powerful sense of contribution and recognition.
Then there’s Mr. D, who had long enjoyed playing the guitar in his youth but had grown increasingly withdrawn in recent years. Shortly after the start of the program, staff noticed a striking change: Mr. D began arriving at Winter Growth with his old guitar in hand, newly tuned and dusted off. He worked closely with the musicians to co-create original songs, which he proudly performed during a participant showcase. This renewed engagement brought a spark to his daily routine – and a deep sense of pride and joy that had been missing for some time.
These are not isolated stories. They reflect what’s possible when people are given the chance to express themselves, reconnect with their pasts, and contribute creatively – regardless of age, ability, or diagnosis. The Ensemble-in-Residence program affirms that each person’s voice matters, and that moments of meaning, beauty, and joy are possible in every season of life.