Benchmark Associate Receives Annual Beacon Award for Heroism
Benchmark Senior Living at Hamden’s Mia Criscuolo Honored For Heroic Rescue Following Last Year’s Tornado
Benchmark (www.benchmarkseniorliving.com), a human connection company and leading provider of senior living services in the Northeast, today announced that Mia Criscuolo, director of community relations for Benchmark Senior Living at Hamden, an assisted living and memory care community in Hamden, Conn., has received the Benchmark Beacon Award for 2018. At Benchmark’s 17th Annual Awards Gala held on March 28, 2019, Criscuolo was selected out of all of the company’s 58 communities and 6,400 associates for going above and beyond to model Benchmark’s values and for helping to create a community of genuinely committed and caring associates and satisfied residents.
She was recognized for exhibiting an act of heroism when the wife of a resident was severely affected by a tornado. The tornado damaged her home and made it impossible for her to leave or even be reached by first responders for three days. Hearing that a beloved member of their community was in dire straits, Criscuolo and a colleague set off on a rescue mission, which led them through a number of different routes due to road debris and a mile walk under wires and through downed trees before they could reach her. After helping her gather some belongings, they got her back to the community safely and provided housing for several weeks.
A Wallingford, Conn., resident, Criscuolo was drawn to senior care over 10 years ago when her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at a young age. Knowing first-hand how difficult the journey can sometimes be, she wanted to help empower families with the knowledge she gained as a caregiver to help them through it. Criscuolo earned a bachelor’s degree from Stephens College and is married with three children.
“I am so grateful for the work that Mia and all of our associates do every single day to elevate human connection,” says Tom Grape, founder, chairman and CEO of Benchmark. “Our annual awards gala is the highlight of my year because it’s an opportunity for all of us to come together to celebrate our communities and associates who sincerely live our company mission, vision and values. This year’s award winners are truly exemplary, and I could not be prouder of all we have accomplished together.”
About Benchmark
Based in Waltham, Mass., Benchmark is a leading provider of senior housing in the Northeast with 6,400 associates and 58 communities. Founded in 1997 by Tom Grape, Benchmark offers independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s care and skilled nursing in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. The organization was selected by FORTUNE magazine for its inaugural 2018 Best Workplaces for Aging Services list, taking the number 16 spot on the list of top 40 aging services companies and ranking number three among companies with more than 40 communities. Benchmark is one of only six companies named to The Boston Globe Top Places to Work list every year of the 11 years it has been published. And it has been consistently recognized by Boston Business Journal, Hartford Courant and Hartford Business Journal as a top workplace, and by the Boston Business Journal, Providence Business News and Hartford Business Journal as one of the healthiest employers. Click here for more information.
Press Contact: Carol Arnold, Arnold Communications, carol@arnoldcomm.com, (603) 502-0469.
Benchmark Senior Living at Hamden
