NEWS SUMMER 2020 VOL. 69 ISSUE 2
Families Reunite, Agency Continues to Respond to Changing Times After three months of separation due to COVID-19, families were reunited in person at AHRC’s residences on Friday, June 19 — the first day New York State allowed visits at group homes.
Day Services Re-Open With great joy, AHRC Day Service sites re-opened their
doors
on
Wednesday, July 22. At the AHRC
Family members’ letters, phone calls and social media messages led to New York State publishing initial visitation guidelines for certified residences for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) under the auspices of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). “We have been working with our colleagues in implementing these initial guidelines and expect that they will likely grow and evolve as we continue to receive guidance from OPWDD and other regulatory agencies,” said Stanfort Perry, executive director of AHRC Nassau. Continued on page 3
“The advocacy of families is what led New York State to re-open the group homes. It happened because of families’ profound determination and sincere love. This is the ethos the agency was built on – AHRC Nassau was family founded and remains family led,” said Stanfort Perry, Executive Director, AHRC Nassau
The Leahy sisters reunited! See on page 2 a special letter of what a first visit meant to Colleen (right) and Patricia (left).
East Meadow Art Gallery, a festive we l c o m e s i g n and enthusiastic staff were ready to offer a warm hello. Each artist received their own art kit and enjoyed a schedule of art, gardening, dancing, and of course lots of smiles.
Traversa Family Featured on TODAY Show
COVID-19 created different challenges for different families. The Traversa family shared their experiences on the TODAY Show with news anchor, Craig Melvin. Check out the full segment at ahrc.org/blog to see Sal and Mrs. Traversa share their experiences, alongside a family from The Arc Westchester.