AHRC Nassau DSP Appreciation Book 2024

To our amazing DSPs!

What a wonderful Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week it was! Thank you to all the families, friends, supporters and fellow team members who took a moment to share words of thanks and appreciation to our amazing DSP workforce.

The work DSPs do to support people with developmental disabilities is invaluable and we are grateful for their tremendous effort. Although DSP week has come to a close, our sincere appreciation for these outstanding professionals continues year-round.

To the team at Cedar Street, Thank you for all you do to care for our son, Harry, and his housemates!

You make an incredible difference every day and you are very much appreciated!

Mary and Joe Bosnack

Special thanks to all the Staff at the Lynbrook hub site!

Their dedication, love, and support is always appreciated!

Love, The Spitaleris

My heartfelt and deep appreciation to the direct support staff at the Massapequa house for their kindness, concern & outstanding care of my son Mikey Dutchen.

I am grateful and thankful every day that your watchful eyes are keeping my son safe & content.

Thank you so much, Debbie, Steve, Bobby & Mikey Dutchen

The staff at Jackson Street treat the residents with compassion, kindness, and respect.

We truly appreciate the dedicated staff.

The Flanagan siblings

Matthew is my nephew and I am also his legal guardian. I have always had a wonderful experience contacting support staff and knowing Matt is in good hands!

I feel very fortunate to have him at Merrick Rd as he is well cared for. The staff is always available, helpful, and caring.

Whenever I have questions or concerns, I am answered immediately. They go above and beyond to support both Matt and the family connection.

I feel very comforted knowing there is sincere concern for his well being.

- Beverlee Bertinetti

I would like to recognize Leslie Ten Eyck and the incredible staff at Circle Drive, who take amazing care of my brother, John McGuire.

The staff at Jackson Leslie was a great support in helping me prepare documentation for filing for Guardianship for John.

Street treat the residents She has been a great resource in helping to get with compassion, paperwork and appointments scheduled rapidly. kindness, and respect.

Although Leslie is no longer the house manager, she always made sure the house was run efficiently, and all the health needs were fulfilled for John.

We truly appreciate the It is clear that his well-being is still a priority as evidenced by her actions and care. I would also like dedicated staff. to thank the excellent Circle Drive staff for the extra effort that they have taken to help John.

I would like to thank Carole Simmons for also ensuring all medical appointments are made and kept and communicating with me. I’d also like to extend a special thanks to all the subs who have come to help out at the house.

The Flanagan siblings With sincerest and heartfelt gratitude, Susan McGuire

Jeri Lynn attends the Jericho hub site and wants to thank all the DSPs that work there.

They do a great job and she enjoys joking around with them.

They are always pleasant and smiling and of course helpful.

THANK YOU DSPs!

❤️😊

- Jeri Lynn Passarella

Our family would like to send a HUGE thank you to ALL the DSPs at the Cedar Street home in Freeport.

They have all banded together to keep a close eye on my son Kyle for seizure events & their quick responses have prevented his injury several times already.

He had to be hospitalized a few months back & the support from the whole house was amazing! They went above & beyond, over & over!

I can’t single out any one person there as it has been a real team effort. We are truly indebted to you all for caring for both our sons (Dylan & Kyle).

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

- The Fitzpatrick Family

About a year ago, my brother David Tuthill moved into the AHRC St. Andrews Lane home in Glen Cove. He has a beautiful room and is very happy there.

He had previously been living in Syosset but longed to be back in Glen Cove where he lived for 56 years with his father.

David's move back to Glen Cove was facilitated with the help of Shaun Weathers, whom we are also indebted to.

David attends the Sea Cliff day program with MaryAnn, Mike and all the wonderful staff there, and always looks forward to it. In fact, when the weekends hit, he is frequently annoyed because he loves his day program so much.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the staff at St. Andrews: Dave, Daisy, Suzanne, Alexandra, Margaret, and Evelyn. We can't tell you enough how much we appreciate and admire all you do for David each and every day!

Blessings to you all!

XOXOXO - Paul Tuthill

My son Joey had to have surgery and was in the hospital for several weeks.

The people who work in his house never left him alone. They took turns staying with him in his hospital room 24 hours a day.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to all of them. This was above and beyond the call of duty.

It was love and dedication. I cannot thank them enough.

Sincerely, Delcia Telson

Jabari Horton has been the most amazing supporter and advocate for my sister, Diana Pino, for several years.

He genuinely cares about her well-being, respects her wish to always feel independent, and generally goes about and beyond whenever it comes to Diana.

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful human being by my sister's side, allowing her to live the fullest life.

Thank you, Jabari! You are the best!

- Yolanda Stahl

I have been so impressed by the true heartfelt caring of all of the DSPs I have met over the past 10 years that I have been both a volunteer and Board Member of AHRC Nassau.

Thank you so much for your much-appreciated hard work and commitment.

- Dennis Novick

I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to all of the Direct support Professionals at the Bourne Ct. Residence.

Thank you for all of your hard work and for your dedication to our family members, who depend on you to help them to experience, on a daily basis, fulfilling and dignified lives.

Your efforts have created a wonderful home environment for our family members.

- Eileen Goggins

Thank you to Lee & The Pines staff for being patient and understanding.

This past weekend, Miriam, Charlene & Jackie made the house a welcoming environment with a good dinner for the girls.

It's hard when supported persons can't speak up for themselves but it's comforting for family members to know that regular staff is there caring for our loved ones.

- Natasha Ruiz

Special thanks to one of a great This past weekend, Miriam, Charlene & crew of DSPs Jackie made the houseat a welcoming environment with a good dinner for the the Francis girls.

Avenue house, It's hard when supported persons can't where son Dan speak upmy for themselves but it's comforting for family members to know Mulvaney lives. that regular staff is there caring for Thank you to Lee & The Pines staff for being patient and understanding.

our loved ones.

- Monaya Holley

- Natasha Ruiz

Jane is a resident of South Cottage Street. She is well cared for. The manager, Tasha, is always available and keeps me updated.

Her assistant Christine is also there to help. The entire staff is there for Jane and me.

Much thanks, Mary Ellen Lauri

My brother has lived at the Hook Lane residence since it opened 16 and a half years ago. Thanks to the endless understanding, patience, and gentle guidance of the staff there, he has grown by leaps and bounds.

His confidence and maturity are matched only by his independence.

The DSPs who work with him treat him and his housemates with the same respect and compassion they would treat their own family.

We are endlessly grateful for their hard work and devotion.

- Mollie Traversa

My son has been a resident of the Hook Lane house in Levittown since it opened 16 years ago.

He has grown and matured in countless ways with the support and care of the entire staff.

Everyone is treated with love, care and respect, and have their vastly different needs expertly met.

I wish every staff member health, peace, and many more successful years at Hook Lane.

I sleep at night knowing that these people are caring for my son.

- Harriet Traversa

We are so grateful to the Direct Support Professionals at Elm Drive in Levittown.

They have a particularly difficult task which requires incredible patience and integrity and we have the utmost respect for them and the work they do.

- Karen Fagelman

During the over twenty-five years that my family has been involved with AHRC, I have frequently repeated the same mantra: working with any individual of the disabled population does not entail a job or profession but rather a calling, and a very special one at that.

Many jobs/professions can get by, on a daily basis, without showing love. Working with the disabled cannot. So, that being said, those that work with our children, siblings, or other loved ones, deserve unending love, respect, and yes, more money. It is more than a little unsettling that the pay scale of DSPs is nowhere near what they deserve.

What they also deserve, and we as supporters can give them, is support and respect and a kind word of gratitude more often than not.

God bless them all.

- Susan Broderick

Mary Ann Thorsen takes my son John out every Tuesday. They spend time walking in one of the various parks in Nassau County. Mary Ann challenges John to count steps.

They usually have dinner together so John can work on choosing healthy choices and his money skills. John always enjoys the time he spends with Mary Ann. They also enjoy singing together in the car. I am so grateful to Mary Ann for her creativity in selecting activities she shares with John - John Kern

Thank you DSPs for all that you do for AHRC and Citizens.

You are rock stars in this 75th year of AHRC Nassau!

- Noah Probert

I am so appreciative of all the staff at the New Woods residence.

Thank you for all you do to keep my brother safe and happy.

Dorothy Pugliese

The team at Wheatley Farms is family to us!

They are so kind and supportive of Grace's needs.

I am grateful and blessed to have Grace attend this program since its inception.

Every day she is happy to go to program. The Wheatley Farms team has tagged her "The Original."

Thank you, Gene, Leotha, Nikki, and everyone who shows up to be a part of this team.

- Janet Ann Cardillo

This is a shout-out to all of my friends at Seaford dayhab. There are no words to express my gratitude and appreciation for all the support, kindness and patience you’ve shown to my son John!

All of you are much more than workers, I consider you family. I love it when I come to visit or pick up John. I get to hang out and catch up on all the latest news.

The Seaford dayhab is filled with amazing loving people, and we’re so glad we found you.

😊

- Susan Payne

BARBARA CIPRIANO IS ONE OF THE KINDEST AND MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE I KNOW. WHEN YOU NEED SOMETHING FOR THE PEOPLE WE SUPPORT OR ANY ENDEAVOR, JUST ASK BARBARA, SHE’LL MAKE IT HAPPEN! LIVINGSTON STREET IS BLESSED BY YOUR PRESENCE EVERY DAY AND I’M LUCKY TO CALL YOU MY FRIEND!

❤️

- LYNNE BREWER

Our son, Darius, “Dari” is 36 and has never spoken a word.

Sometimes it is hard to understand what he likes or what he doesn't like. However, he overcame that difficulty and his face tells us the immense joy he feels when he steps into his Carmans Road, Massapequa hub site and lays eyes on the extraordinary staff there.

Anyone can see that he loves that place. In his eyes, it is a Disney World of a place! On the weekends, when there is no hub site, he is very disappointed and sits on the stairs waiting for us to put on his shoes so he can go to the hub site. He gets angry when we tell him, "No hub site today."

We would like to thank the beautiful people who make up that staff, who turn a plain building into a Disney World for a guy like Dari.

We are forever grateful to you!

- Pini and Ron Churgin

Love the AHRC! - Miles Semilof

My brother, Michael, has been living at the Woodmere Residence for over 30 years. It is truely his home, as he enjoys living there.

Even after spending time at my home, he looks forward to going to his home. Words can’t express how lucky we feel, that HE feels this way. Regina has always been a great support to my brother. She cares very much about Michael and the other residents at his home.

She is there for everyone, and certainly goes above and beyond for not only the residents, but their families as well.

Thank you, Regina, for your dedication and service.

- Annette Ingui

KRISTEN AMGULI AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ASSIST HER AT THE EAST MEADOW APARTMENTS ARE WONDERFUL IN HELPING MY DAUGHTER. THEY DO SO MUCH TO HELP HER. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. - ROBERTA SIEGEL