| Dear Families and Friends,
As summer approaches, I hope you are finding opportunities to enjoy time outdoors and in community.
May has been buzzing with activity, from planting projects at the Helen Kaplan ICF to celebrations honoring nurses, psychologists, and longtime employees. These moments remind us that the strength of our mission comes from supporting one another.
Another way to support our community is by advocating for disability services funding in the New York State Budget. As budget negotiations continue, please take a moment to support:
- A 4% Targeted Inflationary Increase (TII) to supplement the Governor's 1.7% and ensure funding accounts for the increased cost of living, with at least 2.7% for agencies to invest in everyday operating costs.
- The Careforce Affordability Initiative to support affordable housing, childcare, and healthcare for direct care staff.
In less than three minutes, you can make a difference by participating in our one-click campaign or visiting our Advocacy Center to learn more.
I also invite you to mark your calendar for the AHRC Foundation Rose Ball on June 11. Together, we will celebrate the programs and services people rely on while reminding staff members that they are surrounded by a community that cares deeply about them. |
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| | | Camp Loyaltown Opens June 14 for Another Summer of Creativity and Connection:
Why Siblings Eddie and Justine Bortell Return Year After Year |
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| Very soon, Camp Loyaltown will be buzzing with creativity and joy as campers arrive for another memorable summer in Hunter, New York. |
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| Camp Loyaltown is a sleepaway camp for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Sessions range from one to two weeks. Each day is filled with activities campers can choose, from arts & crafts and swimming to talent shows and campfires. |
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| “Camp Loyaltown is where your child can be who they are,” said Savita Sharma, the Director of Family Support Services and Camp Loyaltown.
Ninety percent of campers are returnees. Among them are siblings Eddie and Justine Bortell. Eddie has attended camp for over 15 years, while Justine is entering her third summer. |
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| | | Blossoming At Home
Port Washington Housemates and Staff Create Sensory Garden |
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| | Colorful flowers and kindness rocks now brighten the Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA) in Port Washington, creating a welcoming space that stands out along a busy street. The sensory garden came together through a meaningful collaboration between housemates and staff. |
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| So far, the garden is filled with spring flowers, such as tulips, along with hand-painted kindness rocks decorated with everyone’s names, people they love and appreciate, and uplifting words of hope and unity, including “profound,” “I’m passionate,” “hope,” “peace,” “fun,” “trust,” “parents,” and “home.” |
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| | | Blooming Together at Helen Kaplan Center
Seed plantings, mindfulness exercises on a beautiful spring day |
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| Inez McDannell, a Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP), made the start of spring personal for the people supported at the Helen Kaplan Center (The Center) with a hand-on celebration of Earth Day, Autism and Neurodiversity Acceptance Month, and National Stress Awareness Month. |
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| She organized an afternoon of activities, where men and women who reside at the Center, could spend time outside planting wildflower seeds in cups, with the opportunity to watch the flowers grow over the coming weeks. There were also puzzle pieces to color, representing a well-known symbol of autism awareness, as well as mindful activities like aroma therapy and sensory toys.
“It’s a good opportunity to just be together,” Inez said. |
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| | | Her Advocacy Lives On:
Bench at Rugby Road House Dedicated in Memory of Maude Guillaume-Rennie |
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| | Cecilia Maudlyn Guillaume-Rennie, known as Maude, worked at Citizens for 26 years. During that time, Maude served as the House Manager for the Rugby Road and Ivy Avenue Houses and is remembered for her warmth, professionalism, and advocacy for the people she supported. Maude passed away in 2023. |
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| With flowers in bloom and a garden ready to welcome visitors, people supported, family members, staff, and friends gathered to celebrate Maude’s life and share memories of her lasting impact. |
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| “Like myself, she started off as a Direct Support Professional, and through her hard work and determination, she grew to the point that she became a manager,” said Stanfort J. Perry, CEO. “She was especially known for her fierce advocacy for the young women in this house. Nothing got in her way when it came to making sure their needs were met.” |
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| | | Shining a Light on Nurses this #NationalNursesWeek |
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| | Nurses play a vital role in assisting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to be healthy and safe while providing a wide range of services and support.
“We have a foundation where nurses are respected and supported,” said Sallyanne Burgess, Vice President of Operations. “It’s the essential piece of the puzzle.” |
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| At Citizens Options Unlimited, nurses provide the highest-quality medical care, while also advocating for the people they support. Because some people may not be able to express their needs with words, nurses work hard to build trust and understanding. They stay in touch with families and care teams, offer self-care advice, and help coordinate appointments and follow-ups.
During National Nurses Week, from May 6 to 12, Citizens Options Unlimited celebrated the nurses who care for people in Residential Services and at Camp Loyaltown, including Kathleen Charbonneau, RN and Assistant Nurse Manager at Camp Loyaltown; Laura Nagengast, RN at Shoreham ICF; Marvin Morales, RN for IRAs; Suzanne Gabler, Nurse Manager at Camp Loyaltown; Sara Buckley, LPN at Shoreham ICF; Ishri Prashad, RN for IRAs; Erica Price, RN for IRAs and Elizabeth Delisca, LPN at Helen Kaplan Center ICF. |
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| | | Celebrating 10 to 40 Years of Dedication at
Milestone Events |
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| | Citizens Options Unlimited honored staff members celebrating 10 to 40 years of service during milestone events held April 29 and May 5 at the Brookville mansion, recognizing decades of dedication to supporting people with developmental disabilities and families. |
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| | | Celebrating Behavioral Health Professionals as Part of
Psychology Day |
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| At Citizens Options Unlimited, May 12 is recognized as Psychology Day. To mark the occasion, clinicians attended a luncheon at the Brookville mansion. The event provided an opportunity to connect with colleagues from AHRC Nassau and Brookville Center for Children’s Services and included gifts from One Stop Gift Shop, such as a t-shirt and notebook. |
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| Behavioral specialists and psychologists at Citizens Options Unlimited support people with dual diagnoses and co-occurring mental health concerns. They provide guidance during daily routines, transitions, and crises, offering expertise, developing behavioral plans, and coaching Direct Support Professionals.
“You bring evidence-based practices to complex human situations, and you do that with compassion, with humility, and respect,” said Stanfort J. Perry, CEO. “Supporting people with disabilities also requires a rare combination of strength, and you possess those strengths, which are critically important to our success. It really does mean seeing the whole person: their strengths, their preferences, their trauma history, their medical needs, their communication styles, their culture, their goals, and then building support for that person’s life.” |
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| | Citizens Options Unlimited to Launch Month of
Belonging in June |
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| | June will be recognized as the Month of Belonging at Citizens Options Unlimited. Together, we will celebrate the many cultures and traditions that make our community so vibrant, inclusive, and strong.
Building on the 2024 Day of Belonging and 2025 Week of Belonging, the Citizens Options Unlimited Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee expanded the celebration into a full month to ensure that everyone across our programs had the opportunity to share and connect. |
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| Throughout the month, people supported by Residential and Family Support Services, along with staff, will experience activities, cultural displays and performances, and delicious food.
Stay tuned! |
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| | | Support the 2026 Rose Ball! |
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| We are proud to honor Jack and Eydie Garofalo with the Margaret Riva Lifetime Achievement Award and Jack N. Posner, Esq. with our Cornerstone Award for their decades of advocacy, leadership, and commitment to children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
For over 76 years, the Rose Ball has helped strengthen education, healthcare, residential services, employment opportunities, recreation, and community programs that create opportunity in people’s lives every day. |
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| | | InformMe Educational Workshop Series
Check out AHRC Nasau’s InformMe Educational Workshop Series, which provides families and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) with practical guidance and reliable information to navigate the IDD system, access services, and address challenges along the way.
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| | | | The Mansion at Wheatley Farms offers high-quality, personalized services for all your catering needs. Situated on a beautiful and pristine 20-acre estate in Brookville, NY, the Mansion at Wheatley Farms offers a timeless setting with modern dishes for any celebration, big or small! |
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| | | | Order spring and summer flowers and plant baskets from the historic Wheatley Farms Greenhouse located in Brookville.
Wheatley Farms offers beautifully handcrafted selections of annuals, perennials, and hanging baskets.
Every purchase also supports pre-vocational learning opportunities and employment for people with developmental disabilities, providing hands-on experience in horticulture, teamwork, and workplace skills. |
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| | | AHRC Foundation Walk 2026 |
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| Sunday, October 25, 2026
- 10:00am - Registration opens
- 10:30am - Opening Ceremonies
- 11:00am - Ribbon cutting, Walk begins
Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, NY
Field 6A |
| The AHRC Foundation Walk brings together children and adults with developmental disabilities, along with families, friends, staff, and community partners, for a family-friendly celebration of unity and support.
In partnership with AHRC Nassau, Brookville Center for Children’s Services, and Citizens Options Unlimited, we welcome the entire Long Island I/DD community to walk side by side and raise funds for vital programs and services, including health, education, employment, and respite and recreation.
Together, we move forward — leaving no one behind. |
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