From the Desk of the CEO

Dear Friends and Families,

With summer here, it’s been a pleasure to see the Citizens Options Unlimited community connect and enjoy all the season has to offer.

Up at Camp Loyaltown, the campers, counselors, and staff, are experiencing the beauty of Hunter, NY and expressing their creativity and talent during sing-a-longs, arts and crafts, and sports activities. On Long Island, our community is also making the most of summer, from thrill-seeking at Splish Splash to barbecuing in the backyard.

It’s because of the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed on July 26, 1990, that we can experience a wide range of public amenities, services, and opportunities. Disability Pride Month recognizes the passing of the ADA as well as all the progress made. This July, we also recognize National Fragile X Awareness Month. Fragile X syndrome, inherited genetically, causes intellectual disability, behavioral and learning challenges, and various physical characteristics.

The independence and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities are also based on the excellence and expertise of staff. Through August 12, consider sharing your perspective with federal policymakers on why the role of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) must be recognized by the US Office of Management and Budget as a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Learn more at www.citizens-inc.org/advocate.    

Together, we can continue to advance our mission supporting people to live the lives they choose. Thank you for your partnership

Best Regards,

Stanfort J. Perry 
Chief Executive Officer 

Self-Advocate Profile: Tanya Castiello Trains Hundreds of New Employees

Tanya Castiello, employed as a Quality Assurance Advocate, routinely attends new hire orientations for Citizens Options Unlimited and AHRC Nassau to read the rights and responsibilities of staff and people supported. Tanya lives in Syosset, in a home supported by Citizens. In addition to reading the rights and responsibilities of new staff, Tanya shares her experience of being supported by residential services and working with Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and management.

Tanya’s contribution to the new hire orientation over the four and a half years has shaped the perspectives of hundreds of employees beginning their careers in the field of disability care.

“I like it,” Tanya said of her job. “It helps me to come out of my shadow more and more.”

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time at her family home, visiting by booking rides on Able Ride. 

Citizens Options Unlimited Celebrates the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

“The Americans with Disabilities Act is an absolute victory for people with disabilities,” said Sallyanne Burgess, Vice President of Operations at Citizens Options Unlimited. “But it’s only the start. We need to every single day show every community that we are your neighbors. It’s all of us as members of the community, and ADA takes those first steps.”

It was the advocacy of people with disabilities and their loved ones that brought us here today. Accessible parking, wheelchair ramps, and elevators are common in public places. Public buses in Nassau and Suffolk are wheelchair accessible, and both transportation systems offer paratransit services such as Able-Ride and Suffolk County Accessible Transit, which many of the people we support utilize. Opportunities for employment at a competitive rate with accommodations are readily available for people with disabilities, including opportunities within our own network of agencies. And, disability care and residential support services are available within the community or residential-based setting, promoting the integration of people with disabilities into the wider community.

It is important for us to take a moment and reflect on how far we’ve come.

A Day in the Life of Camp Loyaltown Campers

Since Camp Loyaltown Session 1 began on June 16, the picturesque campgrounds in Hunter, New York have been filled with campers ready to create their own camp adventure! Every day is exciting, with a seemingly endless number of choices on how to spend the day.

Each activity area is fully staffed and open all day and every day. Campers and counselors have the freedom to choose activity stations and how long they’d like to spend there.

The day begins with a hearty breakfast, energizing campers and counselors for their adventures. After breakfast, campers and counselors explore the campgrounds, heading to their favorite activities, including arts and crafts, animal care, swimming, sports, music, and the sensory room, filled with comfortable mats, sensory toys and games. Some campers also enjoy going on the swings, playing mini golf, relaxing on one of the many Adirondack chairs throughout the camp property, or decorating the sidewalk with chalk.

On the last Friday of Session 2, the arts & craft station focused on decorating tote bags to be filled with all the crafts made throughout the camp session.

What will be done with the bag after camp is the camper’s choice. Camper Erika Maynard said she was planning on giving her bag as a gift back at home. If campers didn’t feel like decorating the tote bag, they had the option to do something else at the craft table, such as coloring a color sheet. 

With the day being overcast and humid, there weren’t many people in the pool. But there were still a few campers, including Angela Bonasia and Lauren Bernstein, who were peacefully swimming or cooling off on the shallow end.

Summer Fun at Home on Long Island

This month people all over Long Island have been enjoying the summer sun by exploring the many Long Island attractions, or simply enjoying a barbecue with friends and family.  

Here are a few highlights:

On July 4, neighbors across the North Shore came together for a summer barbecue! Residents from Citizens' homes on Red Spring Lane in Glen Cove and William Street in Glen Head joined those from AHRC Nassau's New Woods Glen Cove home for a festive cookout. It was a fantastic day filled with friendship, laughter, and relaxation as everyone enjoyed delicious barbecue and warm weather treats!

That same day, Residents of Citizens’ Pickwick Drive in Syosset ventured over to the Lynbrook Titans Carnival for a day of games, rides, including the Elephant Parade and the Farm Tractors ride. 

After all the fun and excitement, everyone returned home for a full summer barbecue.

Baseball Birthday Bash! Jamie Allen celebrated her birthday on July 13 with a baseball-themed party. Her home on Pickwick Drive was decorated with blue and orange balloons, streamers, plates, and tablecloths, all in honor of her favorite team, the New York Mets. Her cake even had the Mets logo on it! Jamie had a blast celebrating with her roommates and staff, making it a birthday to remember.

Residents of Saxon Avenue in Bayshore and staff members traveled out to Riverhead for a day at Splish Splash Waterpark.

The Kahuna Bay Wave Pool, which sends out four-foot waves across the pool, was certainly a favorite of all.  

Residents of the Red Spring Lane in Glen Cove have been exploring everything the City of Glen Cove has to offer, including the very first Downtown Sounds concert on July 5 and Welwyn Preserve.

Residents of Ontario Avenue love backyard barbecues! Since their first barbecue back on Memorial Day, they have enjoyed planning and decorating for these outdoor cookouts.

During a weekend in mid-July, Frank Billadello, John Volpe, Patrick Black, and Randy Cosby, joined with Ontario Avenue staff members in cooking and enjoying burgers, hot dogs, chicken, salads and a homemade ambrosia for dessert.

Jerry Powers, Director of Residential Services, Celebrated for 26 Years of Service

Citizens Options Unlimited is known for its dedicated employees, many of whom have been with the organization for decades. A shining example of this commitment is Gerald (“Jerry”) Powers, Director of Residential Services. Jerry's journey began 26 years ago when he first walked into an AHRC Nassau office in Brookville in July of 1998, and has been with Citizens Options Unlimited since January 2019.

“A friend of mine told me there was a good part time job that they thought I’d be good at, which is a Community Habilitation worker, assisting people who live at home,” Jerry said. “It was for weekends and evenings.”

Initially, Jerry did not think in terms of a long-term career with the agency.  His perspective changed when he attended a dance with the people he supported.

“I walked into the dance, and I saw everything that was happening, and I thought, ‘Oh, this is what I’m supposed to do.’ This experience gave me a direction.”

Jerry’s part-time job soon became full time when an opportunity opened in human resources as an employee’s benefits coordinator, and his career just kept growing from there.