Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Jessica Lovejoy

Jon Williams

Melissa McFarland

Cherish Burn

Apreal Grow

Amy Guy

Shirley Fogus

Danielle Jones

Reese Wojtowicz-

Kassidy Keeting

Becky Kendzerski

I want to nominate my brother Nate for an award because of the way he cares for our other brother. He takes his time with him, helps him with chores, and takes him places. He doesn’t rush or ignore him—he really pays attention. Nate shows patience, kindness, and love every day. He helps without being asked and makes sure our brother feels supported and included. That means a lot to me, and I think it deserves to be recognized.

Kallie has always worked with most behavioral clients we have. She still tries to get them out and doing things no matter work. The girls she even goes to their homes when she not working just to do their hair. She is very up beat and she help one client lose 45 pounds for better health. She goes out of way to show that she is here to help not just a paycheck.

Christian is a young DSP just starting out in the workforce, and he’s already shown remarkable dedication and heart. He approaches every shift with a positive attitude and a deep sense of compassion. Christian serves each individual with respect and without judgment, and he never hesitates to stand up and advocate fearlessly for their rights. His commitment and integrity are truly inspiring.

Each time I visit my individuals, Theresa is always engaged and making sure her guys are safe and have what they need. Theresa is very knowledgeable about the needed supports and is a big advocate for ensuring that their voices are heard, and is truly making a difference in their lives!

Scotty joined Shelly’s room in August of 2024. Shelly has worked very hard to assist Scotty with communication making for a smooth transition. Shelly took it upon herself to make communication cards appropriate for the new room/environment. Since day one Shelly has tried new activities with Scotty. She is creative in ways of engaging others and getting them to try new things. Shelly is upbeat, easygoing, energetic and motivated. You can see when you walk in the room all the smiles. Her energy is contagious and I feel it helps to encourage Scotty to do more, engage more and laugh a lot. I feel Shelly is an exceptional asset to Active Day and we are blessed to have her as a DSP. Scotty was at home for a couple of months earlier this year following surgery. Shelly stayed in touch. Offering support at time of surgery and continued to check in frequently. Each time I read the message Scotty was all smiles.

Jake always goes above and beyond for his client Peggy. She has high anxiety and its important to keep her busy. He is great at keeping her moving and active . He started going to her water dance class and swimming lessons with her so was not alone and felt safe. He is always there for her to talk to and encourages her to do new things. He is very kind and friendly. You can tell her loves what he does and treats her as his family. I wants to thank Jake for everything her does for Peggy and tell his work with Peggy makes a huge difference in her life. Thank you Jake.

Tammy has changed my life for the better. She is one of my biggest advocates, pushing me to make better choices. She has also been the biggest supporter in my corner, very caring and keeping me accountable to live my best life. Even when Tammy is not scheduled to work with me, she checks in on me to make sure I am doing okay and is always there to listen to my worries and give me a positive outlook. Tammy has really helped me explore my community, stay active, and is encouraging me to work towards my goals of living a healthier lifestyle. I truly appreciate everything Tammy does for me.

As our manager and leading DSP Rabecca brings exceptional leadership skills both in knowledge and social skills. As the staff leader she is always willing to take time to listen and offer well thought out solutions. She is the first person to volunteer to help those in need, such as filling in when a staff member needs an excused time off. She gives very generously of herself and time in every aspect of life, life, home and community. As our leading DSP Rabecca makes every effort to start and end each clients day with a friendly smile and positive outlook. The clients look forward to greeting her each morning as she takes special pride in making each individual feel important and cared about. She calmly guides each individual through their ups and downs in a special and caring way. We at Greenelight Workforce are truly blessed that Rabecca chose us as her workplace. The Ashtabula community has a true, trusted and leader living and working with them. We would all do well to follow her example.

Number one, we spend a good 6 months of the year together completing multiple annual OISPs, and she never gets tired of me! Number two, she is a woman of family, this includes her own babies as well as all of the people she serves. Then number three, I have one gentleman we work with who comes to mind, where she always goes above and beyond. Since knowing him for almost three years, he has had multiple health and medical situations occur that have been quite scary. Anyone who is willing and able to provide support and help someone through, maybe, the scariest days of their lives deserves to be recognized. Whether she drives him over an hour away to get to his doctor appointment, makes sure he is eating the right food, advocates for what he deserves, or simply making sure he has he favorite Janet Jackson shirt while he is cooped up in the nursing home. Luarinda, you have, quite literally, helped him survive and live his best life. Thank you for all you do!

Parker helps me keeps motivated to clean my room. Gets my laptop up and running for me to use. He not only cares for me, but he also takes time out from his other duties to just hanging out or just watching movies with me. He gives me the morning reports of the day because he is the right-hand man to the king (That Would be me).

She always seems to have a big smile on her face when she comes into work making me feel happy that she is there. When she works on the day we have track and we come home late, she helps me get ready for bed, breads my hair very gently and tucks me into bed, then she reads to me one on one. She always makes me feel comfortable even how I would like to have my door open at night. When we don't have to work the next day, I stay up later, and we play board games and or movies. She will even start my day off right with not turning my lights on for me to get up, she gently says Jordyn it's time to wake up. She is a blessing to me.

She is decicated to all the men and ensuring a good quality of life. She goes above and beyond with activities, support strategies, and hands on care for any individual. She is a great role model and hands on supervisor. Her personality and work ethic shines everyday.

Trena consistently goes above and beyond for the individuals she serves. Each morning, she takes the time to ensure her individual has a well-styled hairstyle before heading to the workshop. Demonstrating her dedication, Trena even came in on her day off for the Night to Shine event, making sure her individual had the best hair of the night. She is one of the most reliable, caring, and dedicated DSPs, always willing to step in and pick up shifts whenever needed to ensure her individual receives the support they deserve. We truly appreciate and value Trena as a vital part of the team at Accessible Home Services!

Lashonda cares with her whole heart. She sat with one of my guys for days without getting paid for it because he was in hospital and we didn't want to leave him alone. Lashonda has worked with one of our blind consumer and we received a letter from two people at the bowling alley about how she is just so patient and how her demeanor with individuals shows what a kind and loving person she is. Lashonda has always worked with more challenging clients(as more behavioral) and makes a difference for each one with understand and helping them talk worth problems not to hit.

She is a great advocate, good listener, and and go getter she helps me accomplish my goals. Even if the goal is not attainable right then and there she talks me through how I can get there she goes above me on then what the job requires most days when she works it doesn't feel like a shift it feels like a friend is coming over she's full of encouragement instead discouragement instead of saying no it's why not she always makes sure that my voice is heard and not falling on the deaf ears she always encourages me to use my voice even though sometimes I feel like there's no point she always is encouraging me to use it I love the fact that she is encouraging instead of discouraging and that's what makes in my opinion khaila a great DSP a lot of people that I work with just work with me when they are on the clock but khaila has done more for me off the clock and some people in the past have done for me on the clock so this is just a small glimpse of what makes her one of my favorite DSPS

Missy is not afraid to advocate for those that may not be able to do that for themselves. She has and will continue to create jobs for those individuals that want to earn an income for themselves. She is currently looking into other ways that we, at Greenelight, can explore & serve in our community in a greater capacity. She values and listens to the input of the clients to create the work and events schedule.

Because she helps me whenever I need it, she's kind and always smiles

Annette has worked as a DSP for 25 years. During the past 25 years she has worked in many different capacities. She advocates everyday for the individuals she serves to make sure they are living their best lives. She supervises a group of individuals with many different needs and always is able to find a way to meet all of their needs daily. She plans fun and educational outings to encourage community inclusion with all of her individuals. Annette also gives back to her community by volunteering her time with the Relay for Life and East Plymouth Grange. She is always willing to help where ever she is needed. We are proud of Annette and her accomplishments over the last 25 years and are grateful that she is on Team Active Day!

"Yvette is always very nice, she understands me and knows how to help me with anything. I wish there were more Yvette's because she really is fun to be around, funny, smart, and I feel that she supports and advocates for my needs with a smile and I can tell she likes her job"

Wilson has never done this work before, to which he has found it very humbling and rewarding. To his surprise, he enjoys it and looks forward to work every day. Loves getting to know the individuals and making their day brighter when they interact with him. he always has a joke and can get them all to laugh. Wilson is very dependable, always willing to do whatever needs done.... Wed be lost without him.

12 years ago John came to Greenelight and applied for the open driving position. He has since become a DSP at A Lasting Impression, and a supervisor for Greenelight's transportation department. John is also a veteran. John goes out of his way to teach the individuals he works with about tools and machinery. He helps them explore different job opportunities in the community and works along-side them. He demonstrates great integrity when he is working with individuals and goes above and beyond to make sure they feel supported. He individualizes his care with each individual he serves. Even off the clock, John will show individuals support as needed without hesitation. John has been someone that individuals and co-workers can go to for support, assistance, and advice when needed.