Sharing the Journey – April 2024
Check out the April edition of Sharing the Journey View the April Edition of Sharing the Journey Missed previous editions? Check out our Agency News page to see all editions from this past year!
Celebrating Spring
Camaraderie, cuisine, and celebration were found in abundance at our Brain Injury Program’s annual Spring Fling! On Friday, April 26, program participants, staff, and family members gathered at Harmony Hall in Schenectady to spend an elegant evening together. The room was decorated beautifully, music was played, and a full three course dinner was shared among friends, many of whom say the program has become like a second family. Party-goers talked, laughed, and danced the night away in each other’s company! Our Brain Injury Program supports survivors as they navigate their lives post-injury, finding community, happiness, and new purpose. To learn more, [...]
A True Blessing
We are deeply grateful to Grace Episcopal Church, St. Paul’s Campus, in Ossining, New York for the generosity and support recently gifted to our Day Community Opportunities Program (DCOP). Boxes of materials, ready to be used in craft projects, which were being stored on the church’s second floor, are being donated for use by our participants. “We are happy to support you as you support others,” writes the Rev. Hal Roark. Assistant Director of Day Services for the Southern Region Donna King, calls the donation “a true blessing.” The church is also providing DCOP with access of its building and grounds, [...]
Meet Abby! College Experience Grad Reflects on Triumphs and Challenges during Autism Acceptance Month
“If you feel like you need to fight for something, absolutely fight for it. You don’t have to back down.” That’s the message 22-year-old Abby Censabella has for those still working to find out who they really are and where they truly belong. Abby was diagnosed with Autism just a few years ago, and she had to move from Rhode Island to New York in order to get her diagnosis fully recognized. She found community, direction, and purpose as a student in The College Experience, entering the program in 2020 and graduating two years later. “It’s hard to get diagnosed,” Abby [...]
Fun on the Farm
Our Day Community Opportunities Program (DCOP) recently ventured out to Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont to explore everything agricultural! The farm is currently hosting its highly-anticipated Baby Animal Days, where young goats, rabbits, chicks and other barnyard animals are proudly showed off to adoring crowds. Program participants from Saratoga County made their way through the many exhibits, petting the animals’ soft fur and feathers as they learned all about them from Indian Ladder staff members. These pictures show just how much fun everyone had! After all of the exhibits were fully enjoyed, participants stepped into Indian Ladder’s country store, where they [...]
A Once-In-A-Lifetime Phenomenon
On April 8, we were treated to a rare astrological sight – a solar eclipse took over the sky in the afternoon and when the clouds parted, the sight was truly something to behold! Those inside our office at 300 Washington Avenue Extension filed outside, with their glasses in hand, to watch the moon cross in front of the sun from the parking lot. Office staff joined together with participants in our Brain Injury Structured Day Program and many ooohs and ahhhs were heard among the crowd. For several students in The College Experience, the Albany Skyway was a picturesque [...]
Our Last Big Budget Season Push
“Invest in who? Invest in ME!” The well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany was jam-packed with hundreds of cheering, clapping, and yelling people, all united in the call for adequate investment in the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) community as budget negotiations reach their final, most pivotal moments. Our fight is not over yet! At the rally organized by New York Disability Advocates, lawmakers, a direct support professional, and the father of an individual with a disability each approached the podium to share personal stories and energize the crowd. Senator John Mannion and Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, chairs of [...]
Sharing the Journey – March 2024
Check out the March edition of Sharing the Journey View the March Edition of Sharing the Journey Missed previous editions? Check out our Agency News page to see all editions from this past year!
Creativity on Display
It was the opening day of our newest art installation, and the excitement was palpable. Each new art show is thrilling, but this one was unique. As Roxanne Storms, Art Instructor for our Structured Day Program said, “The participants of the Brain Injury Program have been in group art shows before, but this is the very first time we are having a show for only the ABI program.” It started with a desire to showcase the creativity of the photography and technology group led by Amanda Deere and Tom Reagan but grew to include a wide variety of art, including [...]
Visibility and Action during Brain Injury Awareness Month
Individuals from across New York State who survived a traumatic brain injury gathered with their families, caregivers, and other advocates inside the Legislative Office Building in Albany for a day of visibility and action. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month and those at the rally organized by The Brain Injury Association of New York State, showed up and spoke out! Living Resources was well-represented, with more than 20 members seated in the front three rows. After several lawmakers came to the podium, affirming their commitment to the Brain Injury community, participants in our Structured Day Program got up in front of [...]