Liberty ARC Stories

“Anyone with a disability has as much right to employment as anyone else,” Liberty ARC’s Employment Support Specialist Caroline Snell said. “I think it’s important to recognize people with disabilities who work because they’re accomplishing their goals. We need to recognize them for going to work and working side-by-side with you and me – they’re getting it done.”

“My sister has Spina bifida – she works full-time and lives alone,” Liberty ARC’s Senior Employment Training Specialist Kalesha Niles said. “Having a job has been so rewarding for her; the confidence and feeling of independence she gets from working have been huge. When I saw how happy having a job made her feel, it influenced me to work here at Liberty ARC to help individuals find employment.”

“Working with Harry Bugasch isn’t like work at all,” Liberty ARC Direct Support Professional (DSP) Sue Pacillo said. “Harry’s fun, he’s got a great personality and he puts me in my place sometimes, which is what everyone needs from time-to-time.”

“He’s helped me become a great magician,” Cody Schultz said of Liberty ARC’s Behavior Support Specialist Jeremy Purtell. “A great magician never reveals his tricks, but I’ll just say that Jeremy has helped me become a great one.”

“You owe me another Uno rematch,” Kenny Hotaling said with a smile. “I need another chance to be champion – you won’t beat me this time.”

“What did the dog say to the sandpaper?” Joey Then’s joke app on his iPad asks. Joey waits a few seconds to see if anybody knows the answer, when nobody responds, he presses the answer button. “’Ruff’,” the app answers. Everybody laughs, including Joey.

Deitra Stockwell, an Assistant Hab Specialist 1 at Liberty ARC, was given the opportunity to take an individual on his dream vacation, and it’s a memory she’ll never forget. “To see how happy he was to finally be there was the best feeling in the world for me,” Deitra said. Deitra, who’s been with the agency for 19 years, took Lester Hogabone – an avid racing fan – to Daytona International Speedway a couple of years ago, making his dream come true. “Lester is very much into racing,” she said. “He goes to the races at the Fonda track, he watches the races on TV every Sunday, he collects model cars – so going to Daytona was something he always dreamed of doing.”

Wouldn’t it be great to have the opportunity to visit a vacation destination as part of your job? Do you enjoy seeing the happiness on peoples’ faces when you help them experience something amazing for the first time? If so, why not consider applying for a job as a Direct Support Professional at Liberty ARC? Jen Payst, a Residential Assistant Manager at the agency, recently had the opportunity to visit a vacation destination along with two individuals she supports. “We all had a fantastic time,” she said. “Everything went smoothly and we all had fun.”

Marina Quatrini’s personal trips to Cape Cod have always been memorable – the ocean, the views, the places to visit – she’s always enjoyed vacationing there. When she was given the opportunity to bring an individual from Liberty ARC to Cape Cod for the first time, however, that memory easily became her favorite. “Just seeing him smile as he felt the sand and the ocean and listened to the waves all for the first time was amazing,” she said. Marina has worked at Liberty ARC for seven years. She’s currently a residential assistant manager at the home where Joe Moran lives in. Joe always wanted to visit the ocean – he always wanted to smell the salt water, feel the sand between his toes and listen to the waves crash against the beach. Last summer, Joe finally made it to the ocean with Marina by his side.