Liberty ARC Stories

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.

“God saved my life a few years ago, so I decided I wanted to pursue becoming a minister,” Ben Martin, a Direct Support Professional at Liberty ARC said. Ben says working at the agency has allowed him to pursue his dream of studying Pastoral Ministries at Asbury University in Kentucky. “It’s been tough because the academic level is very high, but I’ve had so much support from Liberty ARC,” he said. “The flexibility of working here has made it possible for me to pursue this dream and come back home to a job when the semester is over.” Ben has only worked at the agency for a year, however, he says he’s already deeply connected to his job and is excited to be coming back for the summer.

When she’s not away at school, Keisha Carter works fulltime as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) in Liberty ARC’s Family Support Services (FSS) program. Keisha said that her position as a DSP in the FSS program, as well as her mom, have influenced her to pursue a career working with children who have disabilities. “My mother has worked at Liberty ARC my whole life,” she said. “I would go visit the programs and meet the individuals and go to some of the Christmas events – I grew up with Liberty ARC, so it’s no surprise that I got a job here as well. I love coming back to work here – I love seeing how happy the individuals get when they see me; it’s a great feeling knowing you can make them happy.”

Kierra Reid, an Assistant Habilitation Specialist 2 at Liberty ARC, says the flexibility of her schedule, coupled with having understanding supervisors, made working and going to college not only possible – but enjoyable. “Liberty ARC is so flexible with hours,” Kierra said. “I chose when I could work around my classes and when I couldn’t. I even had to change those hours a couple of times because my supervisor and I realized that I wasn’t allowing myself enough time to study and do my homework. They really helped me make the schedule I needed to do both.” Kierra has worked at Liberty ARC for the past year, and during that time she’s attended Fulton Montgomery Community College. She’ll be receiving her Associate Degree in Health Studies on Wednesday, and after that she plans to take a year off from school so she can apply to nursing programs in the area.

Tayler Motyl, an Assistant Habilitation Specialist 2 at Liberty ARC, said she’s always known she wanted to work in a field where she helped people. “I just love being given the opportunity to help people get through tough times and being someone to rely on,” Tayler said. Tayler’s been working at Liberty ARC for the past eight months while taking pre-requisite courses at Fulton Montgomery Community College for the Registered Nursing Program, which she’ll start in the fall. Tayler said she was able to keep her position at the agency while also going to all of her classes and maintaining a high grade point average, because of the flexibility the position offers.

Cheryl Wagner’s advice for someone considering working at Liberty ARC is to “just do it.” “My favorite aspect of working at Liberty ARC is the relationships I’ve built,” Cheryl said. “There are people I’ve supported and worked with over the years who still remember my kids’ names and they remember certain things about me. It warms my heart.” Cheryl has been working at Liberty ARC since 1987. She works full-time as a special education teacher at Sacandaga Elementary School and also works full-time hours doing nights as a Direct Support Sleep-In for Liberty ARC. “I’ve always loved working here – I think it’s a great agency full of wonderful people and it’s got great benefits,” Cheryl said.

Jaime Field says going to work at Liberty ARC doesn’t feel like work – it feels like visiting a friend’s home. “When I walk into a home that I’m going to be working at, I always feel so welcomed,” Jaime said. “We all say ‘hello’ to each other and talk about our day and get to know each other and it’s just so nice. It doesn’t feel like I’m working a shift, it’s like I’m hanging out with my friends.” Jaime works as a fourth grade teaching assistant at Northville Central School District and she also works as relief staff at Liberty ARC as an Assistant Habilitation Specialist 2. Jamie worked for the agency 20 years ago as a Direct Support Professional. Last year she decided she wanted a part-time position while school was out for the summer – the first place she thought of working at was Liberty ARC.

Pat Wellman, a Direct Support Professional at Liberty ARC, will never forget the time when staff and individuals helped her out when she needed it most. “In 2011, we lost our home to a fire,” Pat said. “The outpouring of support my husband and I received was amazing. Staff and individuals showed so much love and compassion to us. They organized a spaghetti dinner at the Mohawk Day Hab. It was a wonderful thing they did for us and it’s something I will never forget.” Pat has been working for Liberty ARC since 2003. Her favorite aspect of her position is that it gives her the opportunity to help people and get to know them at the same time.