David Broder sent us this report earlier this week.
This Monday, the Fairfax County Long Term Care Coordinating Council (LTCCC) hosted a reception in Fairfax, Virginia, to honor Direct Support Professionals Appreciation Week. It was wonderful to see direct support professionals be honored for the important work they do – and even more wonderful to see them come together and talk about the improvements they need to see in order to stay in these jobs.
The reception drew a large crowd of direct support professionals and those who use their services – probably about a hundred people. Volunteers, most of whom were people who rely on personal support services, gave flowers to all the direct support professionals there. This was an opportunity to pause and give thanks to people who work really hard, and you could see on people’s faces that they appreciated the support.
Julianna Arslanian, a home care worker and a member of the Virginia Association of Personal Care Assistants, received a proclamation on behalf of all DSPs from Gerry Connolly, the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (see photo). “I love this work,” she said. “All of us here today do. And we appreciate your recognition and your support. When we work together – policy makers and direct support professionals – we can make this work a little better so that we can continue to provide quality care to the seniors and people with disabilities who need it.”
Other speakers included Connolly, the chair of the LTCCC, and the assistant deputy secretary of Health and Human Resources for the state of Virginia.
David Broder, State Director, Virginia Association of Personal Care Assistants
dbroder@virginiapca.org
Thanks to everyone who made this event a success, including LTCCC Chair Karen Brown, Workforce SubCommittee Chair Jessica Burmester, and Event Partners the ARC of Northern Virginia, CareFaxLTC, Fairfax County, Fairfax Long Term Care Coordinating Council, Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board, ProAging Info Network, Retirement Living SourceBook, and SPARC (SPecially Adapted Resource Clubs).
Thanks also to our honored guests Fairfax County Board Chairman Connolly, Fairfax County Supervisor Catherine Hudgins, Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust, and Assistant Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources Heidi Dix; and our event MC, George Edwards.
Lastly, thanks to all the DSPs, who work tirelessly every day to improve the lives of seniors and people with disabilities.
I was pleased to be a part of the Fairfax event honoring Direct Support Professionals. At this event, DSPs, policy makers, service provider organizations, older adults and people with disabilities gathered together to celebrate and honor DSPS for their dedication and loving care for people in our community who need their help. We recommitted ourselves to raising awareness of the valuable work provided by DSPs and the need for better pay and benefits. Thanks to everyone who attended and helped to make this event a success!
DSP’s we celebrate you everyday! You are greatly appreciated with every “ordinary” daily activity you support for individuals with disAbilities and older adults. We continue to thrive in our communities because you support us.
It’s gratifying to see the recognition you deserve in this forum. We hope to see it grow larger each year as we work as one community to secure a living wage and benefits for those who are so vital to us all.