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We want to inform and connect with the entire Job Path community
so we are all on this path together.
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New Path members celebrated
Autism Awareness
| | Job Path’s New Path group marked April as Autism Awareness month in several ways, watching films together, sharing a meal, and holding a sing-a-long - playing music and sharing discussions. Seen here are Max on guitar and DSP Camden Nasoff. Photo by Maria Sepulveda | | |
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| | Art celebrated at Albany conference | | | | |
Art Group facilitator Michele Borg attended the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation annual conference in April and brought works by four Job Path artists to display. While there, she was also invited to be a judge for the art exhibit.
“It was really hard to judge because there were so many amazing pieces,” she said.
Borg says she plans to use the inspiration she felt from the experience to continue to encourage students in the class.
“We have artists of all levels,” she says. “The idea is to encourage everyone to meet their potential.”
Photo by Michele Borg
| | Taijii Dudley, Employment Counselor | | |
Years at Job Path: 19
Favorite thing about Job Path: I appreciate that we are a small agency yet are able to provide excellent services for our participants.
One thing no one knows about you: I love to cook and bake and spend time with my family.
Memorable moment at JP: The participants' Holiday party is always a lot of fun and a memorable event for me.
Something you are reading, watching, or listening to right now: I'm currently watching The Last of Us.
Hobby, skill, or knowledge that helped you while working at JP: My ability to think outside of the box has been a valuable skill in my work at Job Path.
Taijii is seen here in a screenshot of an Instagram Reel posted by OPWDD featuring a longtime Job Path participant and his work at a midtown law firm.
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A new view of a classic story | | |
Some members of Job Path’s theater group attended a production of Hamlet put on by the Peruvian theater company Teatro La Plaza as part of the Lincoln Center Big Umbrella Festival.
After the production, audience members were invited to dance and celebrate on stage.
According to the company, the production “reinvents Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Hamlet into a joyful and enigmatic production … In this retelling of Shakespeare, the stories of people with Down syndrome take center stage, when historically they have been relegated to the background.
| | Christian, far right, says his favorite part was the post-performance dance party. Photo by Cathy James. | | Weaving together a version of the text with personal anecdotes from the cast, De Ferrari brings new meaning to the 400-year-old play and asks how can those with Down syndrome exist in a world that continually sets out to exclude them?” | | |
This week, we mark the 50th anniversary of the Willowbrook Consent Decree, a monumental step that paved the way for the infamous Staten Island institution to close in 1987.
Beyond our obvious connection to Willowbrook as a disability service agency, Job Path’s roots to the movement are deep. Former Board member and Willowbrook parent Diana McCourt and her husband Malachy McCourt were part of a group of families who helped fight to close Willowbrook. We were saddened by Malachy’s passing in March 2024 and were grateful that Job Path and former Executive Director Fredda Rosen were part of the commemoration of Malachy’s life, which was held just a year ago in May.
Willowbrook was in the news recently as the Governor’s office plans to spend $75 million to modernize the state Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities. According to the Governor’s office, the OPWDD initiative will expand access for genetic testing, enhance research capabilities, and renovate a previously abandoned building on the Willowbrook State School grounds, “transforming it into a Center for Learning, commemorating the institution’s role in disability rights history.”
Fifty years may feel like a long time ago, but it’s imperative that we never forget Willowbrook's legacy as we strive every day to create a world where people with disabilities can thrive at work, in their homes, and in the community.
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Focus on Job Path's Board of Directors | | Our Board of Directors are professionals - both within the world of disability services and from other fields - who provide Job Path with oversight, guidance, and expertise on issues of finance, programs, governance, planning, policies, and staffing. | | |
Josh is our most recent board member, sworn in at the March meeting.
What type of work do you do?
I guide CEOs, CFOs and business leaders through the minefield that is the office space market in Manhattan and the outer boroughs. My team and I strictly represent companies/their leadership and not building owners/landlords.
Do you serve on other boards or give back or volunteer in any other ways to other groups?
I volunteer on a weekly basis as a “reader” for a blind client (through Lighthouse Guild) and I also serve as co-chair of the social committee on the Visionary Committee (junior board at Lighthouse Guild). I’m also involved with volunteering at other events through various organizations.
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Why is board service or volunteering something you prioritize in your life?
My parents raised me with the values of giving back and being a part of a community. “If you can’t give your money, you can give your time” was the perspective that I was raised with. Candidly, it also feels very good to give back and to hopefully have a positive impact on people’s lives.
What do you feel is your greatest strength that you bring to the board?
I'm excited to bring my energy and passion to showcase how Job Path empowers individuals with developmental disabilities. I'm also eager to share Job Path's impactful work with the next generation of business leaders. Leveraging the deep relationships I've built over the years with business owners across New York City and its outer boroughs, I aim to connect people with meaningful opportunities that benefit both them and the broader community.
| | As part of our efforts to highlight and celebrate the great diversity within our Job Path community, we will be featuring racial, ethnic, cultural, and identity pride commemorations here each month. | |
May
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Haitian Heritage Month
Jewish-American Heritage Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
Women's Health Month
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Staff Anniversaries
Special recognition to staff who celebrated their anniversary at Job Path in April. Thank you for all of the contributions that you have made over the years in making Job Path successful.
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Yvette Williamson - 16 years
Margot Berson - 14 years
Karen Waltuck - 12 years
David Chen - 10 years
Anton Krupa - 3 years
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Michele Borg - 2 years
Erin Vlasak - 2 years
Arissa Whittaker-Ramdehal - 2 years
Brian Godshall - 1 year
Alden Welles - 1 year
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Do you know someone who would be a great member of the Job Path team?
Click here for our list of open positions in Employment, Community Connections, Supported Living, and Self-Direction Services.
Job Path employees are encouraged to participate in our Employee Referral Bonus Program, which rewards the employees who make successful referrals with $400. Contact hr@jobpathnyc.org for more information.
| | | Job Path supports people with autism and other developmental disabilities as they find jobs, live in their own homes, and become involved in community life. To learn more, visit our website. | | |
Follow us on social media. | | We created this video for our 2024 Benefit, but it's a perfect celebration of what we do! | | | | |
