May, 2026

We want to inform and connect with the entire Job Path community

 so we are all on this path together.

A "once in a lifetime" royal handshake

A screenshot from Chris' video shows King Charles greeting well-wishers on the street.

Chris, seen in a still from a video taken by the outlet MEAWW News.

Job Path participant Chris D., who works at the urban farm nonprofit Harlem Grown, shook hands with England's King Charles III during the monarch's visit last week to New York City and shared his experience with the followers to his bustling YouTube channel.

In addition to his work at the farm, Chris is also a street photographer and videographer with a YouTube channel community with more than 5,300 subscribers. Chris posted a video documenting the visit on his channel here and said the experience was “a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’ll never forget.”

“I will be forever grateful for this opportunity, and I was happy to capture some clips and put them together.”  

Every week, we're sharing more stories like these

on our social media platforms.

Please follow, like, and share!

A wonderful Benefit kicks off Spring

Honoree Aimee Althoff, Job Path's Associate Executive Director (left) with CEO Carly Teichman and Michael Capasso, CEO of C.A.C. Industries, our Employer of the Year.

“I cherish this evening because community is at the heart of everything we do. Looking out at all of you, I don’t just see an audience; I see the living, breathing embodiment of that community—the kind that moves our mission forward and truly changes lives” 

- Carly Teichman, Job Path CEO

You can click here for an article about the Benefit with more photos and quotes, but we also wanted to share this highlight below from the speech of our Honoree Aimee Althoff.

Click here for the full video of the Benefit presentation.

Direct Support Professionals Honored with the Daniel P. Cunningham Award for Living the Job Path Mission

The Cunningham award was created in 2019 to honor the memory of an incredible leader who served as Board President for more than 20 years. Every year, Job Path's departments submit candidates for the recognition, and a winner is chosen by the Board of Directors.

Winner: Raven Lopez - Community Connections

"She has a remarkable understanding of the city of New York, and brings that to bear with how she’s going to enhance their lives."

- Alice Cunningham (right)

"Being a DSP means the absolute world to me. I’ve always enjoyed supporting others in any way possible. I didn’t realize how many people’s hearts I’ve touched or had a positive impact on their lives just by being around, and it feels good to know that I’m actually doing something great for others."

- Raven Lopez

Job Path CEO Carly Teichman recognized the other nominees.

Mandy Winchester (right) Employment - with her supervisor, Abby Schattan.

"She has stood out for her unrelenting work ethic, her fierce compassion, and her unwavering dependability."

Tamesha Coleman (seated) - Supported Living - with her supervisor, Cerezmy Salcido.

"She is a compassionate advocate who meets people precisely where they are, helping them thrive in every aspect of their lives."

Not present at the Benefit: Demetris Marcano: A Benefits & Entitlement Specialist and Lead DSP who "goes above and beyond to ensure that Job Path families and participants feel empowered and informed to make decisions about their finances and work options." Deiselu Guido: A Live-In Caregiver to two individuals who has "earned their deep trust by focusing on their unique needs as individuals as they meet challenges and work toward their goals."

All Benefit photo and video credits Leo Sorel.

The phrase “Hope Springs Eternal” comes to mind as we think about both the season and the ongoing battle to include a 4% Targeted Inflationary Increase (TII) in the New York state budget. 

This TII would benefit the Direct Support Professionals who are the lifeblood of this work, reducing turnover, and improving services for the people we serve. As of “press time” for this newsletter, New York State has yet to pass a budget, so it’s not too late to contact government officials about this important issue. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul

Majority Leader, NY State Senate Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Showing the way for the next generation

Members of the Job Path community presented at the Lavelle School for the Blind's "Journey Beyond Lavelle" day where they talked about their own employment success stories. Seen here are Job Path staff and participants, from L-R: Yoselyn Perez, Ruben C., Elizabeth Beaubrun, Jose G., Brian P., Kirtan Barot and Saki Aguilar.

"I enjoyed being able to speak to teenagers about work life," said Brian P. "The questions they asked show they have talent and potential. It showed they can be who they want to be and achieve the goals that they set their minds to. The school's atmosphere was nice and the staff were friendly. Overall, it was a great experience going to the school and engaging with the youth as a mentor and meeting them at their level."

JP Staff connects at conference

Job Path staff Sarah Fahey, Karina Alvarez, and Yismel Vargas (L-R) attended the 2026 NY Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation conference in April. Alvarez said it was invigorating to gather with other dedicated people. Vargas said she took the most from a session on trauma-informed support, saying: "I wanted to find a way to connect with people and support them even if they are pushing me away. I want to be the person who can be there for them."

In case you missed it:

Sarah H. has been supported as a Shake Shack greeter by Job Path’s employment program for many years, but it was her hobby that brought her to national television recently.

The Kelly Clarkson Show did a segment on Achilles International, the running group for people with disabilities, and Sarah appeared to talk about her experience as an avid marathoner. The episode is here, and Sarah's part starts at 4:35 into the clip.

“It was so exciting," she said after the appearance. "I was with my running guide and the leader of my team, so it was really fun and good." Asked if she was nervous meeting such a famous celebrity, Sarah was unfazed: “I’m waiting for the next call!” 

The Museum of the City of New York is always a fascinating place, according to JP participants and staff, who recently visited.

"My favorite part was Activist New York because it talked about disability rights and supported housing." 

-Participant Rusty H.

Photo by AnnEliza Canning-Skinner

Make your voice heard!

The Organization for Autism Research is looking for individuals to complete their anonymous Community Needs Assessment Survey, which will allow the group to better understand where support is most needed and how programs and resources can have the greatest impact. The survey explores key areas of life including education, employment, and social connections. 

Click here to take the survey, which ends May 15.

May: 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.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Haitian Heritage Month

Jewish-American Heritage Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

Women's Health Month

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.

Margot Berson - 16 years

Karen Waltuck - 14 years

Di Wei Chen - 12 years

Erin Vlasak - 4 years

Michele Borg - 4 years

Arissa Whittaker-Ramdehal - 4 years

Brian Godshall - 3 years

Fawzia Begum - 2 years

William Cintula - 2 years

Gideon Helf - 2 years

Edwin Reed - 2 years

Maria Galvez - 1 year

Rachel Clark - 1 year

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.