August 2026

Updates From the Esperanza Family

Recognizing Uniqueness. Empowering to Explore.

Summer has been moving fast, and somehow we are already here, with just a few weeks left to take it all in.

Since our last issue, there has been plenty happening across Esperanza. Our programs participants have been out enjoying the season, our staff have found their own ways to bring some fun into the workday, and we’ve had some special moments worth celebrating along the way. You’ll see a little of all of it in this issue.

And while the summer isn’t over yet, we already have our eyes on something we’ve been looking forward to. We are a little over a month away from Friends & Family Day!

Please save the date for Saturday, September 26, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park, 679 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10031. Come spend the day with us for music, dancing, games, raffles, family activities, a short community walk, and more.

Please share the flyer with your friends, family, and anyone you think would enjoy or benefit from attending. If you have any questions or would like to register, please reach out to Elizabeth Chavez at 212-928-5810 ext. 102.

For now, there’s still some warm days left. Let’s enjoy it.

Our Mission:

Esperanza Center believes that it is essential to recognize that each child and adult regardless of their abilities is unique in their own right. As an organization serving this valued community, we seek to empower each individual to explore their life and to live it to the fullest while receiving quality supports and services. In so doing, Esperanza Center will interact with individuals and their circles of support with honesty, compassion, and dignity, creating, celebrating and respecting diversity as well as striving toward excellence.

Featured Highlights

Celebrating Maria Luna

Riverstone Senior Life Services recently recognized Maria Luna for her decades of community activism and dedication to Washington Heights.

For 40 years, Maria has served on Riverstone’s Board while continuing to be a strong voice for her community. We are especially proud to know her as Esperanza’s Board Chair and someone who has stood beside our work with the same commitment she has given to this community for so many years.

It was special to be there and celebrate this well-deserved recognition with her.

Celebrating Vivian Brown

Twenty-five years is a long time to show up for people, and that is exactly what Vivian Brown has done at Esperanza.

As one of our DSPs, Vivian has brought her energy, patience, and dedication to this work year after year. Her coworkers describe her as energetic, charismatic, and someone who makes the workday a little brighter and easier for those around her.

Vivian, thank you for 25 years of growing alongside Esperanza and, most importantly, for all the people you have supported along the way. We are so happy to celebrate this milestone with you.

Featured Spotlight: Summer at Esperanza

There’s something about this time of year that brings a different kind of energy, and our staff have been taking it all in. From World Cup fun to holidays, celebrations and everything in between, that energy has been alive and contagious across Esperanza.

As we reach the last few weeks of the season, we hope everyone keeps making room to enjoy it. Join the fun, take the picture, eat something new, and soak up what’s left of August. It goes by fast.

Esperanza Fun: Moments That Bring Us Together

Our programs have had plenty going on these past few weeks. ETAPAS celebrated the end of the year with a party, Day Hab Without Walls headed to Turtle Back Zoo, and Day Hab participants enjoyed time outdoors at the park. Our Getaway program and residents got into the World Cup spirit with an outdoor watch party, while residents also made their way to Atlantic City, along with plenty of planned indoor and onsite activities.

There’s been no shortage of ways to enjoy the season.

A big thank you to our staff and program directors for the coordination and commitment behind these experiences. Be sure to follow us on social media for more pictures and moments from across our programs.

Community News/Events

New York City Children’s Settlement Community Conversation

New York State is inviting families, young people, community members, and professionals to share their perspectives on how services can better support youth with intensive mental health needs and their families.

🗓️ Monday, August 25

🕑2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

📍Office of Mental Health NYC Field Office/330 5th Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001

Registration is required.

ADAPT Smart Living Center Open House & Resource Fair

Explore accessible technology, tour the Smart Living Center, and connect with resources at ADAPT Community Network’s upcoming Open House & Resource Fair.

🗓️ Thursday, September 24, 2026

🕙 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

📍 ADAPT Smart Living Center

1824 Stillwell Avenue, Bronx, NY 10469

🔗 RSVP required. See flyer for registration details.

OPWDD's Latest Updates

And just like that, we’re in August. The calendar keeps moving, the days keep filling up, and somehow September is already around the corner.

Last month marked the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. More than three decades later, the right of people with disabilities to live, participate, and belong in their communities remains at the heart of the work. And as we recognize National Wellness Month, maybe it’s also a reminder to make a little room for ourselves along the way.

There is plenty ahead of us, with Friends & Family Day getting closer and a new season not too far behind.

Thank you, as always, to our staff, families, board members, partners, and everyone who continues to be part of Esperanza.

Here’s to September and all that’s still to come.

Thank you for being part of something greater than any one of us, and for helping to carry it forward with love.

212-928-5810

Newsletter