A small group of parents is holding a Pumpkin Festival in Rhinebeck, NY, on October 29 from 12 noon - 6:30 pm to support quality of life enhancement programs for the residents of the group homes. Pumpkins are $5 each and can be purchased the day of or prior to the event. There will be a lighting at 6:15 pm.

If you'd like to buy a pumpkin, please contact the Development Office via e-mail.

A small Open House was held at the new Saugerties group home on Friday, October 14. The 2,400 sq.ft., 4-bedroom home located in the Bishop's Gate development is Devereux New York's 10th Individual Residential Alternative (IRA) and will be home to six young men. The home will officially open on November 1.

Several Devereux students recently applied for, interviewed and were hired for various on-campus employment opportunities in housekeeping, the kitchen and the supply room. Far from a volunteer experience, these students will be compensated for their day’s work. But not just monetarily. The hope is that these positions will allow the students to gain some valuable work experience, as well as an increased level of responsibility and independence.

The applicants put their best foot forward and recognized the seriousness of their undertaking. The results were remarkable in that all concerned exceeded expectations during the interview process making the hiring decisions quite difficult. Fred Schug (maintenance), Kelly Scism (administration) and Doug Patton (kitchen) were instrumental in reviewing applications and interviewing the candidates. For some students, the interview was their first interaction with these staff beyond saying hello. Employment interviews, as many people know, can be rather nerve-wracking even for the most savvy of candidates and even in the best of circumstances.

“It brought a level of seriousness to the process beyond the usual "classroom work site,” said John Lopez, vocational coordinator. “We heard many good answers to some tough questions during interviews, and it shows that the students have paid attention to some of the things we have tried to teach them.”

Participants hired as student workers will receive a wage based upon their productivity/ability level, determined through a time study analysis. The hiring process will be repeated approximately every six months in order to allow students the opportunity to try different positions and provide other students with the same opportunity of competitive employment.

As with any job, students are responsible for sticking to their schedule, finding replacements, notifying supervisors of their inability to work, communicating with their supervisors and with other co-workers. Students will be evaluated every six months and a new time study done to determine if productivity has improved.

We have a lot to be proud of as we recently celebrated our graduation with another fourteen students moving on from our campus program. It is the little things at the graduation ceremony that reflected the steps that we have made:

• Mary’s singing her song which she wrote;
• The students providing the entirety of the music for the ceremony;
• The evident expression of pride of each graduate for accomplishment a major goal in his/her life; and
• The recognition of students and staff in the success of our Community of Caring program which focuses on our five core values of Responsibility, Caring, Trustworthiness, Fairness, and Respect.

We also have a lot to be proud of as we look back at our accomplishments as a Network of Services. We continue to expand our community network – now having four adults in supported apartments, as well as 54 adults in nine IRA’s. On Friday we are closing on a new home in Saugerties for five men, making this our 10th IRA, with another home projected for next Spring.

Providing stability for each of our residents and students is a value that we cherish. Accordingly, it is very encouraging to note that our staff turnover is at the lowest level ever – at just barely over 20%. Within our type of services, that is extremely noteworthy. We are also about to sign a renewal for our lease for our Devereux Millwood Learning Center for autistic children in Westchester County – thereby providing long sought stability for that program as well.

And most of all, we are pleased that the interaction between our staff and the parents of those we care for continue to be positive, supportive, and helpful in many ways: financially with donations; emotionally with words of encouragement and support; and programmatically with suggestions for improvement. It is this interaction that assists us to better serve their son or daughter. We are very grateful for those supportive actions and continued involvement.