Congratulations to our award winners from the annual sasi Founders Breakfast

Each year, sasi recognizes and honors those staff members who particularly stood out during the previous 12 months at the annual Founders Breakfast. While it is usually held each September, the 2024 breakfast got pushed to Thursday, Oct. 3.

Here’s a look at all of the sasi staff who received awards:

Respected Rescuers Award

Every year, we have unexpected emergency situations that put the lives of others in danger. Although first aid is a part of sasi’s training program, it still takes composure, confidence, knowledge, and the willingness to act in a stressful situation to handle a life-threatening crisis.

The following staff members stepped in and stepped up to sav a life in 2024: Louise AndoBethe CurrySarah YoungJames CarneyAmanda TesmerPeggy Clayson, and Tammy Kibler.

Their quick action, determination, and reliability in a crisis situation is commendable.

B.I.G. Awards

As many of you have hopefully heard, sasi has recently put a three-year strategic plan in place. As part of this plan, we have also identified three core values that embody our mission. They are: 

Belonging – We value people for who they are.
Integrity – We build relationships on trust.
Growth – We learn and evolve together.

It was with these core values in mind that we decided to implement the “B.I.G. Awards.” They are presented to those employees who consistently exemplify the heart of sasi’s core values. Each of the award recipients have been nominated by their supervisor or peers in an effort to recognize their commitment to demonstrating Belonging, Integrity, and Growth in everything they do.

Amanda Bailey, Day Services Manager, Angola Day Hab – Amanda started a monthly craft program on top of all of her regular duties that allow the people to get their creative juices flowing. Each month, she finds a craft activity that everyone can take part in with varying levels of assistance. Some of the crafts have been sensory related, holiday decorations, growing flowers, tie-dye T-shirts, personalized puzzles, and much more. The craft activities have unleashed the creative talents and encouraged new ideas for many of the people we support and fellow staff members, allowing them to express themselves in many ways. They have created things that they are proud to take home to show their loved ones. This has boosted self-confidence and self-esteem, creating a happier environment for all.

Rhonda Clarkson, Respite Manager, Sardinia – Rhonda has developed relationships with many community contacts and has identified unique and special locations to provide a wide variety of fun and engaging outings for the people that participate in the recreation/respite program. This might just sound like she is “doing her job,” but she goes above and beyond to create opportunities and overcome obstacles. She organizes and facilitates holiday parties and works tirelessly to ensure that everyone feels special and cared about. Her primary goal is to provide outings, experiences, and activity options that each person will enjoy, but she takes the extra time and effort to discover each person’s interests. The recreation program provides a variety of experiences to promote socialization spend time with friends and engage in the community. Through her coordination, people have had the opportunity to attend community functions that they wouldn’t have without her creativity and planning.

Renee Fleckenstein, LPN/Direct Support Professional, Sardinia Day Hab – Renee has brought the appreciation and love of theatrical performing to the people she works with through writing original skits and directing several performances with them over the past two years. This has brought together a team atmosphere and coordinated activity that everyone looks forward to participating in. They are learning the different components of theater from planning, casting, scene decorations, backstage management, costumes, memorizing lines through to the final performance. It truly fosters a team atmosphere, cooperation and creativity in each individual that joins the cast. People were excited, and proud of their achievements with each show. They have been able to work through anxiety and build self-confidence. It truly has been a beautiful evolution for so many people.

Jacqueline Freidenberg, Team Leader, Bailey, Jamison, Killarney, Waterford, and Guiness IRAs – This award is being presented to Jackie, but truly, it is Jackie and her team that are being recognized. They provide unique and innovative services to people with very intense behavior support plans. They share ideas and resources for the betterment of each person. Jackie has a group of dedicated staff members that identified the need to “tap out” with another staff member waiting to “tap in” when working with someone who needs extra behavioral support. Jackie and her team do all that they can to provide quality opportunities and help give the people living at the Mariano apartments a voice and a purpose. They work very hard brainstorming creative ideas that best support people that struggled in typical group home settings: from building a team of staff that are willing to support each other to creating multiple activity, social and support groups for the residents. They offer praise when someone meets even the smallest step of a goal so that they are motivated to achieve the next one. Three people that struggled in their previous group homes have come to the apartments and are living much happier and successful lives. They are thriving in the specialized, supportive environment that “Team Freidenberg” has created. They never give up, working tirelessly to think outside the box to address obstacles, helping each person work towards their life goals.

Steve Dietz, Vice President of Information Technology, West Maple Court – Steve is at the forefront implementing a continuous push for the utilization of new technologies and improvement of Information technology infrastructure. He is constantly ensuring the application of IT best practices and security in areas of user access to aid employees in the support they provide such as MFA and SSO sign in. Steve is responsible for streamlining the processes that improve the employee experience and workflow and is constantly working to improve the IT support capabilities.

Briana Clark, Team Coordinator, Lismore, Foxford, Wexford, and Cain Road IRAs – Briana has contributed in many ways to enhance the organization through ideas like celebrating different people each month. She promotes enhanced trainings, assists with staff action plans, provides case studies for med class enhancement and much more. The program locations that Briana supervises flourish with her contributions and ideas. Briana’s initiatives have enhanced trainings, fostered a positive culture and promoted patience and kindness. She always encourages staff and the people we support to thrive, to be their best selves, and to contribute in any way they are able.

Jill Hemingway, Direct Support Professional, East Aurora Day Hab – Jill is responsible for implementing the painting group at the East Aurora Day Hab. She encourages each person to express whatever they are feeling through their art. After the paintings are done, they are proudly hung in the “Alright-Fox Gallery,” AKA the cafeteria at East Aurora. Jill is also responsible for organizing and spearheading the creation of the mural on the outside wall of the East Aurora building. Her creativity is definitely an asset to the people she works with and has given them a creative outlet to express themselves. Many of the people we support struggle with communication, so any additional communicative outlet is beneficial. There is an immense source of pride gained when they see their artwork displayed prominently on the walls of our “gallery.” Initially, only a few people expressed an interest in the painting group. Once the paintings were displayed on the walls, several more people have decided to give painting a try when the activity resumes in the fall. Without Jill’s passion for art, this would not exist.

Stacey Blatner, Marketing and Communications Specialist, West Maple Court – Stacey has taken community engagement to a whole new level for sasi. Although she has only been with the organization for about 15 months, she has put sasi on the radar of many community groups and organizations. Her commitment and dedication to sasi’s mission is apparent in all she does to promote the agency. Most recently, Stacey’s efforts resulted in a $15,000 donation from the East Aurora Music Fest to support Moving Miracles and High Hurdles. This would not have happened without her. Stacey is kind, considerate, organized and determined…and we are lucky to have her.

Founders Award

sasi was founded 50 years ago by a group of parents who had an idea about the types of services that they would like to see for their sons and daughters. At that time, there were no opportunities for people with disabilities in their community so they decided to put their ideas into action. Through a lot of hard work, dedication, and persistence, what started out from humble beginnings, operating out of a garage, has grown into the multifaceted agency that we know today.

The Founders Award is based on this concept of good things coming from the germination of an idea coupled with determination, persistence, and hard work.

The winner of the Founders Award is a staff person who exemplifies the attributes of the founding board members and whose ideas have helped to improve the agency and provide opportunities, influenced the people sasi supports, and has had a positive effect on the agency.

In the past, sasi board member Lois Jackson was on hand to present this award and share her stories and history as one of sasi’s founders. It is in the spirit of Lois’s advocacy and determination that we present this award.

Greg Norton, Direct Support Professional, West Seneca Day Hab – Greg was hired on Feb. 12, 2007 at the West Seneca Day Hab location. He was immediately like by his peers and LOVED by the people he supports due to his humor and “can-do” attitude. He came to sasi with a lot of experience and there was not a task that he wasn’t willing to take on. During his 17 years, Greg has consistently gone above and beyond to assist with curriculum ideas, creative problem solving, behavior obstacles and so much more.

He is always there during crisis times, even leaving the building to respond to an incident, miles from the site.

He became certified in Laughter Yoga in March of 2015. The main focus of Laughter Yoga is to release endorphins in the brain to lighten the spirt, lower stress, relieve pain, improve mood and promote an overall sense of well-being.

Greg and his group of instructors have shared their Laughter Yoga with sasi programs and functions and in the community for various groups including DDAWNY Conference and the Community Services for Everyone management meeting.

In addition to Laughter Yoga, Greg is a personal care aide for a sasi program participant. He arrives very early in the morning to provide personal care, assistance and then again after his shift in the evenings. He is a SCIP-R instructor, a volunteer with the Moving Miracles dance program and works many hours of support to several residential sites where our most medically challenged people live.