Stories of Impact - The People and Programs of Riverside

We recently shared a collection of stories from various members of our staff team. These stories were part of our annual fall fundraising effort – Thank you for your support! Each individual story offered a unique window into one of the various programs or departments here at Riverside. This is our way of sharing our collective story of mission impact through the individual experiences of those members of our staff who work at the closest point of program delivery. These are the people who live out our mission and values each day. 

In their own way, each person plays an important role in carrying out Riverside’s important mission: Empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to maximize their opportunities for acceptance, independence, personal growth, and employment throughout their lives. 

My hope is this collection of short interviews with members of our staff serves as a small representation of the impact Riverside’s programs have on both the program participants and the caring people who deliver the programs. 

Watch their individual videos on our Youtube channel or keep reading below to learn more. 

Riverside Arts Program

Halley – Art Therapist

We all have hopes and dreams for the future. The feeling of accomplishment when we’ve reached a personal goal or realized a life-long dream is all part of human experience. Members of Riverside’s direct support staff empower program participants to achieve their dreams every day.

Halley works with a group of individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities to pursue their own dreams of becoming successful artists. Through her dedication and careful guidance, the Riverside Arts program serves as a platform to produce, show, and eventually sell their art. For many, this is their dream come true. 

“It’s incredibly fulfilling to know their lives will be immeasurably enhanced through this program and the art they are creating. Their art is a gift to the world!”

– Halley, Art Therapist

Artwork lines the hallways of our program spaces as well as the newly opened Riverside Arts Studio and Gallery. Each unique piece represents individual accomplishment, creative expression, and the dreams of the program participant who created it. Every element of our program equips participants with job skills, independent living skills, therapeutic support, and transportation to maximize their opportunities for independence and employment. Halley and the Riverside Arts Program play an important role in delivering our mission. 

Individual and Group Employment Program

Gene – Group Employment Supervisor

Do you remember the excitement you felt after receiving your first paycheck? Maybe it was the joyful feeling of a “job well done.” Regardless, that feeling of excitement and joy are part of the human experience. They are the same feelings Riverside’s program participants experience each day at their individual or group employment sites. 

Gene began his tenure at Riverside 36 years ago. Today, he serves as the Employment Program Supervisor charged with managing some of Riverside’s strategic program partnerships. For instance, Gene works closely with the staff at UMASS Amherst Dining – a partnership now more than 25 years in the making. Through his relentless dedication to our mission, Riverside’s group employment sites at UMASS Amherst now include nearly 40 individuals.

“I see my role as that of a high-voltage extension cord… I am constantly inspired by the energy flowing between these mutually beneficial partnerships across the valley, and the meaningful outcomes that are generated for those individuals we serve. I truly love my job.”

– Gene, Employment Supervisor

Riverside Employment Program participants head to work at sites throughout Western Massachusetts each day filled with excitement for the tasks that lie ahead of them. They leave knowing the joy of a job well done. Riverside’s team of direct support staff provide the appropriate framework of job skill training, job coaching, and transportation services which empowers them to realize their personal goal of meaningful employment. 

Life Enrichment Program

Melissa – Life Enrichment Supervisor

Sound, light, motion, and vibration. These are some of the tools used by members of Riverside’s Life Enrichment program staff in the Sensory Gym. Unlike any gym you have ever seen, this vibrant space is where physical therapists, occupational therapists, nursing staff, and direct support staff empower day habilitation program participants to reach their personal goals. With guidance from our staff, they access specialized equipment designed to deliver therapeutic sensory input from sound, light, motion, and vibration.  

“It’s the smiles on their faces. It is a constant reminder that I am making a difference in their life and they know it. That is what keeps me going when the job gets tough.”

– Melissa, Direct Support Supervisor

Melissa understands the unique needs of everyone in her care. She and her team use the Sensory Gym and a variety of other tools to teach program participants new life skills, help them expand their range of motion, or simply improve their quality of life.  

Building Maintenance

Jakob – Maintenance Staff 

Riverside’s core program space is in a 170-year-old repurposed mill building at One Cottage Street in downtown Easthampton. This lovingly maintained historic property has served as Riverside’s home and base of operations for over 50 years. It is vitally important to keep our unique facility operating safely and smoothly, an important task that falls to Riverside’s dedicated Maintenance Team. 

Jakob fully understands the importance of his role in maintaining the property. However, that’s only the beginning of Jakob’s role. He and other members of the maintenance team have a special partnership with Riverside’s program participants. One member of the crew also happens to be Riverside’s longest tenured program participant, making it a fully inclusive team. 

“Knowing that my work will somehow improve the lives of everyone in this building makes it a very fulfilling job. Working right alongside Hacky makes it extra special. Because of him, this is more than just a job.”– Jakob, Maintenance Staff

At Riverside, the work of Empowering People extends beyond the framework of our programs. Every single member of our team plays an important role in delivering Riverside’s mission. Jake and his coworkers on the Maintenance Team are no exception.  

Transportation

Neil and Larry – Van Drivers

Neil and Larry both work as Riverside Van Drivers. That may be their job title, but their role as a member of the Riverside staff is vitally important to the delivery of our mission. They are two of the first and last people Riverside program participants see each day. Safely transporting folks to and from our facility in downtown Easthampton is a key function of their job, but it is only just the beginning.   

The Riverside Transportation Department includes a fleet of 22 vans, some of which are highly specialized with wheelchair lifts and a team of monitors who support program participants on their journey to-and-from our facility. Over the years, Riverside Van Drivers like Neil and Larry develop meaningful relationships with the individuals they transport. They understand their individual needs and even know their favorite radio stations. Our drivers serve a very special role as a member of their care team. 

Watch Neil and Larry’s video interview here or click to see the full playlist of individual staff stories here. While you are there, please follow us on Youtube to see new stories as they are posted!   

Markus Jones
Sr. Director of Development & Strategic Operations