each received the 2024 Max Joseph Award.
The following announcement was provided by MAB Community Services:
MAB Community Services, a leading social service agency supporting nearly 2,000 people with visual impairment, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and acquired brain injuries across Massachusetts, has announced the 11 honorees of the 2024 Maxo Joseph Excellence in Direct Care Awards, who received $2,000, $5,000, or $10,000 awards. Romil Sanon and Bennett Anyanwu, who work at two different MAB community-based residences in Watertown, each received a$5,000 award. Two anonymous donors recently contributed a total of $110,000 to support the continuation of this unique awards program.
Established in 2021, the Maxo Joseph Awards recognize direct care staff in MAB’s Adult Disability Services division who go above and beyond in their commitment to the participants they support. This year, 46 award nominees reflected the life and legacy of Maxo Joseph, an exceptional caregiver and beloved colleague who served MAB for nearly 20 years and passed away in 2020.
For 11 years, Romil has led an overnight team in Watertown on Sundays through Wednesdays. He helps five participants with disabilities wash, dress, take medication, and eat breakfast so they’re ready to go to their weekday programs by 8:30 a.m. After a participant’s sister and mother watched Romil read a book with Jay, the sister nominated Romil for a Maxo Joseph Award. While Jay is unable to read, he recognizes letters and loves to search for words with Romil. During the past few years, when several of the home’s elderly participants were hospitalized before they passed away, Romil volunteered to stay with them so they wouldn’t be alone.
Since 2021, Bennett, an assistant residential counselor, has worked with participants who are recovering from brain injuries. He helps them practice life skills like brushing their teeth and showering, providing less support as they become more independent. Bennett works with the participants’ occupational and physical therapists to align with their treatment goals. He takes one participant to the Watertown Library to check out books written in Chinese and to the Charles River to do Tai Chi. Bennett, who is a barber, loves giving the participants haircuts so they look their best. He also bought metal nail files so that he and other staff at the residence could safely trim the participants’ nails.
The number of years that the 2024 Maxo Joseph Award winners have dedicated to MAB ranges from one to 20, with an average of more than six years. Honorees are chosen by a committee consisting of MAB staff, community supporters, and family members of the participants the nominees serve.
“It’s a pleasure to recognize and reward our hardworking direct care staff through the fourth annual Maxo Joseph Awards,”said Barbara Salisbury, CEO of MAB Community Services.“In the last few years, MAB has increasingly focused on giving participants the skills they need to become more independent. Our staff and programs are helping participants achieve goals that wouldn’t have been possible before. I’m very proud of what they are accomplishing.”The Maxo Joseph Awards help to create a culture of recognition which improves recruitment and retention.While the direct care industry experiences an annual turnover rate between 40%and 60%, MAB’s turnover in direct care was less than 17% during the past year. To learn more about the 2024 Maxo Joseph Award winners, please visit here. To support MAB’s unique program that rewards high-performing staff, please visit here.
ABOUT MAB COMMUNITY SERVICES
MAB Community Services (MAB) has been creating opportunities for people with disabilities since 1903. MAB is one of the oldest social service agencies in the nation assisting people with blindness or visual impairment.Over time, MAB has grown to serve people with a wider range of disabilities. MAB’s three divisions are: the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which offers a variety of services statewide; the Ivy Street School, which serves a neurodiverse population of students, including those on the autism spectrum, with behavioral health challenges, and with brain injuries; and Adult Disability Services, which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities and brain injuries. Through each division and program, MAB’s goal is to provide the support needed for each person to actively participate in their community and to live a full and satisfying life.
We need more people like Romil Sanon and Bennett Anyanwu.