“Working alongside my colleagues is the best part of my job, and it feels good to be appreciated.” - Ernesto F. Last month Ernesto was one of the employees honored at an annual luncheon by The Center for Family Support, Inc. , where he works as an administrative assistant. “I was very happy I received the award. My mom is going to put it in a frame, and I’ll hang it in my room, so I’m very happy about that.” (Photo 1 shows Ernesto at the ceremony; Photo 2 proves that he has a long history of computer skills, showing him at 1997 at a previous employer.) Last month’s ceremony was part of a series of milestones that began when he was named Employee of the Month in March 2024. In October he’ll celebrate 15 years on the job at CFS. “He’s definitely a people person - everyone in the office really enjoys talking to him,” says Ernesto’s supervisor and CFS Operations Manager, Carolyn Giambastiani. “He’s extremely disciplined and such a charm to work with. He’s focused and gets the job done,” she says. “He’s persistent too - if he doesn’t get something he’ll keep trying until he gets it.” Ernesto agrees that his focus is one of his strengths, as well as what he says is his skill to “ask, listen, and learn.” “If you run into problems, listen to the recommendations to solve them and then learn for next time.” #InclusiveEmployment (fb)

Tomorrow, Saturday June 14 West Harlem’s Riverbank State Park will be part of Get Outdoors and Get Together Day, a celebration of outdoor recreational activities that will be held at two dozen locations statewide. At Riverbank and other NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation sites, attendees can discover new skills and enjoy a range of introductory-level outdoor recreation activities such as fishing, nature walks and hikes, birding, archery, camping, paddling, and more. For more details: https://www.ny.gov/programs/get-outdoors-get-together-day The gatherings are organized by the NY State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Environmental Conservation, NY State Parks, the Office of the Chief Disability Officer, the Department of Veterans Services, the Office of Mental Health and the Justice Center. (fb)