Celebrating Spring Holidays with Joy and Community
Residents and staff members at Citizens Options Unlimited brought the spring season in by celebrating holidays like Purim and Easter. At the Port Washington House, the tradition of making hamantaschen cookies for Purim brought particular delight.
Meredith Armato, the manager of the Port Washington house, shared this tradition with Kelsey, Robert, and Gabbi, who all took part in baking these fruit-filled buttery cookies. The group enjoyed both the process and the tasty results.
Residents also enjoyed celebrating Easter together. Over at the Ontario House, Richard Krinsky, Robert Behrendt, Frank Billadello, John Volpe, Randy Cosby and staff enjoyed a dinner of ham, potatoes and asparagus, while Lizabeth Watkins, Bonnie Lerhinan, Spencer Teitel, Jennifer Dellova and Frank Alnrecht at the Seaford House dined on ham, mac and cheese, wings and cornbread.
Tammy Vallancourt, the manager of the Ontario house, said the residents loved their dinner. Richard, a longtime resident, called Tammy and fellow Ontario house providers the “best cooks.”
The Seaford house residents participated in a church service, and then an Easter egg hunt, and received plenty of treats. When they were home, Bonnie and Lizabeth helped make dinner while the men of the house set the table.
All these wonderful celebrations and traditions are made possible by the creativity of managers and DSPs. This is just another way staff go above and beyond to enrich the lives of the people they serve.