Boston Residents Honored for their Excellence in Direct Care

MAB Community Services, a leading social service agency supporting over 1,500 individuals with visual impairment, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and acquired brain injuries across Massachusetts, has honored Dorchester residents Ifeoluwa Alabi and Reynissa Prince, and Hyde Park residents Lukman Salami and Jeremiah Veal as recipients of the 2023 Maxo Joseph Excellence in Direct Care Awards. All honorees were formally recognized at a ceremony and luncheon at MAB’s Ivy Street School in Brookline on July 13.

Established in 2021, these awards honor direct care staff who go above and beyond in their commitment to the MAB participants they support, and whose dedication to care reflects the legacy of Maxo Joseph, an exceptional caregiver and colleague who passed away in 2020. Totaling $50,000 annually, the Maxo Joseph Awards provide individual recipients with awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000.

Ifeoluwa Alabi is recognized for his natural leadership skills and commitment to enriching the lives of participants at the Brighton Street group home in Belmont, where he’s served as a Residential Counselor since 2019. He routinely takes participants out into the community, often to local high school basketball games. Ifeoluwa is mindful of their needs to ensure the experience is fun and not overwhelming.

He prioritizes safety and stays up to date on certifications in CPI, CPR and first aid. He also takes an active role in helping participants maintain hygiene and grooming, including volunteering to shave them. His warm energy and attentiveness resonate with participants and their families alike, putting everyone at ease. He received a Maxo Joseph Award at the $5,000 level.

“Ifeoluwa is an incredibly strong and professional colleague,” said Omoniyi Kareem, Alabi’s manager. “I am impressed by his ability to keep a smile on his face no matter the situation and am proud to celebrate this accomplishment with him.”

Reynissa Prince is Assistant Director of MABWorks, a community-based day program that provides support for individuals with intellectual disabilities to develop job skills and find employment and volunteer opportunities. Seeking a position that would provide meaning in her life, she joined the organization in 2017 and has worked to ensure that all participants are engaged in activities that interest them and lead to a sense of fulfillment. Reynissa helps to run the day program in Allston, where her energy and enthusiasm for her work inspires both colleagues and participants.

The well-received activities she’s developed for participants encourage them to get up and get active, whether it’s a Walk-a-Thon competition or trips to the YMCA for swimming, Zumba, and workouts. Reynissa pays particular attention to ensuring activities are inclusive, regardless of a participant's abilities, and she has formed tight bonds with everyone in her orbit. She received a Maxo Joseph Award at the $5,000 level.

“Reynissa exemplifies Maxo Joseph’s legacy in the gratitude, compassion, and kindness with which she approaches each day,” said Anatasia Kanistras, Director of Day programs and Quality Management at MAB Community Services. “She is responsible, motivated, and energetic, and has grown into a talented leader deeply connected to her colleagues and participants.”

Residential Counselor Lukman Salami has worked with the same group of participants at the group home in Roslindale for over 18 years. Lukman makes a joyous home for the participants and ensures that they feel loved and happy. When participants return home from their day programs, Lukman is always first to greet them, chanting each of their names as a welcoming ritual until he sees smiles break out on their faces. Lukman excels at making participants feel special – always making sure that each of them celebrates with something special to eat on their birthdays. He has taken on planning their birthday trips to favorite restaurants, accompanied by their fellow participants, staff, and family members.

Even when Lukman is not scheduled to be on shift, he pitches in to make sure that each participant can live with as much agency as possible. He cues them through tasks like doing their own laundry, step by step, or setting the table for each meal. His actions give participants a sense of pride in their contribution to making the house run well. Lukman received a $5,000 Maxo Joseph Award.

Jeremiah Veal is a dedicated Residential Counselor, providing high quality care to MAB participants who live at the group home in Hyde Park. The participants living in this home are fully dependent on their staff for all aspects of care. While Jeremiah goes above and beyond to provide that care, he also treats each participant as an individual by engaging them in conversation about childhood memories. By developing close relationships with participants, Jeremiah has become a more effective caregiver and a more trusted friend.

Jeremiah worked in the same home that award namesake, Maxo Joseph, worked prior to his death. Jeremiah loves to cook Maxo’s favorite recipes in his honor, and the participants love Jeremiah’s cooking. Jeremiah was honored with a $2,000 Maxo Joseph Award.

“We’re very grateful for the opportunity to celebrate our hardworking direct care staff with much deserved recognition through these awards,” said Barbara Salisbury, CEO of MAB Community Services. “Many of this year’s honorees were nominated by multiple people – colleagues, managers, and families of participants – which is a true testament to the impact they have on the individuals they support. It has been incredibly heartwarming to read their stories describing how they work to ensure that our participants are able to live full and satisfying lives."

Out of 28 nominees, 12 direct care staff received awards this year, representing MAB group homes across Greater Boston and Central Massachusetts. The length of service these individuals have dedicated to MAB ranges from two years to 18 years, with an average of six years. Honorees are chosen by a committee consisting of MAB staff, community supporters, and family members of the participants the nominees serve.

The awards are named for Maxo Joseph, a dedicated caregiver who served MAB participants for nearly 20 years. Nominees reflect Maxo’s life and legacy. Jay Lupica, in his role as Trustee of the Patricia W. and Alfred E. Farah Charitable Trust, has matched $100,000 in donations twice since the awards’ establishment, enabling MAB to secure $400,000 to fund eight annual awards cycles.

In addition to recognizing direct care staff for their service to MAB participants, 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 percent, MAB's turnover in direct care was less than 17 percent during the past year.

Those who wish to support MAB’s initiative to reward high-performing staff may do so here, designating their gift to the Maxo Joseph Awards.

ABOUT MAB COMMUNITY SERVICES

MAB Community Services has been creating opportunities for people with disabilities since 1903. Formerly known as the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, MAB is one of the oldest social service agencies in the nation assisting individuals 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.

Founded in 1973, MAB’s Adult Disability Services division offers 29 community-based group homes with 24/7 support. Through each division and program, MAB’s goal is to provide the support needed for each person to actively participate in their community and life and to live a full and satisfying life.