Peabody Resident Honored For Commitment To Adult Disability Patients

PEABODY, MA — A Peabody man was recently honored with the MAB Community Services 2023 Maxo Joseph Excellence in Direct Care Award in recognition of his dedication and compassion shown to his adult patients with disabilities.

Said Barko received his award at a ceremony and luncheon at MAB Community Services headquarters in Brookline for his willingness to go above and beyond in his commitment to his patients at MAB's group home in Watertown.

MAB Community Servies said Barko is known for giving patients personalized attention, including bedside companionship to those living at the facility for the first time or facing a terminal diagnosis.

"I am so proud of Said for his dedication to the participants he serves," said John Quintero, Barko's manager. "He is one of the most compassionate caregivers we have and naturally makes an impact with families — I am always hearing compliments from them about him."

Barko received one of two $10,000 Maxo Joseph Awards, which is the largest award given.

"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."

The awards are named for Maxo Joseph, a dedicated caregiver who served MAB participants for nearly 20 years.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)