Options for Independence

Each year at its annual meeting, Options for Independence takes the opportunity to publicly recognize organizations, businesses and individuals who support Options in its mission or directly support the people we serve. The annual meeting is eagerly anticipated and provides an opportunity to say “thank you” to those individuals and businesses.

This year’s annual meeting was held last week at the Auburn Holiday Inn, where a light lunch was enjoyed by members of the Options family, including individuals from the general membership, board members, staff, ombudsmen, representatives from other agencies and additional community members. Mayor Michael Quill represented the city of Auburn and Glenn Everdyke was on hand from our local CNY Disability Services Office, The Office of Community Support.

I welcomed the assembled group and, as everyone finished their dessert, relinquished the podium to Susan Gray, the chair of Options’ board of directors. (You may have known her as Susan Storms but, as we are thrilled to announce, Susan recently was wed to Rick Gray! Congratulations, Susan and Rick!)

Susan conducted the business portion of the annual meeting, which consisted mainly of the adoption of numerous changes to Options’ by-laws. With little fanfare, the business portion of the meeting was rapidly concluded, and the most enjoyable part of the day, the awards presentations, began in earnest.

Albert Townsend presented the first of two Community Service Award: Business of the Year awards to Wegmans Food Markets, represented by Wegmans’ Consumer Affairs Manager Evelyn Carter and Area Manager Dave Florczyk. Albert recited a litany of donations and services provided by Wegmans for the benefit of the people we serve.

Greg Guy presented the second “Business of the Year” award to another long-standing supporter of Options, Bernie Simmons of Balloons Restaurant. Bernie’s and Balloons’ unwavering commitment and generosity, year after year, epitomizes the meaning of“community service” and defines the type of partnership that allows Options to succeed in its mission.

The first recipient of a “Giannettino-Pethybridge-Bower Advocate of the Year” award was Carole Sanders, a retired school nurse from Union Springs who has spent 15-plus years assisting people with disabilities in pool therapy at our local YMCA-WEIU, as well as countless hours of service with Red Cross blood mobiles. Bessie Farrell, case manager with the Homeless Outreach and Prevention Effort program, presented the award.

Marge Brooks was recognized (much to her surprise!) by presenter Felicia Thompson with the second “Advocate of the Year” award for her outstanding service as an advocate with the ombudsman program, serving the residents of the Finger Lakes Center for Living, among others, following her retirement as the director of volunteer services at Mercy Health and Rehabilitation.

The second person to be genuinely surprised at the annual meeting, and the first to be presented with a “Rev. John Humphrey Volunteer of the Year” award, was the Rev. Michael White. In addition to his full-time employment with the Rescue Mission, White spends countless hours delivering bagged meals to the homeless, working at food pantries and soup kitchens around the county, and ministering to the Five-Points Ministry and the Cayuga County Jail.

The final recognition of the afternoon, the second “Rev. John Humphrey Volunteer of the Year” award, went to Dorothy “Dotti” Dunn for her unwavering service to long-term care residents in Cayuga County. Although Dotti is also a part-time staff member at Options, she spends many, many more volunteer hours doing what she loves and excels at: providing advocacy services and a willing ear and shoulder for many residents in our nursing homes, as well as acting as the coordinator for the ombudsman program.

As Sara Douglass so eloquently stated when presenting White’s award, “People like this don’t devote so much of their lives to helping others to win awards. But we feel it is important that our business partners, advocates and volunteers know how much we admire them, and how grateful we are for their service.”

Indeed, the work we do at Options is made much easier and more fruitful through the efforts of those who help us and the people we serve. A heartfelt thank you to each of our award recipients!

Greg Guy is the executive director of Options for Independence