NYSID recognizes statewide work on Preferred Source contracts, including Gerald Robbins of The Arc of Madison Cortland, who works in food packaging
John Humphrey, a custodian with The Arc of Onondaga/ Monarch Industries in Syracuse, has been named a 2017 William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Award co-recipient by New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc.
A veteran with disabilities, Humphrey has overcome schizophrenia and homelessness to become the custodian at the Westcott Day Habilitation Center. He has missed just one day of work in four years. Due to his disability, Humphrey does not drive a car, so a bicycle is his sole means of transportation to and from work, four to six miles each way, even through treacherous Syracuse winters.
He is goal-oriented and says it is important to keep challenging yourself. With the hope of owning his own energy-efficient home and a belief that “something better than what you have now” is attainable, he continues to set higher goals for himself.
Humphrey cares about his community and is very civic-minded. He recently started an online community through Meetup.com called “Better Onondaga County,” which now has 50 members who exchange ideas about how to make their community a better place to live.
NYSID’s annual Joslin Awards Program celebrates exceptional job performance and personal growth by New Yorkers with disabilities working on NYSID Preferred Source contracts.
In its 14th year, NYSID’s Joslin Awards Program has recognized more than 700 Outstanding Performers, and awarded 17 of those individuals with the final William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Award.
Eleven Central New Yorkers with disabilities are among 58 statewide Joslin Outstanding Performers recognized through NYSID’s annual people-centered awards program.
In addition to Robbins and Humphrey, the Joslin Outstanding Performers for 2017 from Central New York are:
- Roger Benjamin, JM Murray, (Cortland), custodial
- Spencer Fort, Arc of Seneca Cayuga (Waterloo), lawn maintenance
- James Keeler, Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc./AVRE (Binghamton), manufacturing
- Christopher Morgan, Human Technologies Corporation (Utica), custodial
- Amy Morrison, St. Lawrence NYSARC/Seaway Industries (Canton), digital imaging
- Lidija Nadarevic, ACHIEVE/Country Valley Industries (Binghamton), document preparation
- Gerald Robbins, The Arc of Madison Cortland (Oneida), food packaging
- Francis Scovel, Jefferson Rehabilitation Center (Watertown), production
- Gary Soule, The Arc of Chemung/Southern Tier Industries (Elmira), grounds maintenance
- Jeremy Storey, The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter NYSARC/Progress Industries (Utica), packaging
Richard Warner, a production/assembly worker with Allegany Arc in Wellsville, is the 2017 William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Award co-recipient.
The 2017 William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Award co-recipients were honored during NYSID’s annual meeting Tuesday, Sept. 26, at The Saratoga Hilton in Saratoga Springs.
“We salute our 2017 award recipients as ambassadors of the wide-ranging abilities of New York State’s workforce,” said Ron Romano, NYSID president & CEO. “NYSID secures meaningful employment for all New Yorkers with disabilities who look to Preferred Source opportunities to choose an employment direction. Our award recipients speak to the dedication and commitment displayed by these individuals through meaningful work.”
For more information on the Joslin Awards, including videos of previous award recipients, visit http://www.nysid.org/joslin.cfm.
NYSID is a not-for-profit business with a mission of “Advancing employment and other opportunities for individuals with disabilities.” Established in 1975, NYSID contracts for employment opportunities for nearly 7,000 New Yorkers with disabilities annually through New York’s Preferred Source Program. NYSID’s community rehabilitation member agencies and corporate partners are located throughout the state, providing jobs in the community and in production facilities. For more information, visit http://www.nysid.org.