Citizens Options Unlimited

Today, we celebrated a milestone—the opening of the Meditation Garden at Wheatley Farms & Arts Center! Made possible through the generous support of Assemblymember Charles Lavine, this peaceful space reflects the beauty of nature and our shared community. From mindfulness activities to hands-on farming experiences, our spring reception highlighted how Wheatley Farms continues to grow as a place where people of all abilities can connect with nature and each other. ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? #Inclusion #Community #WheatleyFarms #Mindfulness Chuck Lavine Stanfort Perry Saundra Gumerove, Esq.

Happy World Down Syndrome Day! Our amazing board member, Charlotte Woodward, is here to celebrate and advocate! People with Down syndrome bring so much joy, talent, and value to the world—let’s make sure inclusion isn’t just a word but a reality. Watch, celebrate, and share! ???? #WorldDownSyndromeDay #WDSD2025

Happy Spring! ?????? We hope everyone enjoys these warmer spring days! For Bobby Karp and Spencer Aronson, a warm spring afternoon is best spent at the local train station to watch the trains roll in and depart. Last week, on a warm afternoon, they had a great time saying hello to commuters and enjoying the sun ??

March 17 - March 23 is Neurodiversity Celebration Week! This week, we are joining advocates worldwide to raise awareness about the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding neurodevelopmental and learning disabilities that continue to impact so many. #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek

Happy St. Patty’s Day from the Shoreham ICF! ???? We had a wonderful day having our very own St. Patrick’s Day Parade indoors, complete with festive decorations and green hats and necklaces! Men and women who reside at Shoreham, along with staff, certainly brought the St. Patty’s Day energy. The Grand Marshal of the Parade, Patty McCarthy, handed out green leis so that everyone could get in the spirit! Fun music played as everyone paraded around the building. It was certainly a lucky day ?? to be at Shoreham!

Curious about what a day in the life looks like for the men and women who reside at the Shoreham Intermediate Care Facility (ICF)? Check out our latest blog at https://lnkd.in/eZqxbNA2 to read all about the friendship, support, and joy that can be found at Shoreham.

We hope everyone had a great weekend! We certainly did! Over the weekend, Dougal Howe and Samuel Morales, who reside at Red Spring Lane, enjoyed a trip to the movies; John Volpe, who resides at Ontario Avenue, celebrated his birthday; and Lizzy Grogan, Jamie Stillwell, Sarah Chardavoyne and Jenny Stillwell enjoyed a performance of "Dorothy's Adventure in Oz" at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson. What did you do this past weekend?

Today is #InternationalWomensDay Join us in celebrating all the women in our community of creative, dedicated, compassionate and hard working self-advocates, families, and staff! #IWD2025

Today in Hauppauge, AHRC Nassau and Citizens Options Unlimited leadership and the people we support came together alongside many LI agencies to advocate for the vital services that empower our communities. With the 2025-26 NYS Budget on the horizon, we are calling for a 7.8% increase in provider rates, ensuring fair wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and addressing the rising costs of benefits, maintenance, utilities, food, supplies, transportation, and insurance. This funding is about sustaining essential services and valuing the incredible workforce that makes independence and inclusion possible. Join us in urging New York State to invest in the future of care. To learn more about how you can help, visit www.ahrc.org/advocate #FairFunding #SupportDSPs #AdvocacyMatters #NYSBudget

#CampLoyaltown Training Coordinators Christian D. Moncayo, Cesar Mendoza Diazleal and Luis P. Dalpiva are having a great time planning activities for this upcoming camp season, including Twin Day! With snow on the ground, they were practicing for Twin Day by wearing shorts in the winter! Christian, Cesar, and Luis and the rest of the camp staff cannot wait to see everyone this summer! ?????? #HunterMountain #Catskills #HunterNY