Throughout life, families occasionally encounter unexpected situations that curb their plans in ways they can't predict. Raising a child who has been diagnosed with an intellectual and/or developmental disability can be one of these situations. It can take away the ability to control what's next and changes how we envision caring for a child. For some people, this is experienced as a loss or, more specifically, an ambiguous loss. Ambiguous loss is an unclear loss that continues without resolution or closure and can lead to feelings of confusion, anxiety, and chronic sorrow.

The Guild for Human Services was pleased to nominate Hajara Nalwanga, Overnight Shift Lead at Walnut House and Karl Bernard, Residential Assistant at Sudbury House for the 2024 Direct Support Professional of the Year awards program hosted by the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR)! ANCOR is a national association of community-based service providers that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

On Sunday, October 29th, nearly 80 Guild community members laced up their sneakers and participated in the annual Flutie 5k Run/Walk/Roll for Autism! We were joined by Guild families, staff, students, adults and supporters at the Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick for the race. While skies were overcast, the rain held out just in time for everyone to complete the course!

The Guild for Human Services, which educates, encourages and empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities, recently was joined by members of the Concord Police Department to honor seven Guild School athletes who participated in the Special Olympics Area Games in Track and Field competition this summer.

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) announced that The Guild for Human Services’ Leadership Employee Advancement and Development (LEAD) program has been selected as a finalist for their 2023 Nonprofit Excellence Awards in the Innovation category.

May 8th-12th marked National Teacher Appreciation Week! Throughout the week, we celebrated our incredible education team with events and featured staff profiles on our social media pages. Check out highlights below, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @guildhumanservices for full staff features:

Maria Esna, M.Ed, Classroom Teacher

The Guild for Human Services, which educates, encourages, and empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities, is opening a new residence for adults in Wilmington in May. 

Earlier this month, Guild CEO Amy C. Sousa wrote an op-ed in Commonwealth Magazine, What’s causing the boarding crisis in hospitals? The article looks at the crisis of psychiatric boarding and its direct connection to the dire need for residential services for people with complex developmental and behavioral health needs.

Bob Renois, a Residential Assistant with Walnut House, was honored with an Award of Excellence at the Providers’ Council’s annual convention and expo on Monday, October 3rd. Bob has worked at The Guild for over 23 years in both Residential Assistant and Assistant Residential Manager capacities.

The Guild for Human Services has been recognized with an Award of Excellence in the 28th Annual Communicator Awards for its short documentary, The World Got Smaller: The Spirit of The Guild During COVID-19. Produced by Viamark Video, the film features interviews with Guild staff, students, residents, parents, and community partners and provides a first-hand look at how the pandemic curtailed the community life of individuals with intellectual disabilities.