Community Access Unlimited (CAU) honored seven community partners at its 2017 Awards Night Celebration, held at in April at its Elizabeth headquarters. The honorees represented the wide variety of professionals and organizations the agency partners with to fulfill its mission of enabling people with disabilities and at-risk youth to live independently within the community.
The Parish Community of St. Helen’s in Westfield was honored with the Excellence in the Community Award. St. Helen’s has been very active in the Union County Interfaith Coordinating Council (UCICC), an interfaith council that promotes inclusion of all people within the community, without regard to race, religion or disability, and promotes nonprofit and government community services to member congregations. St. Helen’s is also the parish of several CAU members.
“As a community we value service very much,” said Rev. Michael Saporito, pastor at St. Helen’s. “When Sid Blanchard (CAU executive director) came to us and talked about what CAU does, it seemed like a perfect partnership. For us as Catholic Christians, we take the example of Christ himself, who reached out to those living on the margins to show they have value and belong like everyone else. When we say we welcome all people, we mean it.”
Community Access Unlimited (CAU) is a statewide nonprofit providing support programs and services to adults with disabilities as well as youth served under the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to enable them to live independently in the community, providing supports in areas including housing, vocational skills and life-skills training, education, advocacy and recreation.
“These award recipients help CAU fulfill our mission of enabling people with disabilities and at-risk youth to live independently within the community,” said Sid Blanchard, CAU executive director. “Their partnerships with us are invaluable.”
(above) Reverend Michael Saporito, pastor at St. Helen’s, accepts the Excellence in the Community Award from Myrta Rosa, board member of Community Access Unlimited, and Sid Blanchard, CAU executive director.
