Stevens Center Sanford

09/10/2025

🌈Feel Good Friday🌿

Last Friday, some of our participants from our day program went to the San Lee Nature Center and participated in employment specialist hour customer service role-playing activity.

This gave a perfect opportunity to interact with the animals, nature, and learn valuable skills.

Thank you San Lee Nature Center for showing our individuals support and an immersive experience!

09/09/2025

Today, we want to shine a spotlight on another of our wonderful DSPs at Stevens Center. Michael Falla was nominated by his supervisor, Jackelynette White. Jackelynette shared that Michael is very dependable and that she can always rely on him. “He treats our Connections Group with so much respect and kindness.”

Michael said he was inspired to become a direct support professional because he easily relates to those he serves and because he has the time and patience to take care of those in need. He enjoys participating in fun activities with the individuals he supports.

Michael says “seeing them happy to come to the day program every day is what makes the day worth it for me.” His favorite moment was the first time the group went to the bowling alley. “Everyone had a lot of fun and enjoyed the food there, it was a great afternoon.”

“What l've learned from the people I support is that everyone is different and everyone needs to be accommodated in different ways.”

Thank you Michael, for being a compassionate and caring employee, and for recognizing that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. We appreciate you.

09/08/2025

On Day 1 of our DSP Recognition Kickoff, we would like to say thank you to Brandon McDougald.

Brandon was nominated by his supervisor, Hadoo Greene. Brandon goes above and beyond every day and shares a deep bond with the individual he supports. Brandon is reliable, compassionate and caring in all of his interactions and truly embodies the qualities of a great caregiver. He is an advocate for those he supports and always keeps their wellbeing at the forefront.

Brandon entered this field after seeing the true need for male support workers. He states that the best part of his job is being able to relate to the individuals he serves. His proudest moment as a DSP was assisting an individual with losing 25 pounds and improving his health by reversing a medical diagnosis. Brandon says that working in this field has taught him that just because an individual needs a little extra help in some areas, doesnt mean that they can’t relate and form a strong bond.

Thank you Brandon, your impact is immeasurable.

09/08/2025

🌟Direct Support Professional Recognition Week 🌟

This week is Direct Support Professional Recognition week. Stevens Center will be posting a daily DSP spotlight to share just how important their work is and its impact on the individuals and families we serve.

Nearly a decade ago, this article was shared with our Executive Director by the mother of a young man she worked with closely. It so beautifully captures the spirit of what it’s like to work in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities and puts into words something that is so difficult to explain.

Our DSPs are the driving force of our mission and the lifeblood of our organization. We appreciate you today and every day.

"They don't tell you..."

09/06/2025

09/06/2025

We are still blown away from last night’s performances. Our September First Friday was filled with energy, community, and unforgettable music from The McKenzie Brothers and Elijah McCormick with Caleb Pait.
We were so busy enjoying the evening that we didn’t capture as many photos as we’d hoped — but we know many of you did! If you joined us, we’d love for you to share your favorite moments and photos in the comments.
Thank you to everyone who came out and made the night so special, and to Life Springs Dream Center for sponsoring this event. See you next month!

09/05/2025

⛳️ Shoutout to our incredible sponsor, First Bank !
Because of you, this year’s Annual Golf Tournament is set to be LEGENDARY! 🏌️‍♂️🔥

Let’s give them a big round of applause 👏👏👏 and show some love to a business that always shows up for our community. 💚

09/05/2025

We just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to our awesome interns here at Stevens Center. They have been so great to work with over the summer and we are excited that they are continuing with us part time during their upcoming school year. We hope your experience with us is as valuable for you as it has been for our team.

Maggi Smith (left) will be continuing her education this fall in her MSW program at UNC Greensboro.

Kirsten Rosser (right) will be finishing up her senior year at NC State with a major in Psychology and a Minor in Business Administration.

We wish you both an amazing year!

09/05/2025

Gerald Davis, former WINNERs program participant, updated Beth Bray to let her know that he received an award on his five year work anniversary as a janitorial contractor with BAC. We are so proud of his achievement. Congratulations Gerald, we look forward to hearing about all of your future success stories.

09/04/2025

Today our office staff participated in a meaningful team building session and enjoyed a delicious early dinner from Ron’s Barn. A very special thank you to Dr. Crystal McIver for the fantastic interactive presentation. It was truly an amazing experience and really reinforced the power of teamwork. We all left inspired and motivated. If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Crystal and hear her speak, you are truly missing out on something special. We couldn’t be any more appreciative.

We also want to send a huge thank you to Hugger Mugger for not only welcoming our group to your space, but arranging to open an hour early for us to begin our session. The support from our community means the world to us. We are stronger together 🩷

09/04/2025

The wait is almost over! Tomorrow night, September First Friday takes over the Stevens Center with unforgettable live music.

Bring your family, bring your friends — this is a free community event.

🎤 Friday, September 5th
📍 1576 Kelly Drive | 5:30–8 PM