Beaverbrook STEP, Inc.

10/23/2025

We hope you have been getting some time in nature on these Autumn days. Have you noticed any surprises? Here are two different views near the bridge over the Charles River when a few of our individuals were going for a walk. Interesting inspirations for reflections of the season of change …

10/18/2025

So proud to be a sponsor of the 2025 conference! Join us there!!! 💙🙂

10/09/2025

Leaders of World in Watertown, the Watertown Commission on Disability, and the Watertown Free Public Library let us know that they are pleased to invite members of the Beaverbrook STEP community to a special two-part program at the Watertown Free Public Library, co-hosted by World in Watertown, the Watertown Commission on Disability, and the Watertown Free Public Library. These events highlight the fight for disability rights, past and present. We and they hope some of our social media followers can join us for these important conversations.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution – Film Screening on Monday, October 20 at 6:30 PM - A groundbreaking documentary about the disability rights movement, presented with audio description and open captioning. The film is also streaming on Netflix.

Democracy Talks: Advocates Respond to Disability Rights Under Attack – Panel Discussion on Tuesday, October 21 at 6:30 PM - A conversation with leading disability rights advocates Charlie Carr, Kim Charlson, Finn Gardiner, Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, and Watertown's first Human Services Director, Jenna Bancroft.

Both events will include ASL interpretation and CART captioning.

10/03/2025

Beaverbrook STEP believes that everyone benefits when people with disabilities are fully included in their communities. Recently, staff participated in a refresher training on Community Belonging that emphasized the impact of supporting friendships and how to plan activities in the community with the goal of connection in mind. Remember that the goal is not the activity, but to create meaningful interactions in the community that can lead to connection and friendships!

09/24/2025

This year, Autumn Equinox and Rosh Hashanah began on the same day (yesterday). Best wishes to our friends and neighbors who honor one (or both) of these traditions. And to everyone, we invite you to take a moment to honor the diversity, similarity, and reverence in the holidays. New beginnings, reflection, and ritual with apples. 🍎 💛

Rosh Hashanah translates to "head of the year," marking the start of a new year on the Jewish calendar. It is the first of the High Holidays, a period of introspection that leads up to Yom Kippur.

The autumnal equinox brings the end of summer and the beginning of the fall season. Astronomically, an equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator. Pagans celebrate it by focusing on gratitude for the harvest, balancing light and dark, and preparing for the coming winter months.

09/22/2025

We celebrated the arrival of Fall with friendship and fun at our Community Advocates Board’s annual BBQ! So much joy and connection was enjoyed with many thanks to Barn Babies Traveling Petting Zoo, fireflysbbq, our DJ Paddy, and American Legion Post 440.

09/13/2025

We started and end this week amplifying how proud we are to celebrate Direct Support Professional Recognition Week! At Beaverbrook STEP, we are incredibly grateful for the hard work, dedication, and compassion our DSPs bring every single day to support the individuals we serve.

On behalf of the entire Beaverbrook STEP community, from the individuals we support to our leadership team, we want to extend our heartfelt thank you to all of our DSPs. We are so fortunate to work alongside such talented, caring, and skilled professionals.

09/08/2025

This week, we are proud to celebrate Direct Support Professional Recognition Week! At Beaverbrook STEP, we are incredibly grateful for the hard work, dedication, and compassion our DSPs bring every single day to support the individuals we serve.

On behalf of the entire Beaverbrook STEP community, from the individuals we support to our leadership team, we want to extend our heartfelt thank you to all of our DSPs. We are so fortunate to work alongside such talented, caring, and skilled professionals.

09/01/2025

This Labor Day, we hope you will take time to acknowledge and thank all of the people who work hard to improve the quality of your life, and the lives of your loved one’s, your neighbors, and more! Who might you intentionally thank?

We intentionally want to give a shout-out of THANKS to our direct care professionals for their exceptional work! We sincerely appreciate the essential work performed by DSPs (including personal assistants, residential and day staff, childcare workers, and many other vital roles) in providing care, support, and assistance and support to people in their communities and homes. 💛 And please help keep the gratitude rolling as we approach DSP appreciation week this month! 🥰

08/29/2025

Staying informed is important. As Labor Day approaches, we strongly affirm that caregivers for people with disabilities deserve a fair and living wage.

More than a decade after federal officials started requiring minimum wage and overtime pay for most in-home care workers, the Trump administration wants to do away with the protections.

08/22/2025

Even our saddest days remind us of the enduring spirit of love that guides our work here at Beaverbrook STEP. One of our day programs gathered this week in remembrance of one of our beloved group member who passed away in July, and the love that radiated was powerful. Never forget that grief reminds us just how much we love someone. And that all love shared lives on in abundance forever in our hearts. 💛💛💛

Here are some excerpts from readings by her dear support staff, Val, Andrea, and Lecia. May their words bring you inspiration and allow you to feel the gift of love that is alive and well. 💗💐

My dearest wish is that your life had an extra experience, an extra smile, an extra hug, an extra happy memory because of your time at Options. If it did, my job was done and I am happy. I have 8 years of memories …I will treasure them, shenanigans and all! With all my love.

💗💐

My dear Little Sidekick,

Needless to say that talking about you is not an easy task:

No matter the waters, you kept swimming…and you gave your very best.

Pocahontas says: “If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew you never knew”…was I lucky the day I met you!

And your busy schedule now consists of:
A morning run on the beach with unicorns,
Lunch with Tiana,
Little nap with sloths,
Afternoon swim with Ariel,
Painting with Rapunzel,
Smelling the flowers with Ferdinand,
A dance party with Timon and Pumbaa…and pulling an all nighter with Cinderella.
I will leave you to it!

Farewell …

💗💐

God looked around His garden
And found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth,
And saw your tired face.

He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest,
God’s garden must be beautiful
He always takes the best.

Knowing you for over 7 years has been one of the best parts of my job. You will forever be in my heart; I pray that you will rest in eternal peace.

💗💐

Craving more for grief you are struggling with? Here are some inspiring illustrated quotes about grief from hallmark:
https://ideas.hallmark.com/articles/sympathy-ideas/comforting-grief-quotes/

08/16/2025

Friends, how are you enjoying these beautiful days of summer? From free concerts to accessible pools and beaches, there are lots of options! Share in the comments your favorite summer activity so far 😎

https://www.mass.gov/accessible-beaches-and-pools/locations