Press Releases

Easterseals is meeting the needs of their community through their life-changing Children’s Therapies, including Applied Behavior Analysis therapy (ABA). Before ABA, five-year-old Efe Ozer, of Wilmington, DE, was unable to communicate his needs and rightfully so, became frustrated. His mom, Sel Ozer, was so grateful to find Easterseals services to give their family the tools they needed to help Efe.

Most parents would agree that toddlers can be picky eaters. However, there is a difference between a selective eater and an outright aversion to eating. That was the case for two-year-old Isiro and his parents Xyare and Jordin Patrick. If it did not pass Isiro’s “smell, feel, and look” test, he would not even try it. This was a job for Easterseals Children’s Therapy Services.

Three-year-old twins Elijah and Lorenzo Erli, of Dover, DE, are thrilled when their school bus comes around the corner. It is time to go to school and they get to travel in one of their favorite vehicles. Double bonus! It was not that long ago that the twins’ parents, Angie and David, were concerned about their progress and worried about them going to school. Once the twins began Easterseals Children’s Therapy services, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) the worries melted away.

Brian Perry, of Frederica, DE, is a world traveler, recently returning from Germany where he competed in the Special Olympics World Games as a swimming champion representing the United States. Meanwhile at home, his team at the café at Delaware State University, where he has worked for the last ten years through Easterseals’ Supported Employment program, was cheering him on.

Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore recently announced its slate of new officers elected to the 2024 board of directors, including: Penny Saridakis as Chair, Pierre Anderson as Vice Chair, Michael J. Tretina as Treasurer, and Jen Mathews as Secretary.

Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore announced that it has received a Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware BluePrints for the Community grant to support their Memory Care and Adult Day Health Services. This funding will allow Easterseals to meet the current challenges of rising expenses to provide these much-needed services while continuing to expand the number of people served with memory and cognitive challenges in their existing Adult Day Health Program.

As part of the observance of the 75th anniversary of Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the organization is celebrating “Direct Support Professional Week” by recognizing stellar Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) with the longest tenure in serving people with disabilities, seniors and their families. The DSPs were identified from each program in Easterseals’ statewide locations.

Bill Mosley, of Hartly, DE, is blind, has a hearing impairment, and is an amazing advocate! With the help of Easterseals Direct Support Professionals, he learned how to write the alphabet so he could write a letter to his elected officials about issues important to him and other people with disabilities. Senator Tom Carper was so impressed that he stopped into Easterseals Dover adult day program last week to meet Bill and discuss the issues. With the support of his direct care staff and his sister, Bonnie, Bill is creating important awareness about disability issues.

Recently, Maryland Delegates Jay Jacobs, Stephen Arentz, and Sheree Sample-Hughes toured Easterseals Camp Fairlee outside of Chestertown, MD to view improvements made possible through their support of Maryland Bond Bill funding.

Easterseals Delaware & Maryland's Eastern Shore recognizes the following top fundraising team and individual in the 2023 Easterseals/CAI Volleyball Challenge who helped raise over $170,000 for people with disabilities and their families. A special thanks to the 2023 Ambassadors, Carolyn Jerzak and her family.

The recent ribbon-cutting for the new Easterseals Caregiver Resource Center at the Milford Wellness Village brought together families and local and state officials in support of the services being offered there for caregivers and their families.