TOPEKA (KSNT) — A local non-profit held its annual Fall Festival Wednesday, bringing clients, staff and community partners together for food, games and recognition.
The Success Learning and Inclusion (SLI) is celebrating 55 years of creating opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The event also celebrated National Direct Support Professionals Week, honoring staff members who support SLI clients throughout the year.
“Tonight is our full festival,” said Karen Streeter, SLI’s chief advancement and community engagement officer. “Every year we get together is a big SLI family. We have fun, we have good food, but we also celebrate two things, National DSP Week. DSPs are the heart of everything we do at SLI.”
SLI also presented awards recognizing clients for their progress, along with staff, volunteers and community partners.
One of those staff members is Penny Kincaid, a direct support professional who has worked at SLI for 19 years.
“The clients teach me,” Kincaid said. “I’ve been here 19 years and the client has taught me almost every single day of it.”
Streeter said the connection between SLI’s staff and clients goes back to the organization’s beginning.
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“We are 55 years young,” Streeter said. “This year we started with a love of parents who wanted to make sure that their adult children had a place to call home that was just like everybody else’s. And we’ve carried that vision on today.”
Streeter said community partnerships help SLI share its work and mission with the community.
“You make it possible for our staff to tell our story and to tell it well,” Streeter said. “And that kind of partnership isn’t easy, but we’ve been able to build an amazing one with you guys.”
SLI said community partnerships like these help the organization continue creating opportunities for the people it serves.
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