In April, four Guild staff shared their experiences as immigrants to the United States in Suitcase Stories: Voices of the Guild. One of those storytellers is Muyani Kasune, who currently works at The Guild as a Residential Program Manager. We recently caught up with Muyani to learn more about his background.

Last fall, The Guild posted a practicum project opportunity with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, focusing on gaps in psychiatric services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experiencing mental health crises. Practicum projects help advance the work of the host organization as well as provide a real-world learning experience for a Master's student.

Our 2019-2020 Annual Report is here!

You can read the report online  or download a PDF for printing and emailing.

In the report, you will find stories about The Guild and the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment to social justice movements, how The Guild School is transforming, and employee achievement.

From sadness to fear and guilt to helplessness, Guild families experienced a range of emotions while separated from their loved ones as the COVID-19 pandemic raged through the spring.

Janice Goodwin and her husband, Peter, went 89 days without seeing their daughter Jessica, an adult resident of Billerica House. They missed Jessica’s 23rd birthday and her weekly visits home.

On August 6, 2020, CARF International announced that The Guild for Human Services’ adult and youth programs have been accredited for a period of three years.

Gone are the sterile white walls, replaced by large, evocative murals that greet students, staff and visitors to the Ocean, Forest and Neighborhood. Break rooms now bear the names of favorite animals. Welcome to The Guild School 2020.

For Peg Doherty, the concept of The Guild as a special community really hit home on Easter Sunday.

On that exact day a couple of months ago, her son, Christian, expressed his desire to return to his residence at Sudbury House after spending a few hours visiting with his parents. They asked him why he wanted to go back so soon.

“Because I like being there,” he answered, a few words delivering a powerful message.

Boston Parents Paper

The Next Wave of Recess Renaissance

By James V. Major

At The Guild for Human Services in Concord, the challenge of designing an accessible, inclusive playground was not only accommodating differences in physical ability but age as well. The Guild, which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism and behavioral/mental health challenges, operates a school and residential program for 85 youth ages 6-22 and a residential program for 55 adults.

More than 100 individuals experienced the glitz, glamour and excitement of Hollywood at the annual Spring Dance with this year’s theme: Hollywood Comes to The Guild.

Even when she was just 5 or 6 years old, Nin Chan displayed the extraordinary compassion, enduring patience and sunny disposition that has made her a standout in the field of human services.

Chan recalls her kindergarten schooling in Lowell when a classmate was not readily accepted by most of her peers because she had a disability and had difficulty speaking.

“I was always the first one to grab her hand and say, ‘I’ll be your partner,’ ” she remembers. “From then on, I realized that the smallest gesture could make a difference in somebody’s life.”