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.

Guild for Human Services CEO selected as finalist for Nonprofit Leadership Award

The Concord Journal

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network recently announced that Amy C. Sousa, Ph.D., CEO of the Guild for Human Services in Concord, has been selected as a finalist for the 2019 Nonprofit Excellence Award in the Leadership category.

The winners of the Nonprofit Excellence Awards will be announced at MNN’s annual event, Nonprofit Awareness Day: A Celebration of Nonprofit Excellence presented by Citizens Bank, to be held June 3 at the Massachusetts Statehouse.

The Guild for Human Services launched a new website that provides a redesigned digital presence and conveys The Guild’s vibrancy, unique community and continuum of services while also meeting the highest level of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

Amy C. Sousa, the chief executive officer of The Guild for Human Services, has been named one of five finalists for the 2019 Nonprofit Excellence Leadership Award by the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN).

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.”

The Guild for Human Services launched a new logo that marks a change in its visual identity, and presents The Guild as evolving; reflects strength and the direction of its services; and underscores its commitment to serving at-risk populations.

Our 29-year-old son, Christian, was born prematurely after his heart stopped beating. His brain did not receive oxygen for 12 minutes and he suffered brain damage similar to a significant stroke. He’s had hundreds of hospitalizations and 80 surgeries, including 40 neurosurgeries. He has cerebral palsy and is visually impaired. He has significant difficulty communicating, knowing what he wants to say but not being able to say it. In spite of all this, he is still his own person.

The National Eye Institute has designated February as Low Vision Awareness Month, and The Guild for Human Services can point with pride to a number of recent initiatives to meet the needs of our visually impaired population.

In the last year, The Guild launched four different projects to assist individuals with low vision:

It doesn’t take long for a visitor to Burlington House to determine that the residents of this home, atop the hill, have formed a special community.

On this evening, perpetual prankster Lukas spots fellow housemate Melissa’s new glasses on the dinner table while she is out of the room. He jokingly decides to put on the ill-fitting spectacles. Melissa returns, Lukas grins broadly and cries out, “Gotcha!” The housemates and staff share a laugh: Lukas has struck again.

The Guild for Human Services’ annual Adult Residential Program Awards Ceremony recognized 50 individuals for their accomplishments over the past year.

Family and friends joined the honorees at the event, which was held on Sunday, Oct. 14 at The Westin in Waltham.

“We are proud to recognize and celebrate the individual achievements of the individuals we support in their adult homes,” said Maureen Costello-Shea, chief program officer.

Honorees included: