To the Editor:

The week of Sept. 1319 was designated at the national and state level as “Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week.” Both Congress and the Minnesota governor’s office have chosen to recognize and honor the important role that direct support workers play in the lives of people with disabilities and in the communities where they live and work.

Direct support professionals provide supports that allow people with disabilities to stay connected to communities and assists them to live meaningful and productive lives. The work that direct support professionals do help people with disabilities to live, work, play and learn in the ways we all hope to live our lives.

Locally, direct support professionals work for people with disabilities in their homes, at school and at work.

At STEP, Inc., more than 50 employees work with people with disabilities in services in Fairmont and Blue Earth. STEP direct support professionals help people with disabilities work at local businesses, make use of community resources and spend their days in productive ways.

STEP, Inc. would like to publicly recognize and thank these employees for the valuable work they do that makes a difference every day. STEP looks forward to continuing to help our local communities include people with disabilities in our daily lives.

Susan Eisenmenger

STEP, Inc.

Fairmont