WARSAW — Cardinal Services will host a variety of celebrations in coming days in honor of National Direct Support Professionals (DSP) Recognition Week, September 11-17. Events will culminate at 2 p.m. on  Friday, Sept. 16 when Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer will join Cardinal employees in the Cardinal Courtyard for a celebration and remarks. Thallemer and Cardinal CEO Randy Hall will recognize the work of direct support professionals who provide services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our community.

“Cardinal employs over 400 direct support professionals to accomplish our mission,” said Hall. “They are hard-working, dedicated men and women who sacrifice a lot to support the people with disabilities we serve. Pausing to say thank you is a small but important act recognizing their work.”

Cardinal serves people throughout Kosciusko, Marshall, Fulton and Cass counties. There will be events honoring Cardinal DSPs throughout their service area over the course of the week, including family picnics, an ice cream social, pie tossing and supervisors washing DSP’s cars.

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is celebrated annually across the country with special events and ceremonies like these earmarked to honor the tens of thousands of workers who enable people with intellectual, developmental and other significant disabilities and their families to live healthy lives in their communities.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence has issued a Gubernatorial Proclamation declaring the week of September 11-17 as 2016 Direct Support Professionals Week.