Nary LoPuzzo Wins Longevity Award from Westchester NDEAM

Nary LoPuzzo Longevity Award Winner

Congratulations to Nary LoPuzzo, who received the Longevity Award at the Westchester County National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) ceremony. Nary has been a valued ShopRite employee for 21 years. CAREERS’ unique mix of workforce skills training and job coaching has enabled Nary, and hundreds of others like her, to become successfully employed and truly be part of their communities.

Tina Cornish-Lauria, Executive Director of CAREERS, said that “the NDEAM Awards are a significant way to focus attention on the accomplishments of people with disabilities and the employers who provide a diverse workplace. People with disabilities are the nation’s largest minority group. We are so proud of Nary and our other clients who bring their best to work every day and demonstrate what people with disabilities can accomplish.”

Nary is a reliable, dedicated worker. She was working at the Peekskill ShopRite when she came to CAREERS in 2004 for help in improving her skills and finding a better job. After Nary completed CAREERS’ workforce skills training program, her Employment Specialist helped her obtain a transfer to the Croton ShopRite in 2011. Her cheerful smile and positive attitude make her a favorite with ShopRite customers, coworkers and managers. “We are so proud of Nary’s accomplishments. She worked hard to develop her customer service skills and advocate for herself to get the position she wanted,” said Rebecca Appleyard, CAREERS Carmel Program Coordinator. “We are also grateful to ShopRite and other employers who see the value of hiring people with disabilities.”

Also honored today were nine other CAREERS clients: Eileen Morra, a fitting room attendant at T.J. Maxx; Jack Silverstein, a maintenance associate at Costco; Legend Greene, a data analyst at Market Cast; Marcey Pietarinen, an associate at Forever 21 and Stop & Shop; Matthew Diaz, a cart retriever at ShopRite; Michael George, a store merchandiser at Stop & Shop; Ronny Ortega, a maintenance worker at ShopRite; Roxanne Williams, a receptionist at the New York State Office of Professional Discipline; and Stephen Barker, a stock associate at BJ’s.

Also honored were CAREERS employers Market Cast, Forever 21 in White Plains; the New York State Office of Professional Discipline in Port Chester; ShopRite in Croton and Thornwood; and Stop & Shop in Eastchester.

You can see the virtual NDEAM ceremony at: http://westchesteremploymentnetwork.us/