MAMARONECK — On an early afternoon in this Westchester County town, the Wagner House is full of life. Some residents have gathered in the living room to watch television. Others are learning how to knit. The sound of laughter can be heard coming from the kitchen.
The Wagner House opened in 2003 on Wagner Avenue after a few local families approached the YAI, a nonprofit agency that serves people with disabilities, to create a group home to support their children. Since then, the house has become a safe haven for its eight residents, all people with developmental disabilities.
And they’re not alone. Ten direct support professionals (DSPs) from YAI help them with tasks like cooking, cleaning, coaching, budgeting and providing transportation or emotional support.
But caring for vulnerable people is intense work, and coupled with low wages, many workers are quitting their jobs at the Wagner House, which has been understaffed for at least five years, said Maria Cuneo, the facility’s DSP supervisor. As a result, workers are stretched thin. And while they all love to work at the Wagner House, most tend to stay less than two years because they can’t make ends meet, which has devastating effects for the residents who grow to love them like family, Cuneo said.
One of those residents is Colleen Victory, 47, who has Down syndrome. She works full-time doing clerical work for the Westchester Board of Legislators, a job she’s had for 20 years. Victory shares a room with Nadia Menoscal,...
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