COLORADO SPRINGS — This week is direct support professionals week, a time meant to recognize the work that caretakers do for the clients they serve who have disabilities.
Cheyenne Village, a local non-profit that specializes in housing those with disabilities, held an appreciation event.
Direct support professionals, or DSPs, brought their clients and had fun with food, games, and some time off.
Ellen Marshall has been a client of Cheyenne Village for 50 years. She's especially thankful for the work that caretakers have helped her with over the years.
"Speaking for myself, I have a sense of security, that I normally wouldn't have otherwise," said Marshall.
Several DSPs spoke with News5 today about how happy they are with the non-profit. They say that they believe Cheyenne Village is a great place to work.
"Great. It's good. I get to go to all the community resource fairs and stuff when I get to talk to people about the agency and everything that we do that really improve people's quality of life," says a DSP of 15 years Chantel Kamlan.
The industry of caretakers and DSPs has greatly suffered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The job has a high turnover rate and many workers report working long hours with minimum overtime pay.
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