The sister of a person we support was scrolling through her community Facebook page when a post stopped her in her tracks. A neighbor had recently been at the Edgewater Library and witnessed something incredibly moving.  

The neighbor wrote about watching a Direct Support Professional (DSP) support a person with a disability through a difficult moment. In her words, the DSP handled the situation “with love, care, and so much patience,” and she wanted the family to know just how lucky they were to have her.  

She knew right away who her neighbor had written about. It was about her own sister, who receives services at Fello. 

As she read through all the positive comments on the post, she chimed in and proudly said it was her own sister, and that the DSP they were talking about worked for Fello. 

Jasmine, the DSP at the Edgewater Library that day, didn’t know she was being watched. She wasn’t performing for an audience. She was simply doing what she does every single day: showing up with patience, dignity, and genuine care for someone who needed it in that moment.  

And a complete stranger noticed. They noticed and were so moved that they felt compelled to stop, pay attention, and say something about it publicly, even though they didn’t know the DSP, the person receiving support, or the organization they were part of. 

Of course, we can’t say we’re surprised. We have nearly 450 DSPs on our team, and this story could have been about any one of them. This is the standard, not the exception. It’s what happens in libraries, grocery stores, doctors’ offices, and people’s homes across our community every single day, usually with no one watching at all. 

It’s exciting when someone gets to catch a glimpse of the moments of support we get to witness every day. And it’s a reminder that what may feel ordinary to us can look extraordinary from the outside. 

To every DSP on our team: Thank you.  

Thank you for the patience you show in hard moments, the compassion you bring when no one is watching, and the quiet, consistent support that makes such a difference in the lives of the people we support and their families.  

You may not always hear it from a stranger on Facebook, but please hear it from us: We see you, we know the value of your work, and we are so proud of the way you show up again and again, even when no one is watching. 

Happy DSP Recognition Week.