Celebrating DSP Week 2026 with Appreciation, Awards and Community Support
A week of appreciation can never fully match the daily impact of a great Direct Support Professional. Still, during National Direct Support Professional Week in September 2026, the team made space to pause, gather, celebrate, and say what should be said often: thank you.
From September 14 through 18, staff came together for an appreciation dinner at Sky Hawk Ranch, a beautiful and welcoming setting generously donated for the celebration. The donated venue helped make the week feel special from the start. It gave staff a chance to step away from the pace of daily work, enjoy a meal, receive recognition, and spend time with coworkers who understand the heart behind this profession.
The week honored more than 100 staff members through years of service recognition, achievement awards, DSP Spotlight awards, fun awards, raffle gifts, shared meals, and simple moments of connection. It was a celebration of dedication, patience, humor, endurance, and care.
The dinner was provided by Bleu Bite Catering, which offered 50% off catering services. That discount saved the organization about $1,700, allowing more resources to go toward staff appreciation, gifts, and recognition throughout the week.
For DSPs who so often focus on caring for others, the dinner offered something simple and meaningful: a moment to connect and hang out together.
One of the most meaningful parts of DSP Week 2026 was the recognition of more than 100 staff members. The awards represented years of service, professional achievement, dedication, teamwork, and the kind of spirit that keeps people going through demanding work.
Recognition included:
14 years of service awards
15 fun and silly awards
8 achievement awards
1 dedication award
5 DSP Spotlight awards
The DSP Spotlight awards honored five staff members whose work stood out in powerful ways. Three of those awards recognized staff in residential services, and two recognized staff in vocational services.
That balance matters. DSPs support people in many environments, and each setting brings its own responsibilities, relationships, and rewards. Residential DSPs often support people in the most personal spaces of daily life. Vocational DSPs help people participate, contribute, and build confidence in work and community settings. Both roles require skill, patience, creativity, and trust.
Years of service awards remind everyone that commitment adds up over time. Every year represents thousands of interactions, countless decisions, and many moments when a DSP chose to show up with care.
Achievement awards shine a light on growth and excellence. They honor staff who reached goals, led by example, supported their teams, or made a lasting difference through their work.
The dedication award carried special meaning because it was given to our Interim Executive Director Cierra who started as a DSP 17years ago. Throughout the years she has given so much back to this organization and as the standing ED she has turned the culture around and showed us all why this work matters. She puts her whole heart into this work, and you can see it through her actions.
And the fun and silly awards brought joy into the room. They reminded everyone that appreciation can be heartfelt and lighthearted at the same time. Laughter is part of team culture. It helps people connect, recharge, and remember that they are not doing this work alone.
Local businesses and supporters lifted staff morale
Community support made DSP Week 2026 even brighter. Local businesses, board members, and supporters donated raffle items, sponsorships, experiences, gift cards, and baskets that added excitement throughout the celebration.
Together, supporters contributed a total of 55 gifts. Of those, 22 gifts were shared during the staff dinner, and 33 gifts were given throughout DSP Week from September 14 through 18.
These gifts did more than fill raffle tables. They sent a message to staff that their work is seen by the larger community.
Donations included:
Donor or supporter | Gift or contribution |
Wild Ride | 25 gift cards |
Dry Canyon | 4 gift cards |
Evoke Winery | Four tastings |
Freeland Spirit | Four tastings |
General Duffy’s | Four concert tickets |
Chipotle | Two entree gift cards |
Rivers Edge Golf | Golf for four |
Pendleton Round | Two tickets |
Anonymous | $1,000 donation |
Hydro Flask | Five bottle sizes |
RTS | 15 gift baskets |
Grocery Bandit | Six 32-ounce hydration bottles |
Board donation | Soup Gift basket |
SnopCap | Free single-scoop ice cream cones for all staff |
Suttle Lodge and Boathouse | two-night Staycation |
Bleu Bite Catering | 50% off catering services, saving about $1,700 |
The variety of gifts gave staff many opportunities to feel celebrated. Some gifts offered a night out. Some offered rest. Some brought practical value. Some were simply fun.
SnopCap’s ice cream donation added a sweet and playful touch. Rivers Edge Golf provided an experience that staff could enjoy together. Suttle Lodge and Boathouse offered a staycation, giving one lucky recipient the chance to rest and recharge. The gift cards, tastings, concert tickets, hydration bottles, baskets, and other items all helped build anticipation throughout the week.
Just as meaningful were the five chances for staff to share a meal with senior leadership. These shared meals created space for conversation outside normal routines. They gave leaders a chance to listen, connect, and show appreciation in a personal way.
Daily appreciation kept the celebration going
DSP Week was not limited to one dinner or one round of awards. Staff received appreciation throughout the week, helping the celebration feel steady and intentional.
The “item of the week” gifts added another layer of fun and usefulness. Staff received items such as:
T-shirts
Sweatshirts
Swag totes with snacks
Gas gift cards
Kauboi Beef gift cards
These gifts recognized that appreciation can take many forms. A sweatshirt can become a comfortable reminder of belonging. A gas card can ease a real expense. A tote of snacks can brighten a busy shift. Small gestures matter when they are given with sincerity.
The week also created moments for staff to cheer for each other. That peer recognition is powerful. DSP work depends on strong teams. Staff rely on one another for communication, coverage, encouragement, and trust. When one person receives an award, the whole team often feels proud because they know what went into earning it.
Direct Support Professionals make a daily difference
The heart of the celebration was the work itself.
Direct Support Professionals support people through routines, goals, challenges, and milestones. They help people make choices, build relationships, participate in community life, and pursue greater independence. They adapt quickly. They listen closely. They notice details.
In residential settings, a DSP may help someone start the day with confidence, prepare for an appointment, practice a skill, plan a favorite activity, or wind down after a difficult moment. They help make a house feel like home by honoring preferences, routines, culture, communication, and comfort.
In vocational settings, a DSP may support someone as they learn a new job task, build confidence, interact with coworkers, or take pride in a completed project. They help people see what is possible and support the steps it takes to get there.
That work requires more than a job description can capture. It calls for consistency, empathy, flexibility, sound judgment, and respect. It also takes energy. DSPs often carry the emotional weight of wanting the best for the people they support while navigating complex needs and busy schedules.
That is why appreciation must be more than a once-a-year gesture. DSP Week is a bright marker on the calendar, but gratitude should continue in daily team culture, leadership decisions, training, scheduling, communication, and community support.
The 2026 celebration offered a clear reminder: when DSPs feel valued, the entire service community grows stronger.
Carrying the gratitude forward
Celebrating DSP Week 2026 with appreciation, awards and community support was a meaningful way to honor the people who make direct support possible every day. The week brought together more than 100 staff members, dozens of donated gifts, heartfelt awards, shared meals, and a strong show of community care.
To every Direct Support Professional recognized during the week, and to every DSP continuing the work in residential and vocational settings, thank you. Your dedication helps people live with dignity, choice, connection, and purpose.
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