Everyone desires connections with friends, family, community, work, learning opportunities, and respect for their choices. People on the Autism Spectrum are no exception.

In April, we celebrate differences during Autism Acceptance Month, fostering greater awareness of autism's signs, symptoms, and realities while promoting acceptance and inclusion.

Via assists individuals in developing social skills, establishing peer networks, and exploring vocational opportunities to empower them to lead successful, independent lives. Learn more about Via’s Autism Services by visiting our website.

Via celebrated the achievements of some of our participants at the 18th Annual Celebration Awards on March 27th.

Via participant, Octavian "Tav" Lopez, received the Employment Achievement Award for Lehigh County; Sarah Brisman received the Educational Achievement Award for Lehigh County; and Zarrah Vitale was honored with the Exemplary Citizenship Award for Northampton County.

The Celebration Awards were established to commemorate March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. These accolades were presented by Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Service Access & Management, The Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, and Quality Progressions. Denise Pioli, Via's Chief Services Officer, served on the awards committee, alongside employees from other service providers and businesses across the Lehigh Valley.

Congratulations to all the Celebration Award honorees!

Via employees celebrate with Tav Lopez after the awards ceremony, From left: Denise Pioli, Chief Services Officer; Kim Tracy, Director of Admissions and Incident Management; Tav Lopez, award honoree; Sean Hartman, Director of Business Development and Small Group Employment; Matthew Wheeler, Program Coordinator.

Are you looking for a meaningful way to commemorate a birthday, anniversary, or special event, or honor the memory of a loved one?

By purchasing a brick to be placed in our Tribute Garden, you can honor a person or life event while supporting Via’s services. You can find more information about purchasing a brick here.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has honored a loved one through the Via Tribute Garden. Recently, Taylor and Mike Bennett visited Via to view the brick they purchased in honor of Anne, their wife and mother.

To schedule a visit to view a purchased brick, contact Director of Development and Communications, Julie Scheck, at J.Scheck@ViaNet.org or by calling 484-893-5396.

Throughout the year, many Via employees attend conferences across the county for professional growth and to learn about new ideas that enhance our services for participants and their families. Via values the professional growth of all of our employees.

Earlier this month, Chief Services Officer Denise Pioli and President/CEO Lisa Walkiewicz, attended the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) Connect '24 Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The event connects a national network of diverse providers—large, small, and everything in between—to tap into a collective intelligence that translates into powerful results. There’s little we can’t achieve together when we learn from each other’s experiences, leverage each other's talents, and pool our collective insights.