Direct Support in Action: Meet Direct Support Professional Hughes

When Andrew Hughes walks into the Whitehall home each afternoon, the residents know what to expect: consistency, care, and often something delicious from the kitchen. Everyone calls him Hughes. For five years, he has been a steady presence in their lives, arriving Monday through Friday to support evening routines and medications and, most importantly, to be there. 

Andrew’s path to becoming a Direct Support Professional was not typical. After twenty years in law enforcement and running his own restaurant, he felt pulled toward a different kind of service. Now, instead of serving customers or keeping communities safe, he helps the residents at Whitehall build everyday lives. 

Each resident has unique strengths and needs. Two of the “guys” work in the community, while another needs more support with daily tasks. Every evening, they sit down to a family-style dinner that Hughes plans and cooks with care and patience. The menu bowl has become a favorite ritual over the years. Because many of the residents and staff have been together for so long, favorite recipes and go-to meals are well known. The bowl is filled with ideas built on those preferences, and each day a resident gets to draw the night’s choice. If the first pick is not appealing, they get one more try. It is a joyful yet straightforward way to honor dietary needs, celebrate familiar favorites, and ensure everyone has a voice at the table. 

Behind the house, raised beds overflow with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and herbs. Hughes started the garden years ago with help from residents who built some of the boxes, and he chuckles that everyone is eager to plant in the spring. By midsummer, he is often the one tending, watering, and picking, yet the garden still serves a bigger purpose than fresh produce. It is a place to contribute, to learn, and to enjoy. That rhythm mirrors the work itself. Direct Support Professionals bring their own skills and interests to daily life, adding small personal touches that enrich the home and support the residents. 

“We try as hard as we can to make this their home,” Hughes says. That means being responsive when residents voice what matters to them. When one expressed interest in kayaking, it became part of the good-weather routine, with outings to Shaver’s Creek, Colyer Lake, and Stone Valley. On other days, the request might be a trip to the store or even to window-shop, because being seen and included in the community matters. These are not boxes to check on a care plan. They are the rhythms of home and the markers of belonging. 

Consistency matters. Families of the residents sometimes learn for the first time about new skills their loved ones have developed during Individual Support Plan meetings, which are regular check-ins where residents, staff, and families review progress and goals. Progress often comes in small, steady steps. Doing laundry, taking out the trash, and loading the dishwasher. Each resident has responsibilities and house chores that build confidence and ownership. 

This spring, when a strong storm knocked out power for about 24 hours, staff adapted quickly. They grilled outside, protected food with bags of ice, kept routines as best they could, and even welcomed a sister Strawberry Fields program for an impromptu picnic. The residents missed their electronics, but they got through it together with patience, creativity, and care. 

At Strawberry Fields, our Direct Support Professionals are the heart of our Intellectual Disability Residential program. With integrity, empathy, and compassion, they do far more than pass medications, manage appointments, and prepare meals. They bring patience, creativity, and care into everyday life, making sure routines are steady and meals are shared around the table. Their commitment adds up in profound ways. 

Ask Hughes why he keeps showing up, and he will tell you it is because of the bond. He brings fresh eggs from his farm, tends the garden, teaches life skills, and keeps traditions alive and shows up day after day. His signature barbecue sauce is well known around Strawberry Fields, and while he is working to bottle it for store shelves, for now, he is a Direct Support Professional first. He is part of a team that turns a group house into a real home, where progress is noticed, preferences are respected, and life tastes a little like summer tomatoes.