Boston College Supported Employment Program (SEP) employees got an early, and unexpected, holiday treat: brand new New Balance sneakers, courtesy of the Boston College Police Department.
In December, BCPD Officers Miguel Bueno and Michael Callahan, accompanied by SEP Senior Job Coach Ted Hannigan, made the special deliveries. They traversed campus in an “all-wheel drive sleigh,” visiting the work sites of the 22 SEP members.
“Needless to say, the SEP and staff were thrilled and overwhelmed by the generosity of the BCPD,” said Campus School Principal Donald Ricciato.
“I believe that this act of compassion and generosity speaks volumes about the culture of Boston College. It is why the Supported Employment Program is so fortunate to be an integral part of the University and why the program has thrived since its inception in 1987.”
The University’s award-winning SEP provides jobs for adults with developmental disabilities.
According to Ricciato, BCPD’s largess was spurred earlier in the semester as a result of Bueno’s response to the medical needs of an SEP employee, for whom an emergency hospital transport was called to ensure safety.
That encounter inspired the officer to organize efforts to purchase new shoes – for not only that employee, but for all SEP members, as holiday gifts. That goal was realized through donations from the Boston College Police Department Staff and Police Officers Association. SEP staff provided employee shoe sizes, the sneakers were purchased, and then gift-wrapped by Bueno’s wife.
