David Aptaker Wins the 2022 Ted Rose Award for Outstanding Service
Ted Rose volunteered and worked with Bridges Homeward for 30 years. Ted was passionate about the values of our agency and advocated for those who were unable to advocate for themselves. He was truly a cheerleader for Bridges Homeward and the people he supported as a skills trainer for our Developmental Disabilities Program.
The Ted Rose Award for Outstanding Service is intended to recognize those who help make our community an especially supportive, positive space for everyone, whether as volunteers or agency partners. The Ted Rose Award winner embodies the attributes which Ted brought to his decades of work with Bridges Homeward: a commitment to serving committees, mentoring youth, and building we relationships with Bridges Homeward clients to help them reach their goals and enhance their lives.
We are pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s Ted Rose Award is David Aptaker!
David has volunteered his time to our agency for the past 12 years. He has worked with the youth of Putnam Place, taking them on adventures including hikes and canoe trips, concerts and festivals, and Red Sox and Celtics games, just to name a few. David connected easily with Putnam residents and always encouraged them to believe in themselves and pursue their interests.
David has also been a member of the agency’s Human Rights Committee since its inception in 2014. David is a practicing attorney, having served the Massachusetts Departments of Children and Families and Mental Health and the Office for Children. David now runs a private practice, where he represents children and adults in child protection in contested guardianship cases. On our Human Rights Committee, David offers valuable insight and guidance to Bridges Homeward staff as we work to address human rights issues in our programs.
Finally, David presents the annual Guardianship Training to families of individuals with developmental disabilities. David helps families understand Guardianship so they can prepare for the future and make the right decisions for them and their adult children. He helps families plan for a stable, safe future where their children are protected and their needs are met.
David continues to volunteer at Bridges Homeward with professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to help in whatever way that he can. David has touched the lives of many not out of a sense of obligation but because he believes in the mission of our agency and the support we provide to families across Massachusetts.