Justin Receives 2026 MSSA Excellence in Direct Service Award
September 30, 2026
We are proud to share that Homeward Bound Program Manager Justin has been selected to receive the 2026 MSSA Metro Region Excellence in Direct Service Award.
Presented by the Minnesota Social Service Association’s Metro Region, the award recognizes an individual who consistently provides outstanding service to the people they support. Justin will officially receive the award at the MSSA Metro Region Fall Conference on November 5.
For those who know Justin and the impact he has made at Homeward Bound, the recognition feels especially meaningful.
Since joining our team, Justin has brought an incredible sense of possibility to his work. Whether that means heading north for a day along Lake Superior, spending four nights in Ely for adaptive dog sledding and ice fishing, or traveling across South Dakota to experience the Black Hills and Badlands, Justin has helped create opportunities for the people we support to experience more of the world around them.
But the miles traveled are only part of the story.
Seeing What Is Possible
Last fall, when Justin first learned that extended road trips could be an option for the people we support, his first thought was not about how complicated a trip might be. He thought about what could be possible and who might enjoy the experience.
That thinking helped lead to a 12-hour road trip north of Duluth with Jeremy and other members of the Homeward Bound team. The group visited Palisade Head, drove along Lake Superior and shared dinner together. It was a big day made meaningful by the little moments along the way, including Jeremy joking that Justin should take a swim in Lake Superior in late October.
The trip became an early example of something we have continued to see from Justin: a willingness to think beyond the ordinary and create experiences centered around the interests, personalities and joy of the people we support.
Adventure, Encouragement and Connection
A few months later, Justin was part of the inaugural trip for Homeward Bound’s Adventure Club, when three people we support and three staff traveled to Ely for four nights of accessible outdoor recreation.
The group experienced adaptive dog sledding, ice fishing and several days immersed in the Northwoods.
One moment from that trip particularly stayed with Justin.
As the group prepared for dog sledding, Evelio was nervous and initially did not want to participate. With encouragement from his peers and support from staff, he ultimately decided to give it a try. Justin rode alongside him and remembered hearing his laughter over the sound of the dogs.
By the end, Evelio wanted to do it again.
It was exactly the kind of moment the Adventure Club was created to make possible: not simply going somewhere new, but giving people opportunities to explore, make choices, build confidence and experience something they may never have imagined doing before.
Taking the Adventure Even Further
This summer, Justin was on the road again as three people we support and four staff traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota.
Over several days, the group explored the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Badlands. They encountered a buffalo traffic jam, stopped at scenic overlooks and spent plenty of time simply enjoying being somewhere new.
Trips like these require significant planning, flexibility and hands-on support. What should have been an eight-hour drive to South Dakota ultimately took more than 12 hours. Accessible transportation, staffing, meals, lodging and individual support needs all had to come together.
Yet when Justin reflected on the trip, what stood out was much simpler: watching the residents enjoy themselves and seeing the connections they made along the way.
That perspective says a great deal about why this recognition is so deserved.
Excellence in Direct Service
Outstanding direct service can take many forms.
Sometimes it is providing excellent care during the routines of everyday life. Sometimes it is encouraging someone who is unsure about trying something new. Sometimes it is recognizing what brings someone joy and finding a way to create more opportunities for it.
And sometimes it means packing up the vans and driving hundreds of miles because the people we support deserve opportunities for adventure, exploration and new experiences just like anyone else.
Justin has been an incredible addition to the Homeward Bound team, and his work reflects the compassion, creativity and commitment that make exceptional direct support possible.
We are thrilled to see that work recognized by the MSSA Metro Region Board with the 2026 Excellence in Direct Service Award.
Congratulations, Justin! We are proud to have you on our team and cannot wait to see where the next adventure takes you.
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