Passavant Team Member Amber Merrison Honored with 2026 Lifesteps Star Award

Three days a week, Amber Merrison goes to work at Passavant Community, where she helps the Dietary Services team with a variety of daily tasks. She enjoys her job, takes pride in her work and loves helping people. For Amber, it’s more than a paycheck. It’s an important step toward the independence she’s worked so hard to achieve. And this year, that progress is being recognized with a 2026 Lifesteps Star Gala Award.

Amber’s Road to Greater Independence

Story originally published by Lifesteps in its 2026 Star Gala program book.

Moving away from home is a major life transition for anyone—and for Amber, the adjustment was especially challenging. When Amber was 26 years old, her grandparents made the difficult decision that she would benefit from the 24/7 support provided in a community residential home for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). In addition to IDD, Amber lives with mental health conditions.

Throughout this transition, Amber’s grandparents and Supports Coordinator remained strong advocates for her. They believed Amber could achieve greater independence and become an active member of her community through Competitive Integrated Employment. With encouragement, Amber enrolled in Lifesteps Transition Program… The Next Step.

Taking the Next Step

One of the many skills Amber learned in the classroom was how to understand the value of money and create a budget. The lessons quickly became meaningful to Amber, who enjoys treating herself to sparkly jewelry and visiting amusement parks. The idea of earning her own paycheck? Amber was all in!

Amber began participating in community-based employment training at Dairy Queen, DoubleTree, Walgreens, and Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. At first, limited endurance and stamina made it difficult for Amber to remain on her feet for extended periods.

Over time, Amber participated in more work-related activities, increased the amount of time she could remain standing, and needed fewer breaks. With ongoing support from a Lifesteps Job Coach, Amber demonstrated consistent progress and assessment scores continued to improve.

“I Love Helping People!”

Today, Amber works three days a week at Lutheran Senior Life and takes pride in the many ways she contributes to the Dietary Services team. Her responsibilities include wrapping silverware, restocking salt and pepper shakers, brewing coffee, portioning salad dressings, and much more.

As Amber continues to learn new job skills, a Lifesteps Job Coach accompanies her at work, providing guidance and helping ensure she is performing high-quality work. Over time, support will gradually fade as Amber becomes more independent and develops natural supports with her coworkers—just as she would in any employment environment.

When asked what Amber likes most about her job at Lutheran Senior Life, she doesn’t hesitate: “I love my job because I love helping people!”