By Marcus Bangura
A Sierra Leonean social worker working in New Jersey has earned a significant professional recognition after being selected as Devereux New Jersey’s 2026 NJACP Hero.
Sahr Aruna, who works with Devereux New Jersey, has been selected for the 2026 NJACP Heroes Award, an annual recognition programme of the New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP) that celebrates Direct Support Professionals whose work demonstrates exceptional dedication, compassion and commitment to the people they serve.
According to communications circulated by Devereux New Jersey, Aruna was selected as the organization’s 2026 NJACP Heroes Award recipient. A separate communication to the Devereux New Jersey team describes him explicitly as “Devereux N.J.’s 2026 NJACP Hero.”
The recognition is particularly significant because the NJACP Heroes programme is focused on the often demanding and highly personal work performed by Direct Support Professionals supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A recognition of frontline service
NJACP says its Heroes programme emerged from the recognition of the extraordinary commitment demonstrated by direct-care professionals, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization says it established the DSP Heroes Recognition Award to honor professionals who continue to demonstrate exceptional levels of selflessness and compassion in their work.
The programme recognizes individual professionals rather than simply organizations. NJACP’s published Heroes programme identifies individual awardees alongside the member agencies they represent. In its 2023 programme, for example, Dylin Lewis was recognized from Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health NJ.
That context gives Aruna’s recognition a particular professional significance: the award acknowledges the individual contribution of a frontline worker whose daily responsibilities involve supporting people with complex needs.
A Sierra Leonean achievement in the United States
For Sierra Leoneans, Aruna’s recognition also represents a notable example of a citizen building a professional career abroad while contributing to the welfare of vulnerable members of society.
Working in the social-care sector requires more than professional knowledge. It demands patience, empathy, consistency, responsibility and the ability to build relationships with people and families who may depend heavily on the support provided by care professionals.
Aruna’s selection places those qualities at the centre of his professional recognition.
The Devereux announcement describes the award as recognition of his “dedication, contributions, and positive impact.”
Recognition to be celebrated September 18
The award is scheduled to be celebrated during the 2026 NJACP Heroes Awards, a virtual event scheduled for Friday, September 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Devereux New Jersey has invited its team to participate in the virtual event and support Aruna during the livestream.
The virtual format is consistent with NJACP’s Heroes programme, which began as a special virtual event during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently developed into an established Heroes recognition programme.
More than an award
Aruna’s recognition is more than an addition to a professional résumé. It places attention on a profession that is sometimes less visible than other areas of healthcare and social services, despite the profound effect Direct Support Professionals can have on people’s everyday lives.
The NJACP programme emphasizes the importance of DSPs in providing support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
For Aruna, being selected as Devereux New Jersey’s 2026 NJACP Hero therefore represents recognition not only of professional performance but of the values associated with compassionate social care.
It is also a moment of pride for Sierra Leoneans watching fellow citizens make contributions in communities beyond the country’s borders.
A moment of pride for Sierra Leone
As Sierra Leone continues to produce professionals working across different sectors and countries, stories such as Aruna’s demonstrate the diverse ways in which Sierra Leoneans are contributing to communities internationally.
From Sierra Leone to New Jersey, Aruna’s journey reflects a professional commitment to a field centred on human dignity, care and inclusion.
His selection as Devereux New Jersey’s 2026 NJACP Hero provides an opportunity not only to celebrate an individual achievement, but also to recognize the broader contribution of Sierra Leonean professionals working in the diaspora.
On September 18, the spotlight will turn to Sahr Aruna as Devereux New Jersey celebrates one of its own, a Sierra Leonean social-care professional whose work has earned recognition within New Jersey’s community-provider sector.
