The Advocate

October 2004

Arc Recognizes

Individuals With Disabilities

At Third Annual Celebration

Byrl Fann, Jr. was recently awarded a life achievement award at the Arc’s third annual Celebration of Compassion, Courage and Contribution. He is an individual who has been served by The Arc of Washington County for the past four years. Over the past year, he has gotten a job in the community and has moved out of his family’s home and into his own apartment. Byrl has had many accomplishments over the course of his life including being the poster child for Shriner’s Hospital as a young boy and participating in the Special Olympics several times. He has even met Coach Philip Fulmer and the University of Tennessee football team.

Casey Murphy was also honored as a Life Achievement recipient for never giving up on his dreams of having a home and family of his own. He recently purchased a home and is the proud parent of a beautiful baby boy.

Kenneth Carroll was the third life achievement recipient and was honored for his respect for others, his politeness and kindness and for purchasing a vehicle of his own and getting married recently.

Carol Matherly Receives The Diane Holtsclaw

Soul Print Award

An excerpt from “The Art of Giving” by Kent Nerburn from Letters To My Son: “Remember to be gentle with others. We are all children of chance, and none can say why some fields will blossom and others lay down beneath the August sun. Care for those around you. Look past your differences. Their dreams are no less than yours, their choices in life no more easily made. And give. Give in any way you can, of whatever you possess. To give is to love. To withhold is to wither. Care less for your harvest than how it is shared, and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.”

This passage aptly describes the life of the person for which this award is named as well as this year’s recipient of the Diane Holtsclaw Soul Print Award, Carol Matherly. She is a caring individual who works over the required 40 hours per week to make sure that the families she serve receive the best services they possibly can. She makes sure the children served are keeping up with their developmental goals. In addition, Carol tirelessly works with families to make sure they have those things that make it possible for them to assist their children. Although very professional and knowledgeable about her job, Carol adds a personal touch that puts families immediately at ease and encourages them to open up and work together with her to better the lives of their children.

In annual evaluations, parents call Carol “wonderful,” “goes above and beyond what is required,” “makes things easy for us to understand,” and numerous comments about how their son or daughter has benefited from their time with Carol. Parents express thankfulness for her in their lives.

Carol shares with Diane an ability to elevate the human spirit, inspire us to do better, and help families reach their dreams.

Carol Matherly, along with her colleague Jennifer Moreau, makes our Little Folks program a valuable resource to children and parents served by The Arc.

Community Organizations Honored For their Support And Assistance To Persons With Disabilities

There are many area organizations who give of their time, talent and resources to support people with disabilities. Six of those organizations were honored at the Arc’s Celebration of Compassion, Courage and Contribution this year.

Telamon Head Start of Unicoi County serves Hispanic families in East Tennessee that work in the agricultural field. This facility provides a needed service for children whose parents work in the fields for the growing season. Children in the program are given quality child care until they leave the area in mid-October. Silvia Fergoso and her staff are committed to identifying any child that has developmental delays and promptly making the appropriate calls to make sure the child and family receive early intervention services. Thank you to Silvia and her staff for providing a needed service to Hispanic families living in our area.

The second recipient was Holston Baptist RECON Team. RECON stands for
Reaching Every Corner Of Need. They are a group of men that contribute their time to four counties in East Tennessee. They work with area businesses in our area to find the services for deserving families so they can improve their quality of life. Our community is so fortunate to have these dedicated individuals that reach out to others in their time of need. Holston Baptist RECON Team is a wonderful outreach, and we hope to continue to work with them to make our community a better place.

Appalachian Service Project is yet another organization that is committed to supporting individuals in our area who are in need of assistance. Over the years, the organization has remained dedicated to the dream of Reverend Tex Evans who envisioned a way to help the Appalachian Region’s immense housing needs. They have worked with a number of families that are involved in the Arc’s Family Support Program and continue to transform Christian faith into action.

A place to call home is what most of us wish for and work toward, however, for many it is simply a dream. Our fourth Community Service recipient, USDA Rural Development, has been helping rural Americans become homeowners since 1949. They are committed to the future of rural communities by assisting with financial and technical assistance through various housing, community and business cooperative programs. Staff offer care and compassion to people with disabilities in our area who want to achieve the dream of home ownership, and we thank them for looking beyond a person’s disability and seeing him or her as a person first.

Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation is a regional nonprofit partnership interested in promoting affordable housing. They target eight counties in Northeast Tennessee and provide services such as homeownership training, housing counseling and housing development. Eastern Eight was chosen as a Community Service recipient for providing affordable homebuyers education through new developments and affordable financing on existing homes for individuals with disabilities.

Our final Community Service recipient, Houston Greene, is a personal assistant to a person served by the Arc. He is a tremendous asset to his community and to this person, going far beyond a typical job description to sharing a true friendship with him. The two have taken camping trips together, visited Dollywood and like to “girl watch” at the Mall. He assists his friend in mowing lawns for extra money, in building fences and cleaning up yards. If more people were like Houston, there would be more respect and friendship given to individuals with disabilities in our community.

Sandy Ray Named

Independent Support Coordinator of the Year

Sandy Ray, this year’s recipient of the Independent Support Coordinator of the Year, has been employed with our Arc for more than five years. Over the years of her service to the Arc, Sandy has assisted many people in getting needed services and supports in order to be successful in the community.

Staff tell us she is quick to come up with and volunteer suggestions and ideas when needed. Sandy is known for a positive attitude and willingness to help others. When the going gets tough, Sandy most often takes time to think issues through and attempts to approach conflicts and issues by respecting everyone who has differing opinions. When a co-worker needs help, she can be counted on to help with seemly simple situations and those that can become quite difficult.

Sandy’s ratings from parents and supervisors are of the highest quality. Narrative written comments about her are superlative, highlighting her ability to be there for the people she supports.

When you talk to staff in provider organizations, her name comes up as one of the Arc’s top staff. Her supervisors are unanimous in their praise of her work and her attitude of collaboration. “Her knowledge is extensive, and she is a true asset to the Arc of Washington County and to the many families whose lives she touches on a daily basis,” says Lorie Copas, Associate Director of Independent Support Coordination.

Families Of The Year Announced

Family of the Year awards were given to family members who have displayed inspirational courage in pursuit of nurturing their sons or daughters.

Charles and Robbie Bostic were honored as an Arc Family of the Year for their tremendous effort put forth to care for their twin daughters, Rachel and Rebecca. The girls have Frederich’s Ataxia which is a form of muscular dystrophy and have been assisted by the Arc’s family support program the past several years.

Jennifer Murrell was also recognized for her hard work in maintaining a home for her 3 sons and for giving them the best life possible. She is a very quiet, unassuming mother who has done whatever it takes to care for her children.

A third parent, Tami Lemmer was honored for her dedication to making sure her son receives all of the services needed to overcome his speech delay. When he was born, she quit a job she loved to stay home and care for him. Since then she has seen to it that he gets necessary speech therapy and early intervention to assist him with developing his speech.

Wendy Clem was named as a parent of the year because she is truly an inspiration to those that meet her and her son. She follows through on every suggestion to ensure progress in her son’s development and embraces every challenge that comes along, always focusing on the positive.

Edward and Cindy Adkins along with their two daughters and two sons were the fourth family recognized. From their first meeting with their Arc independent support coordinator, they have expressed nothing but love and concern for their son’s well-being. They have been so appreciative for all the services they receive and continue to meet all life’s challenges as they arise.

The final recipients honored were Clyde and Wanda Jayne and their daughter Amy. The Jaynes’ have done everything within their power to support their daughter to achieve her vision of the future. Their ISC, Sandy Ray, states, “I have never encountered them that they weren’t smiling and always in a positive mood.”

Special Insert: October 2004

Washington County Community Residential Services, Inc.:

A Partnership That Makes A Difference

Nathan Lane, now 23, was born with a very rare disorder, WAGR, which is an acronym for its symptoms.

W stands for Wilms tumor, a tumor of the kidneys; A is for aniridia, which is an absence of the iris on the eye; G is for genitourinary anomalies; and R stands for mental retardation.

According to Helen Lane, Nathan’s mother, his quality of life
depends on care from a number of sources, including The Arc of Washington County and Washington County Community Residential Services, Inc (WCCRS).

Among the people dearest to Nathan is Tracy Ogan, his personal assistant, who came into his life through WCCRS. Located at 409 W. Walnut Street in Johnson City, WCCRS provides a range of services, including medical supports, supported living, family based residential (foster care), transportation, respite care, personal assistance, supported employment, day habilitation, residential habilitation and community participation.

For Nathan, who is blind and has very little verbal communication, Tracy provides most of his daily living needs. He needs assistance with feeding and with any kind of ambulation, his mother said.
“He has mental retardation, of course. He has about a 150-word vocabulary, so a caregiver learns his nonverbal cues and learns his language, which enables him to communicate his needs,” Helen said. “Tracy’s great at that. She’s attuned to Nathan’s non-verbal cues, and she’s resourceful if he becomes agitated in exploring what it is he’s trying to communicate to her.”

Until Nathan was 18, he was a student at Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville. He could have stayed at TSC until he was 21, but his parents wanted to bring him home.

“Our goal was to let our community know he was here and know
he was in need of services,” Helen said.

Helen, who had been a member of the WCCRS executive board,
turned to the organization for quality help.

“Their focus is quality of life for the people they serve,” she said. “I knew firsthand the effort they make to enhance the lives of the people they serve.”

She is particularly impressed by Ron Bennett, executive director of
WCCRS, and Reba Beard, WCCRS associate director of program services. “They have been instrumental in making matches for Nathan that have been a complement to his personality and his needs. They were accommodating and patient and allowed us to make the choice that was best for Nathan,” she said.

What is best for Nathan is consistency. His mornings and early afternoons are spent at Dawn of Hope. When his day is done there, he knows Tracy will be on time to pick him up. Predictability and structure are important components of his life, Helen said. Once Nathan and Tracy are together, they “hit the road.”

“Nathan’s life is good if Wal-Mart, Kroger and McDonald’s are open,” Helen said. “A lot of his and Tracy’s afternoons revolve around just being on the road and going to those places. We call him ‘Charles Kurault.’ If he’s on the road, he’s happy. He’s enmeshed in the community because Tracy takes him places and people know him.”

While WCCRS’ benefits for Nathan are immeasurable, his parents benefit, too. Because Nathan is cared for in the afternoons, Helen is able to keep her job in the Tennessee Early Intervention program at East Tennessee State University.

“WCCRS and the care and support they give Nathan allow me to have time beyond the time I work to attend a meeting or go out of town with my job. It allows me and my husband time to go out in the evening for dinner, things we would not have been able to do if
there was not a place for Nathan.”

Lorie Copas, ARC associate director, echoes Mrs. Lane’s high praise of the organization. “We have a great relationship with Washington County,” she said. “They are always really good about jumping in and helping if we have a problem. There’s never a time I can’t call and get some help.”

Undoubtedly, the organization’s philosophy contributes to its high standard of service. WCCRS is an organization committed to a person-centered philosophy, Reba Beard, associate director of program services, explained. Individual needs and individual goals determine what kind of support is offered, she said. Its services are not provided on a one-size-fits-all basis; they are custom tailored to each individual’s needs.

In Nathan’s case, even a simple thing as tone of voice can make a difference. Because of his disability, Nathan is sensitive to noise, but, Helen said, Tracy has a voice that Nathan likes.

“Tracy’s voice is calming to Nathan. Her voice is a good pitch for him. When he doesn’t like the words you’re saying or the noise level or background level, he puts his fingers in his ears. He and Tracy have gotten beyond that.”

The Lanes worry about what will happen to Nathan when they are “no longer on this earth.” They see WCCRS as a key component in ensuring that Nathan’s future is secure. “I see WCCRS’ role as being attuned to his needs. I see the folks at WCCRS as advocates for him to have the best quality of life he can when we are no longer here to be a voice for him.”

As a board member, Helen saw that WCCRS staffers like Bennett and Beard were strong advocates for consumers who have no family members to speak for them. “I have seen Ron Bennett make decisions that were in the best interest for the best quality of life for those who had no other voice but his,” she said.

Helen said she knows families with needs such as theirs have other agencies to choose from. She and her husband chose WCCRS because they had worked with its staff before their family had a vested interest in its services.

In the case of Nathan Lane, everyone wins. As much as Nathan’s life is enriched by the people who support him, he matches their contributions portion for portion by showing those around him what is truly valuable.

“If you knew him and knew how much he enjoys life, and you ranked human beings in terms of how much pleasure they have in life, Nathan would be at the top of that list,” Helen said. “He helps me learn to live in the moment. Every day is good.”