One day you feel totally inadequate
- and the next you know the future is full of promise. A little dramatic
maybe, but inadequate was the way I was feeling the evening I walked into
my first meeting of the Berkshire County Family Advocacy Council.
When my brother, Richard, first came
| The open discussion segment of the meeting...This is when the
caring, the concern ... the warmth filled the room, when the sole purpose
of everyone was to help each other. I knew I'd be back. |
home to Pittsfield from Belchertown, he made great progress - not easily
after spending most of his life in an institution. Yet caring people with extraordinary
patience prevailed and he thrived.
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His second home was to be the dream home where he would
spend the rest of his life. As the dream slowly turned to a nightmare,
I struggled with ways to return normalcy to his life. After many months,
he moved into a new home under the direction of Berkshire County Arc, with
a nurturing environment where he continues to grow and is happier than
I've ever seen him.
But the experience left me second-guessing myself, wondering what I
could have done differently, what pain Richard could have been spared if
I had known more. And that was my mood when the people of the Family Council
came into my life - some family, some providers - all supportive. Barely
fifteen minutes into the meeting and there was a discussion of a family
leadership conference to be held in Pittsfield - exciting because it would
cover so many of the areas about which I had questions. There was talk
of things that were being done in other areas and ways they might be adapted
to work here. Then there was the open discussion segment of the meeting
when
Continued on page 10
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On January 22, 1998, DMR Commissioner
Gerald J. Morrissey, Jr., awarded certificates of recognition to 22
western Massachusetts individuals. Jean McGuire and Michael Kuvent
from Berkshire County Arc were recognized for their accomplishments in
“Achieving Goals and Pursuing Dreams”(Photo page 4).
Jean, through her persistence and natural network of friends has overcome
many obstacles. In 1996 she fulfilled her dream to share a home with another
individual with disabilities and a friend. She has become more independent
in the community and recently spent a week in New York City making a video.
As President of the Berkshire Advocates, Michael Kuvent has emerged
as a natural leader. In June, he presented the group’s petition on traffic
safety to the Pittsfield City Council and has been a guest speaker at several
conferences including the National Arc Conference in Salt Lake City (see
article on page 5).
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