March 20
March 20, 2007Vergie Petersen
March 23, 2007
Terrebonne’s center for the mentally challenged is looking to increase the public awareness about the issues that affect people with mental retardation.
Incorporated in 1962, Terrebonne Association for Retarded Citizens, an affiliate of the nation’s largest volunteer-based organization dealing with life-long issues of mental retardation, recognizes March as National Mental Retardation Awareness Month.
“Terrebonne Parish has one of the top ARCs in the state. Along with the Greater New Orleans ARC, Terrebonne is the only other accredited ARC program in Louisiana. We have one of the most diverse program in the nation and we can credit that to community support,” said TARC Executive Director Valerie Wallace.
For its 28th consecutive year, the Terrebonne ARC joins chapters from around the country engaging in a campaign aimed at bringing issues concerning people with mental retardation and their families to the public, Wallace said.
“We offer a lot of in home support for our clients. We never sever the ties, we are always there when they needs us. We would like the community to feel that way as well,” she said.
The chapter is embarking on a public campaign to bring attention to their programs and activities and hopes to reach the community with its message of inclusion of people with mental disabilities.
“We service more than 200 adults and nearly 50 children,” Wallace noted. “We have 13 to 15 different units that are helping to prepare our clients for the outside world. Our main goal is for our clients to be able to survive on their own as well as take the step into the workforce.”
Terrebonne ARC Adult Service Manager Erica Null said yearly, the ARC provides the community with the chance to learn more about the positive contributions of people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities.
The ARC recently adopted a set of core values that will serve as the guiding principles of the national association and its affiliate chapters. These values include: people first, democracy, visionary leadership, community participation, diversity, integrity and excellence, according to Null.
“We teach them to have dignity and respect for themselves the same as they would have in a family setting. We give them the ability to earn money so that they can choose their lifestyle. It’s all about choices in life. We give them an opportunity to mature,” she explained.
The Terrebonne ARC is dedicated toward motivating, engaging and fostering the creativity, ability and worth of the individuals it serves.
“At the same time, it connects them to the community while continuing to maintain an environment of meaningful programs, leading to a high quality of life,” Wallace said.
“TARC has a daycare center where normal three to five-year-old children mingle with children with mental disabilities. We feel that this setting helps the children to learn and overcome their adversities at an early age,” the director said.
In addition, TARC has taken its Sweet Sensation candy market to a whole new level. When its first started Sweet Sensation treats could be purchased only at TARC, now you can find them in local grocers as well as the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans.
“We are suffering the same growth like any other business. The airport contract just makes what we do here a whole lot sweeter. So far we have been able to do what is expected us and we are proud of that,” Wallace said.
