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local pastor recently said, “I pray that when we look back at 2020 and the Covid-19 virus, we will see Christ rather than the crisis.” At STARC of Louisiana, I can tell you that we will look back and see just that. We will also see that we have kind, caring and dedicated staff members who personally chose to focus on the security and comfort of the individuals we serve, rather than focusing on fear and things that can overwhelm us. We will see that our individuals with intellectual and developmental disABILITIES (many of them non-verbal who can’t tell you the symptoms, who struggle with wearing a face mask, and who struggle with washing their hands over and over again) have been shielded by caring staff members who have chosen to personally absorb the daily unsettling news and implement every safety measure possible . . . all the while making sure that our participants have enjoyed art projects, music activities, physical exercise and informative programs (one client who loves history has connected with a program offered by the World War II Museum). Interaction with friends and family through Face Time, zoom and other technologies have proven to be invaluable . . . ensuring physical distancing while also ensuring social connections. Thankfully, as survivors of Katrina that destroyed or seriously damaged all but one of STARC’s 14 facilities and all of our vehicles, we are better prepared to deal with crisis management, and we are ready to adapt by doing things differently with a “can do” attitude.
We have seen participants who were very disappointed that some of their “long looked forward to activities” had to be cancelled: their annual Starlight Ball prom night that has been put on by the Adams and Reese Law Firm for 30 years, where they wear tuxedos and evening gowns and often arrive in limousines; STARC Art night where artists with disABILITIES display their God-given talents and sell their work to individuals in our community; Special Olympics where they are all winners and have the chance to collect another ribbon as evidence of that. These are only a few events that will not be in the memory bank of our STARC participants this year. We will reflect on the somber conversations of the administrative staff and Board members when the reality set in that our two largest fundraisers of the year would necessarily be cancelled: Jazz on the Bayou (hosted at the beautiful home of Ronnie and the late Gardner Kole) and the STARC for Life Breakfast, which gives our community at large the opportunity to financially invest in the on-going work at STARC where dreams can become realities. This year’s breakfast would have raised funds to expand our residential community home program which allows 8 men or women to live together as a family, under the careful supervision of 24 hour staff. Individuals with disABILITIES are living longer (thanks to enhanced and enriched lives) causing families to realize that they won’t outlive their loved one, thus the need for residential community homes. Finally, we will look back (hopefully with 20/20 vision and fresh eyes) and evaluate our methods of delivering services. The daycare services as well as the adult work training programs continue to be closed, which affects our ability to provide routine services and threatens the revenue streams that come from those services. STARC will remain optimistic because of our experience with the never-ending changes that occur in the lives of those we serve. Through the SPOE (Single Point of Entry) contact at STARC, newborns, children, teenagers, adults and seniors with intellectual and developmental disABILITIES can be linked or provided with needed services. Please call us at 985-641-0197 and let STARC connect you with Services, Training, Advocacy, Resources, or Community connections.
EDGE June | July 2020
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