JUNE
2013
T
Garden Center Services
HE LEAFLET
The View From My Chair A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
explains why he is now such a staunch supporter and advocate for persons with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. His openness has inspired me to share my own story of the event, and the relationship, that set me on the path of walking the journey with individuals struggling with various disabilities for over 40 years now.
Gerry & Genia
INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE VIEW FROM MY CHAIR Page 1 GCS FAMILY SPOTLIGHT Page 2 GCS SUPPORTERS Page 3 AROUND GCS Page 4
A couple of weeks ago Phil Kadner of the Southtown Star stopped by the open house we were holding at our new day program & administrative offices located on Kedzie Avenue in Mr. Greenwood. We were very pleased to have him stop by, because it was due to an article he wrote about the unfortunate vandalism at our old day program site that led to the generous donations, which allowed us to acquire the Kedzie location. In the follow up article Phil wrote about his visit to our new site, he shared a heartfelt story from his personal life that
“...The other thing I observed about Kathy was that she was always engaged in the present moment; not sweating about the future, or regretting the past. The truth is, she was a lot more alive than I was!”
In 1972 as a junior at Griffin High School I was asked to volunteer at a SPRED, (Special Religious Education), program that was held at a local parish in our town. I was told that I would be hanging out with these “special needs” kids, assisting them with art, craft, and music activities, in the hope of having fun and as a means for the group to experience God’s love for them. Given I was a jock in high school, and in my own little mind, one of the cool
kids, I remember feeling fairly smug about how much joy my presence was going to bring to these unfortunate individuals! To say what happened turned out differently, would be a huge understatement. And it’s all because of Kathy M.! Kathy was a girl the same age as me, 16, and because of cerebral palsy she had severe physical disabilities and mild cognitive impairments. She also had a brilliant smile, great laugh, and one of the most positive dispositions I had ever encountered. While she had no interest in creating false layers of self to impress others, she was highly sensitive to the pain, or sadness, of those around her. The other thing I observed about Kathy was that she was always engaged in the present moment; not sweating about the future, or regretting the past. The truth is, she was a lot more alive than I was! During the time I spent at the program, and with Kathy, I developed a much better understanding of what leads to true joy and along the way, became much cooler than I ever was before.