EUNICE SHRIVER

I admire few people more than I admire people without self-interest, who put forth their best for the good of mankind. Eunice Shriver is one of those selfless people. She had the heart of God in her; she cared for the least of our brothers and sisters. She was the epitome of what was good in this world, and will now be missed. A champion is a person who fights for or defends any person or cause: a champion of the oppressed, a warrior. Eunice Shriver was a champion.

Her cause is the noblest of causes, the mentally and physically disabled. She strove to make their lives better, her works go beyond the Special Olympics, they span whole bodies of people who are now liberated to some degree, who now are able to contribute to society, who can give joy and life to a lifeless and cold world. I’m sure there are many people like her, but perhaps without the resources she possessed. God bless them all.

But I mention Eunice Shriver because of an issue that has been percolating for a long time, It is one of my passions, one of my crusades, and that being parody with State workers for those wonderful people who work so hard for the mentally and physically disabled, of the NYSARC Suffolk Chapter. There is an organization that supposedly works for and advocates for the physically and mentally disabled, OMRDD (Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.) They refuse to understand the big picture!

The workers employed by NYSARC Suffolk Chapter, are essential to the survival of the agency. They are essential to the support we give our children and siblings. They are more important than the Board of Directors, both individually and collectively. They are even more important than the administration staff that runs the agency. They do the daily inter-facing with those who are served. They feed, dress, toilet and care for in their hearts for those served. Yet, this year, OMRDD sees fit to ignore them in their proposed budget to the State Legislature for a cost of living raise. These people are so underpaid, if makes an advocate like me want to sob over the inequity of it.

What is OMRDD really saying by this callous indifference to the caretakers? It is saying; “You are not important enough to consider. You are a dime a dozen. You don’t like it, go somewhere else.” And that is what happens. They leave the agency, and we must find good caring and loving individuals who will do the toughest job one can have! In essence, they forget that the service rendered by these staff miracle workers, is service to those we serve, in essence; those we serve are not important!

Those that run OMRDD are detached from the reality they are supposed to represent. They think in terms of dollars, and politics and their own insured futures. They make their living on the backs of the poor and the defenseless. Their nattering are meaningless at the conventions they speak at, and it all makes a mockery out of what needs to be done.

Please remember my brother-in-law John, and all those that need our hopes and prayers.