Today, I’d like to share a story that originally appeared in the December edition of the Imagine! employee newsletter.
The story is about a gentleman named Carl, who receives services from Imagine!. Tomorrow, Carl will be travelling to New Orleans by himself, where he will be volunteering as part of the St. Bernard Project to help rebuild homes that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Carl has already traveled to New Orleans several times to help rebuild neighborhoods devastated by Katrina. Alan Johnson, a member of First Congregational Church in Boulder, of which Carl is also a member, told us, “In New Orleans, Carl has helped by laying floors, painting, sanding, drilling in drywall, and cleaning up. On top of that, when we get lost in the French Quarter, or almost anywhere in New Orleans, Carl knows where to go. He has an uncanny sense of location. He also remembers every house he worked on and the names of those who live there.”
While Carl has helped change lives in New Orleans, he has also helped to change minds right here in Boulder. As Alan explained, “Carl has been a blessing in our church of 850 members. He attends the weekly bell choir and the adult choir as well as attending adult education programs, and sometimes both the early and the second service on Sundays. His involvement in our church was instrumental in leading to our congregation’s unanimous vote to become one of the first five churches in the USA to be what is called Accessible to All, or A2A, a national program of our United Church of Christ. Carl’s presence, involvement, and always extending a handshake to everyone has graced us.”
Often, I talk about Imagine! working to provide opportunities for individuals with one or more developmental disabilities to contribute to their communities. Carl’s story shows that that should only be a starting point. Carl isn’t just a contributor in his community, he is a leader in his community, and I couldn’t be more proud.
Way to go, Carl!
This is a great reminder that not all of what we do is "serving" or even "assisting" people with disabilities -- sometimes it's just getting out of their way and being witness to the great things they do on their own!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to start my Friday. Carl is one of my favorite people on the planet. I worked with him years ago as his SLC (supported living counselor). I'll never forget the first time I visited him with instructions to "help him pay his bills". There I was with my calculator trying to make sense of his checkbox. Carl politely took his checkbook back and did all the figuring for me--in his head. So yes, Matt, sometimes all we need to do is get out of the way and witness all the great things our people can do on their own. And that's just one of many such stories I could tell about Carl.
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