OP-EE

Seeking opportunities for all

Posted 6/14/22

By Richard Charest

and Kevin Savage

 

The most contentious topic in the home shared by the Jenkins siblings might be who does the cooking. Two of the brothers, Alton and George, say …

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OP-EE

Seeking opportunities for all

Posted

By Richard Charest and Kevin Savage

 

The most contentious topic in the home shared by the Jenkins siblings might be who does the cooking. Two of the brothers, Alton and George, say those duties are shared. Their sister, Beverly, tells a different story.

“I do the grocery shopping,” she says. “I do the cooking.”

Culinary contributions aside, the Jenkins siblings agree on most things. They enjoy living in Newport. They enjoy taking vacations together. Perhaps most of all, they enjoy the satisfaction that comes from working.

This might seem trivial, except that the five siblings and one daughter who share the home handed down by the Jenkins’ parents have intellectual developmental disabilities. This means their employment status and their independent lifestyles exemplify what is possible when people have the right opportunities.

Three of the siblings, and Beverly’s daughter, Mary, work five days a week at the Newport Naval Base, providing cleaning and custodial services through an employment program at the James L. Maher Center, a nonprofit based in Middletown. The work is part-time, but in addition to the pay, it affords Beverly, George, Mark and Mary with a sense of purpose and belonging.

“This means everything to them,” says a Maher Center supervisor, Mark Theodore, holding a naval base I.D. badge like the ones the Jenkins have. “They don’t just work there. They want to be there.”

As we work to strengthen Rhode Island’s services and supports for more than 4,000 individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, one of our primary goals at the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals is to help people pursue their interests and use their skills and talents to live as independently as possible. This fulfills a universal human desire to contribute, and it is important to reflect on this is as we observe Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, held each March to raise awareness about the need for inclusion and opportunity.

Rhode Island is making progress in this area, through efforts ranging from employment counseling that is tailored to individual interests, to greater financial investments in the services provided by nonprofits such as the Maher Center. But we know there is work to do.

Nationwide, people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to be unemployed, according to the U.S Department of Labor. That’s far too high. There are many people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who want to work, and they should have options that allow them to work. When they do, it’s good for everyone, including employers.

At the naval base, says Theodore, the Jenkins are on a first-name basis with many staff. He also says working with the Jenkins is “one of the best things that’s happened” to him, because of their enthusiasm and their work ethic.

“They have fun, and at the end of the day, the work is done,” he said.

Not that work is everything. As each of the Jenkins knows, it’s also important to get out and socialize. They are active in the Newport community, going to dances and parades and other events, and some of them also enjoy going out to eat and going to the beach.

Alton, who is 70, has retired from his work at the base, as has another sibling, Carl, who is 68. But with more time on his hands, Alton enjoys going for walks, and he’s also found that he enjoys helping his neighbors “when they need it.” It might be carrying groceries or bringing a barrel to the street.

As with his work at the base, his efforts demonstrate that people who find satisfaction in their work only need to have the opportunity.


Richard Charest is Director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH). Kevin Savage is Director of BHDDH’s Division of Developmental Disabilities.

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