Orleans County Citizen Advocacy, Inc.
P.O. Box 982
Derby Line, Vermont  05830
(802) 873-3285

Stories of Successful Orleans County Citizen Advocacy Matches

  Alice & Matt:  Alice and Matt have known each other for around seventeen years.  When Alice first met Matt he was living in an apartment that wasn’t really wheelchair accessible.  He wasn’t able to take good care of his finances and had been taken advantage of by people who preyed upon his good nature.  Alice spent years working with his family and various agencies to find suitable housing for Matt.  After several moves he is finally in an apartment that is fully accessible; a place where he feels at home and can live a fairly independent life.  By working with Matt to set up a budget and schedule for paying his bills, Alice is happy to report that Matt no longer needs her except for occasional advice.  Matt is busy pursuing his interests in HAM Radio and his work as an artist.  He even took a trip across country on his own, to attend a HAM Radio convention.  He also had a local showing of his paintings resulting in several sales and orders for new work.  When asked about having Alice in his life, Matt replied that she is the one person he knows is there for him because she really cares.  Writing in support of funding for Orleans County Citizen Advocacy, Alice said: 

         “Citizen Advocacy has been a continuous support and resource center throughout difficult times.  Without their presence in the background, (He) would have suffered even more as a pawn in the lives of other people.  Other than Citizen Advocacy, there are no local groups who have shown interest in his well being.  The role of the Advocate, supported by Citizen Advocacy, has been crucial to his survival.”

  Nora & Molly:  When Molly’s parents first contacted Citizen Advocacy, Molly had little contact with others her age.  Her life centered around the family home, her chores like mowing the lawn, and outings with her parents and their friends.  When Molly was introduced to Nora, she first shoed her mother and the coordinator out of the room so she could show Nora her diary which she had never shown to anyone.  The two quickly discovered that they were the same age and the relationship blossomed from there.  Over the years Nora has been a constant in Molly’s life, enjoying outdoor activities and introducing Molly to her large network of family and friends.  When Molly needed help with her job, Nora’s aunt became her aid.  Nora’s work requires her to travel, but she always has dates with Molly on her calendar.  This is what Nora has to say about their relationship:

      “I think Citizen Advocacy is a wonderful program in putting people together.  Sometimes we all need reminders that we can’t limit people or make assumptions of their capabilities and Molly has been my reminder.  She has incredible potential and now that we’re friends, I’m glad I can watch her growth.  I want to help in any way that I can for her to realize that potential.  I enjoy being her friend, going places with her, hiking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, picnics, and just talking with her, learning what concerns her and what she thinks about.”

  Linda & Sarah:  Linda grew up in a family where people with disabilities were always part of life.  Now she has included Sarah in her family’s life.  When Sarah comes for dinner everyone gets in on the general banter, Sarah often leading with the jokes.  When it was Linda’s son’s birthday, Sarah made sure to get him a silly card.  When Linda and Sarah met, Sarah was living alone and struggling with loneliness and health issues.  Linda has supported and encouraged her to make changes that benefit her health, and meets with her regularly to let her know she always has a friend.  When Sarah runs into difficulties in life, Linda is there to talk it through with her and remind her of how much progress she has made.

  Leslie & Rhonda:  Before Leslie and her family entered Rhonda’s life; Rhonda had no real friends or family support.  Rhonda had problems with being accepted by others.  She was not taking care of necessary health problems due to anxiety about doctors and an inability to get to the appointments.  Leslie has assisted Rhonda in many doctor appointments even driving her to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital when necessary.  Leslie has also taken on the task of lovingly and tactfully teaching Rhonda about proper hygiene and why it is so important.  Rhonda went from being lonely and rejected to being an “honorary grandparent” and cherished friend.  Leslie feels privileged to have Rhonda in her life too stating, “How truly blest we are that Rhonda has come into our lives.  She is a very important part of our family.”

  Kelly & Kathy:  Kathy has spent most of her adult life in a nursing home due to complications from an operation.  She describes life in the nursing home as very lonely because most of her family lives hours away and are not able to visit often.  Being younger than most of the other residence Kathy is often bored and wants to get out to do things.  She loves to eat chocolate, take walks and talk outside on the porch.  These activities are exactly the type of things Kelly and Kathy do together.  Kelly visits Kathy regularly, giving her longed for companionship and attention.  Now Kathy has a reason to get out of bed and be excited about her day.

  James & Matt: Matt has a large heart and always wants to help others in need.  This, unfortunately, has lead to him being taken advantage of by “friends”.  He really needed a true friend who would make sure he wasn’t losing his hard earned money to those with unscrupulous motives.  As this was taking away from him being able to afford the things he needed and making it hard to afford his bills.  James is a quiet and reserved man that, although he enjoys his solitude, knew it would be beneficial for him to break out of that mode more often.  Matt is quite the talker, so if it’s true that opposites attract, then these two should have a long-lasting friendship.  James says he enjoys the relationship.

  Katie & Sherry: Sherry enjoys chatting with company, shopping, playing cards, and everyday things like these.  Although she has very loving & supportive family members, she didn’t have a friend to hang out and talk with.  Her sister, who was leaving for the winter, was concerned about Sherry’s welfare while she’d be gone, so she contacted OCCA to see about finding someone who would befriend Sherry and look out for her.  Katie thought her life was too busy working full time, often out of town, to be an advocate, but decided to reach out to Sherry none the less.  Now Katie says she really enjoys being in Sherry’s life, and makes a point to see her weekly.  She describes how their getting together to go walking, shopping and everyday things like these are a highlight of Sherry’s week.

  Patricia & Peggy: After Peggy graduated form school she became more isolated from the world outside her doors.  Television had become her best friend which worried her working mother.  There was an urgent need to get Peggy out and about in her community.  Patricia was referred by another advocate who thought she’d make a good advocate too.  This has proven to be true.  Patricia has Peggy over to her house to cook & play games, they go out to lunch or walking at IROC & enjoy local events together.  Now Peggy has good reason to go out, connect with the world around her and enjoy the companionship of her friend Patricia.

  Tammy & Alicia: Although Alicia is a teenager she finds a lot of comfort confiding in her older friend & advocate, Tammy.  Alicia needs assistance in understanding and properly responding to the social aspects of life.  Tammy, having several children herself, has patience and loving concern for Alicia’s struggles.  Tammy sets up safe situations where she can assist and cue Alicia on how to interact with her peers.  Other times they just get together by themselves for dinner so Alicia can fill her in on what has been happening in her life.  Tammy is pleased to see how much Alicia has grown in her abilities to interact with others, and to hear about all the friends she is making in school.    

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Revised: March 12, 2010  webmaster@orleanscountycitizenadvocacy.org