COMMUNITY
Proaram links students with disabled citizens
By June Russell
Emerald Reporter
Debbie Jones is becoming a
matchmaker.
As part of a practicum expe
rience. this human services ma
jor is working to link Universi
ty students with people with
disabilities through Fostering
Friendships, a program of Lane
County’s Association for Re
tarded citizens.
The program matches volun
teers and people with disabili
ties based on expressed prefer
ences of age, gender and inter
est. Although most of the vol
unteers are education, psychol
ogy or human services majors,
the program is open to anyone
willing to make the two-term
time commitment.
“Right now the program is
just getting going for the school
year." said Jones, the Fostering
Friendships volunteer coordi
nator “We have more on the
waiting list than are currently
paired. There's about four pairs
now. and more than :t() waiting
to bo paired with volunteers.”
The program started four
years ago through a grant from
the Oregon Research Institute
Today, grants from the State
Youth Commission add to
funding for the program from
ORI, the United Way and other
fundraising activities.
Volunteers are required to
pledge two to three hours a
week to the program, and can
earn up to three practicum
credits through ESCAPE or
their departments.
The result of the matchmak
inn and time commitment is
not another baby-sitting job.
but often the foundation of a
lasting friendship
“What we're trying to do is
foster a friendship between the
volunteer and the person," said
Jones. “What we're hoping is
that they build a real friendship
that goes beyond the require
ments of the program That's
not always possible, but for
many volunteers they Ixscome
part of the family."
Before linking with a person
in the program, volunteers par
ticipate in a three-hour training
session and short interview
with a coordinator. Volunteers
learn more about different dis
abilities and play games that
demonstrate what it is like to
be disabled.
"The volunteers are people
who are responsible, energetic
and genuine." Jones said.
"They need to really want to
get to know someone. They
don't need to know anything
about disabilities."
After the volunteers are
linked with a person, the coor
dinators are available for advice
and support. Hut the building
of the friendship and choice of
activities are up to the linked
pair.
"They can go bowling, to the
movies, the library, or any
community activity that they
both have agreed on. whether
it's baking cookies to going to a
football game." Jones said.
Nancy Moen. a pre-human
services major, recently entered
the program Their first outing,
she said, was a terrific experi*
ence.
"We bonded," Moen said
"We went out to Valley River
and window shopped and got
to get to know each other
"My goal is to get her in
volved in something like join
ing a spa or club, something
with members and activities
that she can do. so that if I have
to leave, she won't be alone."
she said "She's very social."
One thing volunteers discov
er, (ones said, is that the range
of activities are limited only by
their imagination. Contrary to
popular myth, people with dis
abilities have the same interests
and sense of humor as anyone
else
"When I started, I had no
idea about people with disabili
ties," (ones said "I went in
thinking they'd be different,
and I found they're just like
other kids.”
Moen agreed, and said she
was surprised at how capable
disabled persons actually are
"I think people do have the
preconceived notion that
they're different, or not intelli
gent enough to lx* like other
people, but they are." Moen
said
The program is part of a
movement toward mainstream
ing people with disabilities
back into classrooms and the
community instead of being
separated or shunted or pushed
aside.
"Our community is real open
to things that are going on and
getting people into the main
stream of society." Jones said
"For example, the bus sys
tem is really good in this com
Hkolu bt Sr«n fiHlun
Xancv Sloen (right) spends a morning howling with Linda
Sullivan as part of Fostering Friendships, a program bringing
together University students and handicapped citizens.
niunity. ' she said. “The dis
abled people can go anywhere.
There's nothing holding them
hack, except the fears that our
culture needs to get over.”
Mainstreaming. Moen said,
is one of the wavs to combat
the fear society has of persons
with disabilities.
"What it'll take is more ex
posure." Moon said "The
more we can net them hack into
the mainstream, the more har
riers we're x<>ink to break
down "
Turn to PROGRAM, Page 20
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