Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 1, 1993 TAG: 9307010515
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
But when Sandra Phillips, Cindy LaTempa, Charlesetta Paschal and Charlotte Brown get together to do those things, they also bridge a gap between mentally retarded people and the community.
They're partners in Bridge Builders, a 2-year-old program sponsored by Mental Health Services of the Roanoke Valley. The program pairs adult volunteers with mentally retarded adults to help the mentally retarded people participate more fully in community activities.
Volunteer Phillips was paired with LaTempa last year on Valentine's Day. Phillips brought LaTempa a box of chocolates.
"I liked her right away," LaTempa said, flashing a big, open smile.
Volunteer Paschal became Brown's partner a year ago in April.
"She was very shy and quiet," Paschal said, pausing before adding with emphasis "when I first met her."
She and Brown look at each other and spontaneously burst into laughter over how much that reserve has lifted.
"I knew once we got to know each other, she'd open up, and she has opened up a whole lot," Paschal said.
Betty Bingham, Mental Health Services' educational program manager, says banter and blossoming personalities are common in Bridge Builders' informal one-on-one alliances.
"We try to match the partners according to their interests, ages and geographic locations," Bingham says.
Personalities and dispositions also are taken into account. Matches often are between people of the same sex and race, but not always.
Partners usually meet for a couple of hours or so about every two weeks. If an activity costs, each partner pays his own.
Phillips, a lab technician, is considering a career change to social work to help families of handicapped people. She's married with two daughters, 20 and 14, and a son, 12. Her youngest is autistic.
"We're like sisters," Phillips said of LaTempa. "We tease back and forth. And in a personal respect, I feel like Cindy is helping me with the future with my child."
Paschal, a cosmetologist and hair dresser, is a single parent of daughters 11, 7 and 3.
"Charlotte's like their `big aunt,' and since I'm younger than she is, I look at her like an older sister. We have a good time together," Paschal said.
The partners' activities often are just everyday occurrences: grocery shopping, attending a church function, picking out a pair of eyeglasses, sharing a meal.
Other times, they're more structured: outings to a mall, the circus, the zoo or an ice cream parlor; attending a play or concert; going to a fancy restaurant; or taking a recreational or continuing education class.
The volunteers' families often join in things like cookouts and picnics, or even throwing a cookie-swapping party, complete with invitations, which Phillips and LaTempa did last year.
Mental Health Services also sponsors an annual potluck swimming party and a dance for participants in both Bridge Builders and its kindred adult education program. In that program, which began in 1978, volunteers teach living skills to the adults within a structured environment at Virginia Western Community College.
Bingham says that most of the adults in Bridge Builders are mildly retarded. They live independently within the community, are able to travel and perform most daily living tasks without assistance, and many hold unskilled or semi-skilled jobs.
Until recently, LaTempa did piece-rate work at Tinker Mountain Industries, and Brown washed dishes at K&W Cafeteria.
LaTempa lives with her mother. When asked if she's married, she exclaimed, "No way!" But a favorite pastime is guy-watching.
Brown also is single, with a knack for unobtrusively observing everything around her. She especially enjoys outings to the ice cream parlor and taking care of children.
She rooms in a private home and is a volunteer at First Baptist Church's day-care center.
"I don't consider Charlotte any different from me," Paschal says. "She might be a little slower, but she's special to me. And the kids love her, too."
Bridge Builders volunteers must be at least 18 years old. They are interviewed and asked to provide three personal references. If accepted, Bingham gives them a two-hour general orientation on the agency's philosophy and interacting with the adults. She also goes over any special needs of the volunteer's specific partner.
To help break the ice, Bingham always accompanies the partners during their first and sometimes second meetings. Mental Health Services carries liability insurance, which covers them.
There currently are nine alliances and about 20 adults waiting for partners.
"My biggest need is male volunteers," Bingham said. "But there's plenty of room to expand. Personally, I'd love to see a friend for everyone in the valley."
For more information, contact Bingham at 342-6003.
by CNB