Success Story: Rachel Andrade
All of her life, Rachel Andrade of Taunton has wanted to be a dancer. She dreams of wearing a frilly costume of rainbow colors, and dancing on her toes, on stage in a recital. However, as a young woman of 29 with a developmental disability, there were no opportunities for her to live her dream...until recently.
Rachel grew up in Taunton and attended Taunton schools. Afterward, she became a volunteer. She has served her community at Morton Hospital for ten years, helping in the mail room on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Rachel likes to deliver mail to the various floors, and has lunch at the hospital with the other employees. She enjoys the hospital and says the staff are like a second family to her. Yet, she still longed for her dream of being a dancer.
Rachel has been a member of The Arc of Northern Bristol County for several years. However, she never took part in any of the activities or events that were listed in her quarterly REC-Connect Newsletter. Then last fall, Rachel received The Arc of Northern Bristol County's Taunton Area Resource Center (TARC) schedule of activities in the mail. She excitedly told her mother, Manuela, that she wanted to join the dance class being offered by TARC at Studio C in Taunton. Terry Braun, Director of Community Based Services for The Arc, had arranged with Cheryl Thompson, an instructor at Studio C, to offer a class for folks with special needs. Rachel enthusiastically signed up. She bought a leotard and took her CD that her parents had bought for her after she went to see the Nutcracker Ballet with them in Boston. Rachel worked hard, practicing twice each day, sometimes going over each step 30 times. She was grateful that "Miss Cheryl" would give her extra attention in class to show her the "hard moves." Although the dance classes are now on recess until the fall, Rachel is still practicing and dreaming about the possibility of reaching her dream of performing in a real dance recital at Studio C next year.
Says her mother, Manuela, "Rachel used to be a happy person. Now that
she is living her dream, she is an ecstatic person." Both Mr. and Mrs. Andrade
wrote to say, "Thank you very much for the opportunity that The Arc gave
Rachel."
Editor's Note: The Arc of Northern Bristol County started our Taunton Area Resource Center (TARC) about 2 1/2 years ago, to offer life enriching choices of activities for underserved children and adults with developmental disabilities who live in Taunton and nearby cities and towns. We now offer classes in computers, arts and crafts, nutrition, health and safety, human rights, self-advocacy, dance, and life skills, in addition to our REC-Connect recreation and guardianship services. We are pleased to have received support this year from Bank of America Foundation and The Robert F. Stoico FIRST FED Foundation, and last year from Bristol County Savings Bank and the MA Department of Mental Retardation, to support these important activities that change lives.
