•September 23, 2015•
By Susan Sullivan Rauch
Executive Director of the Beacon
“People with developmental disabilities have special needs, but their basic needs are the same as everyone else’s. The need to have a home, learn useful, relevant skills; work; and develop and sustain relationships with people they care about and who care about them.” Author Unknown
The Moultrie County Beacon has done this in Sullivan since 1968, yet many of our citizens have only a vague notion of what we actually do and whom we actually help. This isn’t such a surprise for our first 30 years we really didn’t talk about what we did.
To the families that we served, we were a blessing, but for the majority of the population our work remained a mystery that had little impact on their lives. Most children with special needs were bused out of town to special schools, thereby inhibiting the social relationships that are built during the 12 years attending public school. As a result, many adults with developmental disabilities grew up without being fully integrated into their communities.
Today we are driven to push the boundaries that once hindered people with disabilities from meeting their full potential. Today most of our children attend our local schools and, as a result, form relationships that enrich their lives as well as the lives of their classmates. Read More
