If it doesn't work out - well, that's what life is like. ARC personnel also work on broader issues with clients at Jamesburg and the other centers. We want our clients to stand up for themselves, make their voices heard independently. We go on a monthly retreat to work on self esteem. Hollender says Jamesburg is a good site for the center because its small-town character provides an opportunity for the clients.
People come to look at our clients in a different light - as people who own a business here in town.
It gives our clients a sense of community they didn't have before. Another client, whom Hollender identified only as Keith, likes to stand in front of the store, shaking hands with everyone who passes. First, she says, she was concerned that people would shun him or make fun of him, but virtually every person stopped to shake his hand. I watched that happen and realized that Keith was creating his own community. Donations for ARC of Middlesex County may be sent to 225 North Center Drive, North Brunswick, NJ 08902.