A Word from Gerry

Gerry Beagles • July 7, 2020

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

  Martin Luther King Jr.

Over the past few weeks and months our community has been forced to deal with multiple difficult challenges – the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting economic fallout, brutal scenes of racial oppression, and the following civil unrest. As an organization committed to the core values of respect, empowerment, and compassion, whose mission is to advance lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them, we must strive to be there for all people, whatever the source of their pain and loss.

Regarding the coronavirus, this unprecedented health crisis has led to demonstrations of such incredible selfless acts of dedication and service that often my heart is overflowing with gratitude. The fact that as of yet we have not had one positive case of the virus at any of our homes is certainly directly linked to those staff that volunteered to move into and work at the sites for weeks on end, and to the steadfast effort that we’ve made towards everyone adhering to the social distancing guidelines. I publicly want to express my deep appreciation for the direct care staff and our management team that has truly stepped up to the task over these past few months.

We also witnessed amazing support through the generous donations that many of you made to our COVID-19 Response Fund! Due to the shelter in place directives, we were unable to hold our annual Walk ‘n Roll and were disheartened by the lost revenue this would cause. Well, with the $42,000 in donations made to the Response Fund added to the $25,000 sponsored match, we have surpassed the $67,000 mark which is just unbelievable! Thank you so much.

The high incidence of the virus among African Americans and the unpardonable death of George Floyd and many other persons of color, has brought a laser focus to the deep and ever present biases in our culture. For over 60 years it has been Garden Center Services’ aspiration to protect and advocate for those members of our society that are marginalized and discriminated against. We must be committed to this not just for persons with developmental disabilities, but all persons. The diversity of our staff and the individuals we serve is one of the greatest strengths of our agency. Each of us must do whatever we can going forward to concretely demonstrate acceptance, empathy, and understanding.

Please, now more than ever, let us be kind to one another.

Peace,

Gerry

Other Articles

By Gerry Beagles July 11, 2025
Dear Garden Center Services Family & Friends, I want to start off by wishing each of you a happy and safe summer! Even though we’ve had times where the temperature has been a little toasty, I so appreciate the sun-drenched days with all the opportunities for fun and frolic. It does my heart good to view the posted pictures of the individuals we support enjoying all kinds of activities and experiences out and about in the community. I want to give a big shoutout to the staff at our homes and day services that use a lot of energy and creativity to make these outings possible! I must admit that the recognition and celebration of Independence Day last week had lost some of its childlike excitement and meaning for me due to the passage of the Big ##### Bill in Washington. Though the supporters of this bill claim that it only focuses on “waste, fraud, and abuse,” the projected cuts that it contains could devastate millions of people with disabilities who receive life sustaining and enhancing services through Medicaid and other safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. For some time one of my favorite quotes has been from former Vice President Hubert Humphrey. When dedicating a building in D.C. on Nov. 1, 1977, he spoke to the treatment of the weakest members of society as a reflection of a government: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the disabled.” I was personally drawn towards working in this field in the mid-1970s because I could sense that there was a sincere and genuine movement underway that would alter the approach to serving people with developmental disabilities. The 1980’s was a time when many states started to close their large institutions and through Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services allow individuals with disabilities to receive services and supports in their family homes, in their own homes, acknowledging and honoring the contributions they make as members of our neighborhoods and communities. To toil and struggle and rejoice in the accomplishments this movement has made in the last 5 decades has been incredible, and to see the changes we’ve made at Garden Center during the last 22 years as my time as the Executive Director, fills me with gratitude. And, we’ve still have a lot more that we’re planning on accomplishing on behalf of the awesome individuals that we’re honored to spend time with! So, what is our response going to be to the recently passed Reconciliation bill? We’re going to keep holding our heads high as we fight the good fight at the state level and keep focused on the multiple essential projects that are underway. What I am keenly aware of is my need to bring more discretionary, non-State funds, into our agency. Most of you reading this newsletter are already generous supporters of our agency, and so I’m not necessarily asking you to open your pocketbook. What I am asking, is that you would please share any contact information with me of people, or businesses, that you think might be interested in supporting a worthy cause like Garden Center Services! I just want the opportunity to share our story, the stories of the brave people we support, with a larger audience. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email, or you can call me at 708-560-4400. Thank you for everything! Peace, Gerry
By Gerry Beagles May 14, 2025
Little did I know, on May 2nd, 2003, that I would be undertaking the role as Director of Garden Center Services that I am blessed enough to still be fulfilling today! Some of you probably remember that at the time I came on board, the name of our agency was Garden Center for the Handicapped. Changing the wording was easy; changing the approach to how the individuals we support are emboldened to make their own choices and create their own lives has been exhilarating and extremely hard work. There are many reasons that my passion for this work hasn’t waned but let me just share a few with you. First and foremost, it is the people we serve. I have spoken frequently, especially when spending time with new employees, about the tangible benefit that comes with working in this field; interacting with caring, curious, resilient adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, who are the most unpretentious people you could ever spend time with. Next, if you are lucky, you end up working side-by-side with so many compassionate, committed employees that are like-minded and spirited in their desire to raise up the individuals we support and help them to have the lives they deserve. At Garden Center Services I have often felt the line between fellow staff members and chosen family gets quite blurry. Lastly, it is an incredible opportunity to be working in the disability services area during a time of change, when individuals are being empowered to learn and use their own voices, to advocate for themselves, and to make choices such as where do they want to live, who do they want to live with, how do they want to spend their days, …etc. I want to express a deep appreciation for the families, parents & guardians, friends, and the local business community that have been exceptionally supportive of the direction that we have taken the agency. Change can be difficult, and that’s why I am so thankful for the open-mindedness, trust, and respect that I have experienced as the Executive Director. We have a very committed, involved group of individuals that serve on the agency’s Board of Directors. They give up their time, energy, and often their resources to ensure that Garden Center is following through on our commitment to the people we serve. I want to express my gratitude to three members of the board that stepped down after serving 2 three-year terms. Ms. Donna Blair, Mr. Tony DiMiele, and Ms. Ava Rhodes-Smith. Their guidance has been invaluable over the last six years! Let me also introduce the four new people that have just joined the board. Ms. Kate Akin, Mr. John Considine, Ms. Kari Riordan, and Ms. Jenny Wojcik. You will learn more about them in the coming newsletters. A Happy Spring to All, Gerry
By Gerry Beagles April 17, 2025
Any of you that listened to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s remarks yesterday about the “autism epidemic” would have spent your time more intelligently if you had watched an episode of the Three Stooges. Kennedy referred to autism as a ‘disease’, versus a developmental disability, and stressed how it destroys families and greatly limits the contributions that persons with this neurological condition can make to society. What a bunch of hogwash! There are many individuals dealing with autism that are living contented, productive lives filled with connection, contribution, and meaning. There are people in the arts, playing sports, employed, paying taxes, enjoying loving relationships, and certainly sitting on the damn toilet! The Secretary’s message is just more misinformation and simply reinforces the stigmatization that holds individuals with an autism diagnosis down and keeps so many in our country from experiencing the gifts and positive impacts that they share.  Please join us and the many advocates supporting persons with neurological differences in seeking a future for these incredible, courageous individuals, where they are suitably championed to create and enjoy the lives they deserve!
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