|
Community Options, Inc. is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit organization.〔(USAID " Registered U.S. and International PVOs" ) "USAID", 2013〕 that provides housing and employment supports 〔("Find organizations in your community" ) " Disability.gov", 2014〕 to people with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury. The organizations headquarters are located in Princeton, NJ. In 2013 Community Options was named the fifth-largest nonprofit organization based in New Jersey.〔Danielle Mack, (" NEW JERSEY'S TOP Nonprofit Organizations" ), ''NJBIZ'', 2013〕 ==History == The organization was founded in 1989 by Robert Stack, the President and CEO, along with a small group of disability advocates to create residential and employment supports for individuals with disabilities. In 2008 the organization supported over 1,400 people with disabilities.〔Dilshanie Perera, ("Princeton Resident Named to Gov. Richardson’s Task Force" ), ''Town Topics'', Wednesday, 30 July 2008〕 Community Options, Inc. also advocates for the de-institutionalization movement. The organization states that all people with disabilities should live in community-based settings and be released from out-of-state-run institutions 〔Matt Hammond, ("Hopewell to break ground for group home" ), "The Times", 21 October 2012〕 Robert Stack was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania in 1955. He attended St. Fidelis Seminary in Butler, Pennsylvania for the priesthood. During this time, he volunteered to work with children with significant disabilities every Saturday and Wednesday afternoon. He dropped out of the Seminary and after graduating from the University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio), went to Kent State (Kent, Ohio) to study Philosophy. In 1979 he left to work for the State of New York at the Suffolk Developmental Center as a Recreational Aid in the institution. He opened the first two state-operated group homes on the grounds of the institution. He was hired as the Executive Assistant to the Director of the Division of Mental Retardation in 1981. He wrote the original white paper converting the Division of Mental Retardation to the Division of Developmental Disabilities. It was the first time New Jersey government recognized Autism as a treatable and fundable disability. Stack was youngest Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy for the entire state in 1984. He founded UCP of Mercer (now enable) UCP of Morris and UPC of Atlantic and Cape May County. He was appointed as the Deputy Director over all the institutions for NJ by Eddie C. Moore in 1987. Stack closed the first institution in New Jersey in Middlesex County. After the death of Eddie Moore, Stack became a consultant and in 1988 formed an exploratory group to look at the lack of services for people with significant disabilities in NJ, Texas, NY, PA and Tennessee. He incorporated Community Options with friends from both University of Dayton and Kent State in 1989. In 1990 Stack introduced John F. Kennedy Jr. to the Rehabilitation Conference participants for over 2,000 in Albany, New York. In 1992, Community Options opened their first four group homes in New Jersey. From 1995 to 2011, group homes were opened in six other states including Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.〔("A Brief History of Community Options, Inc." ) "Community Options, Inc.", 2014〕 The New Jersey House of Representatives honored Community Options for their 25 years of service on February 10, 2014〔Hon. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, ("Celebrating The 25th Anniversary of Community Options" ),"Congressional Record Volume 160 Number 24", 10 February 2014〕 The 48th Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean was honored by Community Options on May 8, 2014 with the presentation of The Betty Pendler Award for all his years of service dedicated to people with disabilities〔("History" ), "Office for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities", 2014〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Community Options」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|