Parents’ concern and ‘can do’ attitude
turned dreams into reality
Central Aroostook Association has been serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the past 55 years.
The association was formed by parents who wanted their sons and daughters to live, be educated, and work in their own communities. Back in 1959 when the association was formed, there were very little opportunities for these individuals in the state of Maine, or for that matter, in Aroostook County. One option was to place them at an institution in Pownal, Maine, known as Pineland Hospital.
A group of parents placed an ad in a local newspaper asking parents who would like to form an association to please meet at St. Luke’s Parish Hall in Caribou, Maine. It was there that they formed the Association for Retarded Children. These well-intentioned parents continued to spread the word about their beloved association, and through volunteer efforts, they provided programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The word kept spreading about what a wonderful job these parents were doing and the association continued to grow.
At the beginning, services were offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and individuals were car pooled to the program. The association soon outgrew the facility at St. Luke’s and parents were given the chance to occupy a building known as the old sanatorium on the Reach Road in Presque Isle. They named the program the Opportunity Training Center; the program continued to flourish and the word kept spreading.
Later, a wonderful lady by the name of Carolyn DeGrass heard about some grant money that was slated to be returned to the federal government. She applied for it, and lo and behold, the Central Aroostook Association for Retarded Children (name change) was awarded the grant money to build the Opportunity Training Center. This was the first school ever built from the ground up for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Maine and it received certification as a special purpose private school. The association hired Thomas Pooler as its first Executive Director to help guide the association into the future.
Over these 55 years the association has grown from a very small program, to providing programs for over 350 individuals. The Central Aroostook Association (another name change) now provides services not only to students at the Opportunity Training Center, but also to individuals who attend Adult Services at 21 and 29 Lombard Street facilities. The association operates 6 homes, 2 located in Caribou and 4 in Presque Isle. Five homes are 2-bed waiver homes and one home is a licensed 4-bed facility. The association provides services to children under Section 28, as well as home and community supports for adults. It oversees 16 shared living homes, and provides work services at County Box & Pallet.
The association is extremely fortunate to have a very professional, dedicated and caring staff of 148 members who provide the programming listed above. This non-profit organization is the 23rd largest employer in Aroostook County, which could not have been predicted 55 years ago.
This rich history would not have happened if it had not been for those dedicated parents who formed this association and for the continued support that they have provided. There have been many changes over the years, but at the start, Laura Brescia and Louise Nixon from Caribou had an impact on the association, and people like Carroll Foren, Don Thibodeau and Don Allison played a major role on how the association was established. Other people had an impact over the years, but they are too numerous to name.
Recently, the association recognized several board members who have served on the board for over twenty years: John Cancelarich, Mary Coffin, James Dyer, Joan Garland, Judy Robertson, Mavis Towle and John York. These are just some of the people who have devoted much time to our association.
The association thanks the Board of Directors who oversees its governance, as these directors put in a lot of time and energy without any compensation. Fifty-one percent of the board is comprised of parents, guardians and siblings of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the remaining 49 percent is comprised of local business people. The reason for this is that the association never wants to lose sight of the parents’ wishes and it is very proud to have a good mix of board members. Matthew McHatten, who served on our board 16 years and chaired for over 10 of those years, recently resigned from the board. The association was very fortunate to have him as a visionary during his tenure.
Currently, the board members are: Cathy Cyr, Lisa Dubay, James Dyer, Ryan Ellsworth, Ben Greenlaw, Sheril Lapointe, Gina LeBlanc-Eggert, Judy Robertson, Galen Rockwell, Mavis Towle and Adam Swanson, who is our board chair. Since 1967, the association has had only two Executive Directors, Thomas Pooler who served for 9 years and Stephen Richard who has been serving for 38 years.
The Leadership Team members are: Stephen Richard, Executive Director, who started with the association on September 8, 1975; Pam Powers, Director of Adult Services, who started with the association May 30, 1978; Don Chapman, Director of Community Case Management, who started with the association March 9, 1996; Paula Perkins, Director of OTC, who started with the association October 23, 2000; Kim Grant, Director of Residential Services, who started with the association January 26, 2004; Carl Michaud, Director of Administrative Services, who started with the association July 14, 2008; Tom Powers, Maintenance Supervisor, who started with the association September 2, 2011; and Allen Deeves, Shared Living and Home/Community Support Director, who started with the association July 23, 2013.
Central Aroostook Association is very proud of what it has been able to accomplish over the years and looks forward to the next 55 years. If you would like more information, or if you would like to tour our facilities, please call us at 764-0134. Please look us up on the web, www.caarc.com.
• Adult Services • Children’s Services
• Community Case Management
• Home and Community Supports
• Residential Services • Shared Living
• OTC (a special purpose private school)
• Work Services: County Box & Pallet
