Citizen Advocacy

About Citizen Advocacy

Paul and The Burlington Northern Man

Paul was thirteen years old. He was abandoned at birth and became a ward of the state of Illinois. He did not talk and he did not walk for long periods of time before he sat down. He grew up in institutions.

For a few years the State of Illinois sent him to live in an institution in La Crosse. We found him because we were looking for a child who lived in an institution with no family.

In first getting to know him we realized he didn’t trust anyone very much. He had no outside experiences evidenced by the fact that he didn’t know what a light switch was or how it worked. He didn’t know what a plate was since meals at his residential facility were served in Styrofoam containers. He didn’t smile or play games and he didn’t ask or want for anything. But he always seemed to be gazing and looking for something and nobody knew what he was searching for with his eyes.

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We decided he needed exposure to a real family and a real house and real experiences with people he trusted.

The search for a Citizen Advocate began on State Street. There was a hairstylist becoming known in town for how beautifully she could do braids. She was friendly, conversational, and curious about the world. She just thought matching people together made sense and understood completely how including people in the community was important to all of us.

When asked about her family being advocates for Paul, she said “My husband Bill will do it, we have two girls and always wanted a son.”

Bill worked at Burlington Northern railroad and was well respected. He was quiet and reflective and wanted to make a difference in Paul’s life.

The magic of when they first went was found in Paul’s eyes. He checked out Bill, a tall man with a trustworthy smile who was encouraging and conversational and welcoming from the very beginning.

Little things mattered to Paul’s new found family of advocates. They noticed how Paul’s eyes would lock with Bill’s. They understood Paul would have some pride so instead of holding his hand they saw how Bill showed him how to hold on to his belt loop if they were walking and he was unsure of himself.

They watched as he learned and shared his amazement at life. They learned about how important opportunities were and how Paul experienced life. Daisy, the wife, related how Paul came to Sunday dinner and he saw a microwave for the first time and he would stare at the microwave because he thought that’s where the food came from. He shared many dinners and the family related how good it was for their daughters who would encourage and talk and welcome Paul as a valued guest.

After a couple years, the State of Illinois did not want to pay for a private institution and they transferred Paul to a large impersonal institution south of Chicago. The family was devastated because Paul was moved without notice to them but they didn’t quit. Bill persisted until he found where Paul was transferred. Since Bill was originally from Illinois he knew the area well and he applied for a transfer himself in order to move the whole family closer to Paul.

La Crosse probably lost one of the most dedicated family of advocates but the story continues. They moved to Illinois, found Paul and they continued to share their lives. Bill said “ I couldn’t leave my boy.”

Finding the right advocates for a treasure of a boy has been our pleasure and solace and hope and encouragement that Citizen Advocacy should endure, for years.

CITIZEN ADVOCACY MISSION STATEMENT

A valued citizen who is unpaid and independent of human services creates a relationship with a person who is at risk of social exclusion and chooses one of several or many ways to understand, respond to and represent that person’s interests as if they were the advocate’s own, thus bringing their partner’s gifts and concerns into the circles of ordinary community life.

Citizen Advocacy programs are focused on arranging and supporting relationships among people who otherwise would not meet.