Dream Catchers Advocate for themselves and their rights
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"This group has outweighed my expectations," said Jim Eccleston, Direct Support Coordinator for Mosaic in Connecticut. "We have grown in leaps and bounds." The group started in 2008 with 12 members and now has 30, he said.
Eccleston had served as a human rights officer in another state before his work with Mosaic and said he felt confident that he could help people learn about advocating for themselves. The group was intended as a social and informational tool for people supported by Mosaic. Shortly after it was started, however, it was clear that the people who attended were far more interested in making a difference in their lives and the lives of others than in simple social activities.
At the initial meetings, Eccleston helped people learn to speak about themselves by having each person create a "me box," a box upon which you post photos or drawings of items important to you on the outside, while putting inside the things that you can't live without.
"It gives people a way to feel comfortable speaking about themselves in public," he said. "They came up front and had their boxes and started telling about themselves. You get to ask questions and you get to find out their strengths.
One gentleman had a picture of city hall because he walks to city hall every day and talks to the mayor every day."
Kathleen Benton was elected as president of Dream Catchers. She gives the group credit for helping her learn to speak in front of other people. But she is especially pleased with what she's been able to learn.
"(We've) learned about laws and that we have the power to make a difference and change laws," she said.
The group has grown in numbers through word-of-mouth, Eccleston said. They have held an election to choose officers, and an informal social network that grew out of attendance-keeping helps people connect. The attendance sheet uses photos rather than just names. Those photos were used to create a phone book so that members could contact one another, and friendships have developed.
Claudette Duchesneau, Vice President of Dream Catchers, helped come up with the group's name and said the growth of the group has been great to see. She also looks forward to the regular meetings.
"I have made a lot of new friends, and I like to see them at every meeting," she said.
Group members suggest topics to be discussed and Eccleston said he is challenged to keep up with the interests of the group. Topics that have been covered include self-advocacy, voting and registering to vote, public speaking, letter writing, human rights and healthy living and nutrition.
The biggest success so far, according to Eccleston, is a meeting with the local First Selectman (a position similar to mayor) at a meet-and-greet they hosted that was also attended by two state representatives. The group also had input into the interview process for hiring staff members at Mosaic, and some of the members have now begun to volunteer on committees within Mosaic.
"They run the meetings so well that I get to do the fun stuff -- develop and come up with training," Eccleston said. "They're like a sponge and just continually want to learn more and more. Their ultimate goal is to go to Washington D.C."
