Issues in the community
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Problems the Clients/Members Face
The majority of the clients involved with CPARC have mental retardation. This disability has many hindering stereotypes and generalizations associated with it. Therefore, the clients and members of CPARC face many social stigmas and problems due to assumptions attached to their disability. They are often ignored and left alone by the rest of society.
People who are members of CPARC often have difficulty performing the tasks that the "normate" does easily. The increased emphasis of technology in daily life makes it easier for most of society, but much more difficult for members. Members balance their own checkbooks, plan their own meals, sometimes live independently, and care for gardens. The problem they also face is lack of transportation. Many of the members require transportation support from their community, or the CPARC workers in order to attend work, go shopping, go to the laundromat, or attend doctor's appointments.
Problems the Agency Faces
Because CPARC is a non-profit organization, it requires governmental and private funding in order to accomplish its goals and help its clients. However, this can present itself as a problem if the current administration does not feel that CPARC is a worthy and deserving group of public funding. Without help from the government, the amount of facilities, resources and volunteers that make the organization efficient and successful, will begin to diminish. Also, private donations of money and time add to the amount of impact the volunteers will be able to provide in making the lives of the clients of CPARC easier and more comfortable. There is currently a very long waiting list of people with mental disabilities who would like to become members, but CPARC simply does not have the facilities or funds to accomodate everyone.
Another issue that CPARC needs to overcome is the possibility that not enough Americans are aware of their mission and how they help those with disabilities. Because this association helps people with disabilities and because of cultural assumptions, most donators will ignore a valuable cause such as CPARC. People will try to help other non-profit organizations that have a more socially acceptable image that in the end will benefit the individual's reputation and standing in society. As an organization, CPARC needs to focus on finding sufficent funding for its facilities, resources and volunteers and also raising awareness among the general population about it's image and benefits it provides.
There are many ways in which CPARC is able to overcome these immediate problems. It is able to hold public benefits and other fund-raising activites that will include the community. By doing this, CPARC is also raising awareness within the larger community of it's mission and the people for whom they provide. By having interactions between individuals in the community and clients of CPARC, this gives a face to the association and makes the clients seem more human. In turn, this will make an individual more willing to donate either time or money to CPARC by having a connection to the organization. Since they already have a website, people are able to become aware of the mission and goals of CPARC. If they are able to relate and agree with their cause, they will be willing to inform their family and friends of the organization thereby spreading the constant need of resources that CPARC faces. In order to continue to provide for people with disabilities, CPARC needs to broaden it's reach of influence throughout the local and national community and to raise awareness of the indispensible assistance they provide.
