[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14952-14953]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE SARAH FOUNDATION ON THE CELEBRATION OF ITS 60TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 25, 2017

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to rise today to 
extend my deepest thanks and heartfelt congratulations to the SARAH 
Foundation of Guilford, Connecticut as they celebrate their 60th 
Anniversary--a remarkable milestone for this very special organization.
  Families with loved ones with developmental disabilities have always 
struggled to find the appropriate care. Indeed, throughout much of our 
history, there were little to no resources to address their needs. In 
the 1950s, families had only two choices--remain at home without 
support or services, often isolating both the caregivers and their 
loved ones, or send their loved one to an institution, often far from 
home and thus isolating those with disabilities from their families and 
communities.
  Recognizing this struggle and understanding the challenges families 
were facing, Dan and Eleanor Reinhardsen, Reeves and Dorothy Spencer, 
and William and Regina McNeil, pooled their resources to establish a 
school for children with intellectual disabilities--and SARAH was born. 
The Reinhardsens, Spencers, and McNeils, along with other shoreline 
families, worked diligently to raise funds for teachers, transportation 
and speech therapists. They moved from borrowed space in a church 
basement to a schoolhouse in North Guilford, the programs and services 
offered at SARAH met the academic and social needs of its students 
until the introduction of special education legislation providing for 
inclusion of children of all abilities in school districts.
  With education needs being met by school districts, there came a new 
mission for

[[Page 14953]]

SARAH and they refocused their efforts to expand their services to 
include vocational training, job placement, and independent living to 
ease the transition from school to life in the community. The Apple 
Doll Tea House, the first food service training program for people with 
disabilities in the nation, opened its doors in Guilford in 1973. Along 
with the Tea House, the Apple Farm Bakery, Greenhouse horticulture 
program, and others provided choices in vocational employment, 
interaction with the public, and a close connection with communities. 
Today, SARAH works with businesses throughout the region, enabling 
hundreds of men and women to find steady, meaningful employment and 
build a sense of self-esteem. SARAH's first community residence was 
opened in Branford in 1977. Soon more homes were added in other 
communities as well as residences for individuals with multiple 
disabilities. The organization's commitment to providing a warm, 
nurturing environment and personalized residential care have made it a 
model for other agencies in Connecticut and across the country.
  Built from love and compassion, SARAH is an extraordinary 
organization that has and continues to have the most positive of 
impacts on the lives of those with disabilities and their families. 
Today, as they mark their 60th Anniversary, I am honored to offer my 
heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks and appreciation for their 
invaluable contributions to our community, our state, and our nation.

                          ____________________