SERVING THE INTELLECTUALLY AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED
Before his family discovered the Platte County Board of Services, Chris Ringot lived at home with his parents, working jobs such as sacking groceries and dishwashing.
His mother, Mary Ringot, said while the jobs filled time and provided a little income, they “didn’t use his abilities to the fullest.”
Today, the 39-year-old with Down Syndrome is married, living outside of his parents’ home and works at Children’s Mercy Hospital, where he delivers mail, distributes snacks to patients, tidies waiting rooms and puts together care packages for the hospital’s young patients.
Chris secured the position through his wife, Carissa, who also has Down Syndrome and already worked at the hospital.
“They love working there,” his mother said in a telephone interview. The positions offer “a sense of worth and agency” and allow them to “do something they’re very proud of,” she said.
She credits the Platte County Board of Services with making their lifestyle possible. Without it, the couple would have no transportation to work, she said.
It’s just one of the stories of successful service by the Platte County Board of Services (PCBS), which has its 50th anniversary celebration scheduled for June 21. Since 1975, PCBS has been a leader in providing resources for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Platte County.
Chris and his wife met at a Down Syndrome Guild fundraising event and eventually married.
“They have each other and that’s a relief,” Ringot said. “He (Chris) has always had a good tribe of support,” she said of her son’s friends and associates through the Platte County Board of Services.
Treatment of people with special needs has progressed a lot, said CEO Martha Jaynes. Decades earlier, society viewed this population as a burden and they were institutionalized, leading to feelings of being unwanted and unfulfilled, with little to occupy their time and talent.
The changes began during the late 1960s. Federal civil rights laws are designed to prevent discrimination in public places including jobs, schools and transportation.
During the mid-1970s, local jurisdictions garnered voter approval for tax levies to pay for programs supporting those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Platte County program started small, serving five or six people who met in a church basement to learn job skills, Jaynes said. Today, the program serves about 125 people in three areas: housing, transportation and day habilitation.
The program includes six group homes and independent living apartments and houses with 76 residents. Those in group homes share household duties and learn household management, all leading to a sense of independence, Jaynes said.
In addition, today’s population is integrated into society and staff ask clients what they want to do with their time and talents.
“They live in a home they want in the way they want,” she said.
Transportation, otherwise a huge obstacle, is offered through the board of service’s 45 vehicles. They typically transport about 100 people a day, totaling 300,000 miles per year, Jaynes said. Destinations include work, job training and social events throughout the Kansas City area that keep them connected. Fun activities are common and popular, including trips to parks to meet friends and special seasonal events, such as visiting a pumpkin farm in the fall.
“They are out and about everyday in their community doing activities of their choice,” she said.
Platte Board of Services has 18 community partners, including Easter Seals, the Down Syndrome Guild and organizations supporting those with Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Autism and Multiple Sclerosis. “You name it and we’re out there supporting it,” Jaynes said.
“We’re always growing and expanding,” she said, adding that the last three years have experienced the most growth, with today’s program employing more than 100 people.
The Platte County Board of Services uses numerous funding sources, including taxes derived from a voter approved levy, Medicaid and a family trust/endowment established by the Catayocs, parents who adopted a three-year-old boy living in Buffalo, Missouri and wanted to provide for their son after they were gone.
Ronald Catayoc continues to get help from board of services and said during a telephone interview, that his parents, Dorothy and Ray, were wonderful people.
“I loved them, and they loved me,” Ronald said. An artist, Ronald said he has developed a tradition of creating collectible items emblazoned with Platte County Board of Services, or PCBS. The items are gifted to staff and PCBS clients. He has created mugs, hats, t-shirts and is exploring a larger item this year–jean jackets.
Jaynes said the Catayocs created a living legacy when they established the trust.
She said, “Thousands of lives are going to be changed because they saw a little boy who needed help.”
50TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION FOR PCBS
The 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Platte County Board of Services on Saturday, June 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 7900 NW 106th Street, Kansas City, Mo. 64153.
It’s an event that will feature Royals’ mascot Sluggerrr, Chiefs mascot KC Wolf, Big Dogs BBQ, giant lawn games, bounce house, DJ, building tours, memorial dedication, ribbon cutting and building dedication, community support partners and more.
PCBS says the event will celebrate “five decades of dedicated service to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Platte County. Since our founding in 1975, PCBS has provided essential resources and support, empowering individuals to live fulfilling and independent lives.”
Get more information at 816-891-0990.
