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Posted: Thursday, 30 April 2009 9:20AM
Enriching Lives With Education and Independence
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Pleasant Hill (CBS 5) ― In a sunny room tucked into a Pleasant Hill building, there's music and smiles as dozens of developmentally disabled adults share essays entitled "The Best Thing in Life."
"The best thing in life is living in a free nation that cares for its less-advantaged citizens," one young man says, reading from his own handwriting.
They're giving thanks for the non profit RES Success, where day classes teach them how to live fulfilling lives, thanks to founder and executive director Ian Bremner.
"The people with developmental disability deserve to have exactly the same rights and opportunities to fulfill their dreams that you and I have," Ian says with conviction.
Ian's commitment to the disabled sparked in high school, when he volunteered with Special Olympics.
He remembers, "I found that when I was working with this population, I was in the moment and it was the first time I was truly in the moment, not worried about mistakes I'd made or things in the future."
After training to work with the developmentally disabled, Ian founded RES Success in 1994. It stands for "Redefining Educational Services."
Since Ian's clients have a range of disabilities, some stay in the RES program for years learning everything from computers to communication, while others graduate with jobs. He says taxpayers save $165,000 a year for each student he keeps out of an institution.
At a long desk, John Woodward and his mother Tania are sharing time over lunch. Tumors in John's nervous system cause seizures and memory loss. Tania says before RES, John's old program had him do little but crochet.
What do you learn here, we ask John. "Lots of things," is the reply. Like what? "You name it, you got it," he says with a smile.
"Here, he's learning to use the computer, there's math, there's a little spelling," Tania adds.
David DeLuchey, who is autistic, has learned to take the bus and stock items at a thrift store.
He puts down his shaker musical instrument long enough to tell us, "Makes me feel good about myself."
His mother feels good, too: "Ian is one of the most compassionate, resourceful, creative people I've ever met," says Joann DeLuchey.
Ian's non profit serves about 160 developmentally disabled adults in Pleasant Hill, Martinez, and Pittsburg, at a new energy efficient campus.
He marvels at the lives he's changed: "I get choked up. This really was a dream come true."
For helping hundreds of developmentally disabled adults lead more independent, fulfilling lives, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Ian Bremner.
RES Success is hiring for twenty full-time positions at its new Pittsburg site. To learn more, visit the RES Success website.
By Sharon Chin
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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