Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Jacques takes the helm at Blind Center
New director hopesto expand services
By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles & Features Editor
Life has given Paula Jacques more than her share of bumps and bruises, but her ability to persevere and overcome any obstacle makes her a good choice to lead The Blind Center in Washington.
Jacques began working as the center’s director last month, succeeding Dottie Walker who retired after holding that post for more than a decade.
Born in Manhattan, Jacques said she was a ward of the Catholic church for the first 10 years of her life.
“I was adopted at the age of 10,” Jacques recalled in an interview last week. “It was an abusive home. This was back when some people had children for money. But I struggled through ... I made it. I was a good student and that’s what saved me. I’ve kind of used that all my life.”
In time, Jacques met and married a sailor. The life of a military wife took her first to Chicago and then to Puerto Rico, where her son David was born. The family later was transferred to San Francisco.
“This was during the hippy era — I was kind of a love child,” Jacques said with a laugh. “There were demonstrations against the war in Vietnam, and even though my husband was in the military I would pick up hippies and take them home and feed them. My husband tolerated it.”
Next stop for the family was Virginia.
“There I was in the South ... I found myself in a Baptist church where they were singing ‘Bringing in the Sheaves,’” Jacques said. “I became a Christian, went to Bible college and got divorced!”
Jacques had her heart set on a teaching career, but with a young son to raise she couldn’t find the time for a required internship. So she went back to school, earning a degree in criminal justice from Old Dominion University.
“My family had a summer home in Tom’s River, N.J., so I moved back there and worked as a probation officer for about 15 years,” Jacques said. “I received my Masters in social work from Rutgers University and then worked with family crisis.”
Jacques began going into area high schools and working with the teenagers there.
“I tried to get a handle on the kids who didn’t fit in before they got in trouble,” she said. “They couldn’t find their niche, so I created one for them.”
Then, her world turned inside out.
“I picked up the phone one day and my whole life changed,” Jacques recalled. “The call was about a kid, a 16-year-old, whose parents were afraid of him. The parents insisted he needed 24-hour supervision.”
Jacques became involved in the case, and on a Thursday she, the teen and his parents went before a judge, who ruled that the youth should remain at home. The next day, Jacques left on a scheduled vacation, and on Saturday the troubled teenager murdered a young boy who was selling candy door-to-door to raise money for his school.
The teen was arrested, tried and sentenced to prison. A year later Jacques opted to retire, citing post traumatic stress disorder stemming from her own childhood. She decided to return to Virginia where her son resides and began mentoring adolescents and working with young sexual offenders. She was also an employee counselor for Norfolk Naval Shipyards.
In August 2007, in search of more affordable housing, Jacques decided to move to Beaufort County, where she purchased a home in Chocowinity. She began volunteering with Eagle’s Wings and also worked as a court advocate for abused women and children in Hyde County. She said she finds her volunteer work as a guardian ad litem particularly rewarding.
“You can’t put your children in a freezer and say ‘I’ll come back later,’” she said. “They’re here now and you have to deal with them.”
An advertisement for a director for a local nonprofit organization caught her eye one day, and shortly afterwards she was hired by The Blind Center board.
“I basically make sure everything is running smoothly and oversee the financial part of it,” she said. “I’d like to expand the services the center offers, including adding a library for the blind and visually-impaired.”
A support group meeting is planned for July 23, according to Jacques, in an effort to find out what the visually-impaired population needs.
“The big thing is to keep it going and to get more people in here,” she said.
Although she is still relatively new to the job, Jacques said she has already seen how important volunteers are to the success of The Blind Center.
A series of fundraisers are being planned, as well, with the center planning to participate in the new Treasure on the Water event in August. The annual Autumn Craft Show is planned for Sept. 12-13, a pancake dinner will be held Oct. 17 and the traditional Christmas craft show is scheduled for Dec. 12-13.
**The Blind Center’s gift shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop features a variety of items made by the blind and visually-impaired clients with assistance from sighted volunteers.
The center is located at 221 North Harvey Street in Washington. For more information, call (252) 946-6208.
By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles & Features Editor
Life has given Paula Jacques more than her share of bumps and bruises, but her ability to persevere and overcome any obstacle makes her a good choice to lead The Blind Center in Washington.
Jacques began working as the center’s director last month, succeeding Dottie Walker who retired after holding that post for more than a decade.
Born in Manhattan, Jacques said she was a ward of the Catholic church for the first 10 years of her life.
“I was adopted at the age of 10,” Jacques recalled in an interview last week. “It was an abusive home. This was back when some people had children for money. But I struggled through ... I made it. I was a good student and that’s what saved me. I’ve kind of used that all my life.”
In time, Jacques met and married a sailor. The life of a military wife took her first to Chicago and then to Puerto Rico, where her son David was born. The family later was transferred to San Francisco.
“This was during the hippy era — I was kind of a love child,” Jacques said with a laugh. “There were demonstrations against the war in Vietnam, and even though my husband was in the military I would pick up hippies and take them home and feed them. My husband tolerated it.”
Next stop for the family was Virginia.
“There I was in the South ... I found myself in a Baptist church where they were singing ‘Bringing in the Sheaves,’” Jacques said. “I became a Christian, went to Bible college and got divorced!”
Jacques had her heart set on a teaching career, but with a young son to raise she couldn’t find the time for a required internship. So she went back to school, earning a degree in criminal justice from Old Dominion University.
“My family had a summer home in Tom’s River, N.J., so I moved back there and worked as a probation officer for about 15 years,” Jacques said. “I received my Masters in social work from Rutgers University and then worked with family crisis.”
Jacques began going into area high schools and working with the teenagers there.
“I tried to get a handle on the kids who didn’t fit in before they got in trouble,” she said. “They couldn’t find their niche, so I created one for them.”
Then, her world turned inside out.
“I picked up the phone one day and my whole life changed,” Jacques recalled. “The call was about a kid, a 16-year-old, whose parents were afraid of him. The parents insisted he needed 24-hour supervision.”
Jacques became involved in the case, and on a Thursday she, the teen and his parents went before a judge, who ruled that the youth should remain at home. The next day, Jacques left on a scheduled vacation, and on Saturday the troubled teenager murdered a young boy who was selling candy door-to-door to raise money for his school.
The teen was arrested, tried and sentenced to prison. A year later Jacques opted to retire, citing post traumatic stress disorder stemming from her own childhood. She decided to return to Virginia where her son resides and began mentoring adolescents and working with young sexual offenders. She was also an employee counselor for Norfolk Naval Shipyards.
In August 2007, in search of more affordable housing, Jacques decided to move to Beaufort County, where she purchased a home in Chocowinity. She began volunteering with Eagle’s Wings and also worked as a court advocate for abused women and children in Hyde County. She said she finds her volunteer work as a guardian ad litem particularly rewarding.
“You can’t put your children in a freezer and say ‘I’ll come back later,’” she said. “They’re here now and you have to deal with them.”
An advertisement for a director for a local nonprofit organization caught her eye one day, and shortly afterwards she was hired by The Blind Center board.
“I basically make sure everything is running smoothly and oversee the financial part of it,” she said. “I’d like to expand the services the center offers, including adding a library for the blind and visually-impaired.”
A support group meeting is planned for July 23, according to Jacques, in an effort to find out what the visually-impaired population needs.
“The big thing is to keep it going and to get more people in here,” she said.
Although she is still relatively new to the job, Jacques said she has already seen how important volunteers are to the success of The Blind Center.
A series of fundraisers are being planned, as well, with the center planning to participate in the new Treasure on the Water event in August. The annual Autumn Craft Show is planned for Sept. 12-13, a pancake dinner will be held Oct. 17 and the traditional Christmas craft show is scheduled for Dec. 12-13.
**The Blind Center’s gift shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop features a variety of items made by the blind and visually-impaired clients with assistance from sighted volunteers.
The center is located at 221 North Harvey Street in Washington. For more information, call (252) 946-6208.
 |
||
| Soldier relied on dual support system |
