Citizen Advocacy of Washington County

As I grew up my parents were poor folks who lost their farm during the depression. They ended up moving to Fond du Lac where I was born, the last of eight children. Despite their lack of money, we always had plenty to eat and warm clothing in the winter. And they were always helping out others. No one was ever turned away from our door, a neighbor, a friend or even a complete stranger. Growing up in that environment, it became a family tradition and I have hopefully passed these values along to my two daughters.

As for Citizen Advocacy, another friend of mine was being oriented to the CA program and I was called as a reference. As I asked questions about what CA was all about, I became interested myself. Eventually I was linked up with Adam, who was a high school senior. He had been in an accident at age six, incurred some mental impairment, had only the use of one hand, could not speak and was confined to a wheelchair. Despite all these handicaps, he was able to handle his own money, count change and generally was a happy man.

Adam has his own brand of sign language and we manage to communicate despite my shortcomings in learning what he is attempting to tell me. Either he has enough patience to get his point across or I am finally beginning to understand his meaning.

Until he gets me to understand, it often comes down to my asking a series of questions in response to his hand signs. We spend time together every few weeks; sometimes just for a pizza, other times attending Brewer’s games. The picture above shows us attending a recent Packer game.

He bowled with his class in high school and I would assist him in setting up on his special bowling stand. We also went bowling on a few Saturdays where just he and I bowled. His skills have increased over time and it has become more and more difficult for me to win a game. I have suggested that I borrow the special bowling stand that he has so that I could compete on his level.

Adam has participated in two Special Olympic competitions where I attended as an observer. He appears to appreciate that I show up for these events. He seems to like the idea that there is someone there just for him and that I am not being paid to be there. He realizes that I give this freely. On occasion I mildly counsel him on something he is doing and he accepts my ideas without disagreement. His foster mother tells me that he is very happy that I am part of his life.

His foster parents are great people who have a wheelchair van which they loan me to transport Adam to the ballgames. The first time I borrowed the van, Adam and I came out of Miller Park after the game and it began to rain. By the time we got to the wheelchair van it was pouring. I had difficulty in getting the lift to work properly so we could not get his chair inside the van. Although I was getting frustrated, Adam laughed that we were stuck out there in the rain. I finally called his foster parents on my cell phone and they instructed me on the idiosyncrasies of the van’s lift. It worked and we headed home. I appreciated Adam sitting there in the rain and enjoying our dilemma. We both laugh about that outing when we get together.

I enjoy the time that Adam and I spend together. I have learned that he would want me there daily if possible but then our times would not be as special. I try to set up special events on the occasions that we do get together. But, we still do enjoy a pizza now and then. I enjoy pepperoni or sausage and sweet peppers and he likes sausage and pineapple. He tried a piece of my half and found the he enjoyed the sweet peppers so now has pineapple and sweet peppers–hard to imagine how that tastes.

I like peanuts and he is allergic to them. It would be difficult for me to attend a sporting event without peanuts and Adam understands. He accepts this shortcoming of mine and orders nachos and cheese while I eat my peanuts.

Jim Krudwig–Advocate for Adam

Jim and Adam were introduced through the Citizen Advocacy program on November 11, 2004.

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