RUMFORD – Joe Sirois, Oxford County Association of Retarded Citizens executive director and past president of the Rumford Area Rotary Club, spoke to the club about the association on July 21.

Using old letters and notes (some yellowed, undated and unsigned), Sirois described the pain, love and commitment of parents who were instrumental in the organization of the original association, which ultimately led to the development of the state Bureau of Mental Retardation. He read of parents’ visists to the state institution at Pownal (later called Pineland) and of those parents’ decisions to never place their children in such a situation.

Sirois read a long list of names of those family and community leaders who devoted so much to the development of the association. His list continued thorugh the current board of directors.

Today the association operates three group homes for adults with developmental disabilities; a sheltered workshop at the Rumford Armory, the adult activity center at 85 Lincoln Ave., a supported living program in which program participants receive some supportive services so that they can live in their own homes; a supported employment program that matches jobs in the community with the right applicant; and an outreach program where casesworkers visit people in nursing homes.

Two other operations, the What Not Shop on Waldo Street and the Briar Patch on the association site, are linked with the organization. They provide employment for some program participants and raise money to assist with programs and needs.

The Rumford Area Rotary club meets at noon Mondays at the Mexico Congregational Church. Anyone interested may call the club president, Jane Bubar, at 369-1142.