Testimonials
Mapping Out a Path to a Full Life
Believing in Possibilities and Realizing Dreams
From
Rosewood
James Wise was born on March 12, 1959. He was the 4th of six children. James has
shared that he had experienced some very difficult times as a young boy, including
getting a skin graft on his hand that was injured in a washing machine wringer.
At the age of 6, the Department of Social Services decided that his mother was not
able to care for her children and they were sent to separate foster homes. The foster
families reported that James was unmanageable and, at age 9, he was admitted to
Rosewood. At age 18, James had acquired a level of independence that could not be
denied, and so he was referred to the Brook Forest Residential Program. Over the
years, James saw his mother intermittently and occasionally had contact with one
or two of his sisters. When James was approximately 28 years old, he moved into
House #1 here in Aberdeen, and lived with eight other people who were supported
by The Arc and who, like James, worked at NMARC, a sheltered workshop. James's mother
died in 1992 and James remembers going to her funeral, but thinking of her still
makes him very sad. After James's mother passed away, James lost pretty much all
contact with his family members and is currently unable to find any of them. He
was able at one point to connect with a popular former professional basketball player
who shared his last name, but they were unable to determine if they were actually
related. They did determine that they would commit to being brothers anyway, and
they agreed, "It doesn't matter if we're blood relatives; we'll always be brothers
of the heart." Unfortunately, even the basketball player's life has taken him away
from James. James has learned how to make new friends through his super-sized heart,
boisterous personality, and contagious sense of humor.
To Success at Work
After the sheltered workshops were
finally closed, James worked at Wendy's, Bata
Shoes, Pizza Hut and had other employment in his community. James is a man who likes
variety, and so has currently settled into a sign-posting job and volunteering for
Meals on Wheels. He is a strong self-advocate and has lived with his current roommates,
Louie and Joe, in their own home for over 12 years.
Love
James looks forward to one day fulfilling his dream of marrying his girlfriend,
living in his own home, traveling, and continuing to share his gifts of humor, friendship,
music, and art.
To Giving Back to the Community
James does volunteer work and continues to enjoy his favorite pastimes of dancing,
fishing, music, bowling, basketball, and painting. James is a conscientious Church
member, a self-advocate, and an unofficial ambassador of The Arc Northern Chesapeake
Region.
James's journey has taken him from Rosewood to his current life of challenges, adventures, and dreams and possibilities.
To a Home of My Own
James has recently been recognized for his persistence in advocating for the closing of Rosewood for a number of years. He presented a yellow rose to Governor O'Malley thanking him for making the closing possible, and the Governor gave James a letter of commendation and gratitude. More recently, James was recognized for his artistic ability and prints of one of his paintings, "The Faces Collection" that was awarded to people who have contributed their time, efforts, and resources to support Arc projects, home renovations, and other opportunities.
