****MEDIA ADVISORY***
Supporters to Rally at City Hall for The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation
Who: Several dozen advocates of The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, including parents and family members of clients.
What: Rally supporting The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation’s efforts to continue providing educational, vocational and residential services to more than 600 clients in Houston in light of the city’s plan to sell or lease the land it has occupied for more than 40 years.
When: 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, prior to City Council Meeting
Where: Reflection Pond outside Houston City Hall
Why: Advocates will visually and vocally express the growing public sentiment favoring The Center’s mission and the services provided on its West Dallas campus.
Background: Under a 99-year lease signed in 1963, the City receives $1 a year. The Center developed buildings on the land and provides an invaluable service to clients who can’t afford to pay. Two hundred mentally handicapped citizens could lose their homes if The City sells or leases the property, which is now some of the most desirable real estate in central Houston.
Please Note: Parents and family members of clients will be available for interviews. Some of them will also address the City Council and attest to The Center’s valuable contribution to mentally handicapped Houstonians.
About The Center
The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation (The Center) is a private, not-for-profit United Way agency providing opportunities which promote individual choice, personal growth, and community involvement for persons with mental retardation and those requiring similar services so that they may achieve their maximum potential. Founded in 1950s as the Houston Council for Mentally Retarded Children, The Center now provides education, vocational training, supported employment, day habilitation, and residential services to approximately 700 persons each day. Support services, including medical, dental, physical therapy, speech therapy, and counseling make up the full range of programs and services offered by The Center. For more information, visit www.cri-usa.org or www.savethecenter.org.
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The Cullen Center has provided important services to Houstonians for decades. We will not sacrifice the well-being of our adult mentally retarded neighbors on West Dallas in order to provide land for a luxury high-rise apartment. We welcomed Katrina victims with open arms; so why is the Mayor and his Real Estate Task Force so eager to evict the residents of the Cullen Center? It's callous; it's discriminatory; and it's just plain wrong.