August 5, 2014

Rep. Rutigliano Visits Kennedy Center, Works to Secure Funding

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State Rep. Dave Rutigliano (R-123) visited Trumbull’s Kennedy Center early last month to tour the facility and discuss the center’s ongoing needs. The Kennedy Center is one of the state’s most comprehensive rehabilitation centers for people with developmental disabilities.

Rep. Rutigliano sat down for lunch and toured the facility with President and CEO Marty Schwartz and Grants & Project Manager Tina Varick, who expressed the Kennedy Center’s need for financial assistance to continue providing their core services and programs. Of particular need right now are upgrades to the main building’s inadequate and deteriorating parking lot.

Rutigliano has been a vocal supporter of the Center’s application for a grant to fund these upgrades under the state’s Small Town Economic Assistance (STEAP) program. The Trumbull representative said he intends to continue advocating for its inclusion in the next round of funding grants.

“The Kennedy Center is a vital resource for one of the State of Connecticut’s most vulnerable populations,” Rutigliano said. “They cannot afford to divert their scarce resources away from actual programming and assistance, so their infrastructure needs tend to fall behind. I have been working diligently to secure funding for the Center, and will not stop advocating for them until they have all the resources they need to continue their valuable work.”

The Kennedy Center’s facilities serve over two thousand individuals each year, who receive various program services through their divisions of Rehabilitation Services, Residential Services, and Kennedy Industries, which provides specialized job training for persons with disabilities.

“It was an informative and enlightening visit,” Rutigliano added. “I was particularly impressed with their job training and work programs. The center’s staff expressed concern over funding levels and certain transportation-related issues. I will do my best to support this Trumbull gem.”

In the 2014 legislative session, Rep. Rutigliano voted for a law (PA 14-188) supported by the Kennedy Center which expanded a 1977 Department of Administrative Services (DAS) program that promotes the hiring of disabled persons through state contracts. Through PA 14-188 and a similar law in 2013, the DAS has expanded their hiring program to include janitorial and custodial jobs, document management, data entry, food services, call centers, and landscaping.