NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
John C. Stennis Space Center
(228) 688-3341 Jan. 27, 2004 Paul Foerman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
STS-04-007
NASA News Chief
(228) 688-3341
STARC CONTRACT CALLED WINNING SITUATION HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. – A 6-month-old relationship between Mississippi Space Services (MSS) and the St. Tammany Association for Retarded Citizens Inc. (STARC) has already been hailed a win-win situation.
Since July, five STARC clients have worked three days a week, picking up litter at NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) near Bay St. Louis, Miss. In that time, the crew has picked up more than 700 pounds of cigarette butts, bottle caps and cash register receipts, among other things.
Under the supervision of Brad Beard, clients Burnal Lawrence Jr., Calvin Cousin, Vincent Leto, James Ferguson and Dwayne Smith – all of Slidell, La. – have been busy picking up litter around various NASA buildings. The crew also points out potential safety hazards and maintenance needs.
Each crewmember earns a paycheck, vacation time and benefits. STARC is a private, non-profit association based in Slidell. Founded in 1972, it provides
services and support that help people with mental retardation or developmental disabilities reach their potential as independent, contributing members of society. It provides services to more than 400 individuals in four Louisiana parishes through its programs, and maintains three community homes.
“The clients are very happy to be there,” said Elenora Crawford, STARC’s assistant program coordinator. “The work is meaningful for them; they get interaction with SSC staff, who couldn’t be nicer. They feel very fortunate.”
The temporary contract lasted from July to September, then was renewed in October for Fiscal Year 2004. NASA’s Bob Jeffries, chief of SSC’s Center Operations Directorate, Institutional Services Division, helped implement the contract.
“The STARC program is an MSS initiative that NASA endorsed,” Jeffries said. “It’s one of those local community outreach programs that exemplifies a true win-win situation. The site benefits from the STARC personnel taking on the task of policing the grounds, and the local community benefits because this group of remarkable individuals has a chance to be productive.”
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News releases provided by NASA’s Stennis Space Center are available at https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ssc/news/newsreleases/2004. For more information, call the NASA Public Affairs Office at Stennis at 1-800-237-1821 in Mississippi and Louisiana only, or (228) 688-3341.
2004 News Releases