ARTICLES ABOUT SHIRLEY

From the Daily Hampshire Gazette, July 7, 1998

Volunteering enriches her

By Julia Casson

Gazette Intern

A 63-year old woman whose disabilities had left her not only unable to care for herself, but unable to talk, needed someone to speak up for her and object to the rough treatment she was getting from her personal care attendants.

            She found that advocate in Shutesbury resident Shirley Riga, 45, a volunteer with the Stavros Center for Independent Living.

            Riga’s volunteer job involves managing the attendants who assist the disabled woman with such daily needs as grooming, cooking, housekeeping and transportation. When Riga observed the poor treatment the attendants were giving the woman, Riga recruited and hired a new staff of workers.

            Volunteering has become an important part of Riga’s busy life. “It really feeds my soul. I know how much it helps me when people put themselves out for me,” she said.

            These qualities recently earned Riga a “Woman of Distinction Award” from the regional Women Unlimited Magazine.

            Sandy Miliefsky, surrogate program coordinator, nominated Riga for the “Woman of Distinction Award.” “Shirley has taken on an extraordinary challenge in assisting a consumer who has quadriplegia and who is unable to communicate verbally,” Miliefsky said.

            “She has established a loving relationship with the consumer and is willing to take on a lot of responsibility for a total stranger,” she said.

            Riga, too, has had to deal with struggles in her personal life. She is a single mother with two daughters, 18 and 16 years old. The youngest daughter has suffered from a chronic liver disease since birth. Riga said that the illness was a struggle for the first five years but as time went on it has gotten better and her daughter has been in remission for several years.

            “She had to deal with life and death issues and is a deeper person for it,” Riga said.

            “I was devastated at first; it immobilized me. I didn’t know what to say, what to do, or what to be. Years went on and it has helped me to become a stronger person,” she said. “It’s actually made me more of a whole person. It’s made me want to help others.”

            Because of her experience with her daughter, she co-facilitates a support group called “our Care” for parents of chronically-ill and special-needs children. The group of 10 families creates a network where parents can call on other parents for support, she said. Parenting skills, sibling rivalry, and problem-solving are some of the issues that are covered.

            Riga also serves as a parent-aide volunteer for Children’s Aid and Family Services in Northampton, where she works with a young mother and her two children, offering support and encouragement in day-to-day coping skills.

            Corky Klimczak, supervisor at the parent-aide program, said that Riga “is very consistent and very committed. She is willing to respond to needs in many different ways.”

            In addition to her volunteer work, Riga is a court reporter for Philbin & Associate of Springfield and a student at the University of Massachusetts, where she majors in psychology, with a focus on issues concerning chronic illness.

            With a schedule like hers, it is difficult for Riga not to feel overwhelmed. She has learned to make the most of quiet times, such as driving in the car. “I make these the rich times where I relax,” she said. “It’s all a matter of balance.”