By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

THE Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities, or DISID, and the Catholic Social Services will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a new Karidat facility on Route 10 in Mangilao on June 6 at 11 a.m.
Michael Duenas, chief planner for research for the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority, or GHURA, said the contractors are moving quickly on the project.
“We are building a facility to accommodate a program funded by DISID under contract with the Catholic Social Services to provide support services for adults with disabilities,” Duenas told Variety.
The project was funded through a Community Development Block Grant which is 100 percent federally funded. The construction of the facility cost $180,000, and $60,000 of which was used to acquire the property.
“The facility will have nine single occupancy rooms, a kitchenette, a laundry room, a recreation/activity room, an office, a central air-conditioning unit, typhoon shutters, smoke detectors, and is compliant with the American Disabilities Act,” Duenas said.
John Payne, the project director for the Karidat program at Catholic Social Services, said the Karidat 2 program is “a residential group home available for adults with severe disabilities.”
“It is funded by DISID and started in April 1999. Right now, we are renting a home in Yigo which is not sufficient for the needs of our consumers. We used the grant to build the group home (in Mangilao) which will more adequately meet the needs of our client population,” he said.
Clients housed at the Yigo home have Down syndrome, mental retardation, schizophrenia, or diabetes, among other illnesses.
There are currently eight “consumers” in the program housed at the Yigo location. Once the move-in to the Mangilao location is completed, they will have room for one more.
“The beauty of this (Mangilao facility) is that each consumer will have his own room. Some of the consumers in Yigo have to share a room. Now, they will be in their own rooms,” Payne added.