From UB Guest Blogger “Don’t Jack With” Mother Jill:
LEWISVILLE – Not just the stuff of children’s nursery rhymes, Dr. Seuss’ infamous holiday tale of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is alive and well right here in Texas. Only this Grinch doesn’t slither down chimneys to surreptitiously steal presents from the Whos in Whoville under the dark cover of night. No, this Grinch unabashedly emerges in broad daylight to demand that Christmas gifts collected for the mentally disabled residents at his Lewisville living center be kicked to the curb.
Drop your presents and put your hands up.
On December 10, International Human Rights Day, a group of volunteers braved the bitter cold and blustery day to deliver presents to a segment of our population that is often forgotten. As they approached the building, gifts in hand and singing Christmas carols, they never could have expected what came next.
Enter Mr. Grinch.
To the group’s horror, their mission of kindness was intercepted by a united front of ten or so employees led by a manager from the Lewisville facility, the Cimarron Living Center, who greeted them out front with his demand that they deposit their presents on the pavement and leave the property. He then called the police. Stunned, one of the volunteers heading up the group who had brought along her disabled son to share in this experience of giving back to the community, asked the manager for his name. He snickered and responded, “Bob. Bob Barker.”
You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch.
You really are a heel.
Remarkably, it all seemed to be a laughing matter to this manager at Cimarron Living Center, a facility that has numerous complaints filed against it, including one filed just last year by Trinity Medical Center after treating a Cimarron resident whose open head wound had become infested with maggots. Ironically, it was because of their concerns about the notoriously poor living conditions at this center that the group of volunteers chose to bring gifts to these specific residents. It was their heartfelt attempt to bring a little much-needed joy into the lives of the forgotten. Yet the volunteers and the gifts were kept out in the cold.
Guess we’re not in Whoville anymore, Cindy Lou.
Clearly Mr. Grinch did not want to reveal his identity to this group that he was so determined to keep out of the facility. But why?
“There is something really fishy here,” a volunteer commented. “Why did this ass ‘Bob Barker’ give me a pseudo name? I would have gladly given my real name.”
One also can’t help but wonder why Bob the Grinch felt the need to call the police to escort these volunteers off the property. Just what exactly could be so insidious inside those walls that would prompt such extreme action?
What could possibly justify this Grinch-like attempt to steal Christmas from these most vulnerable of citizens?
A look into their management company might reveal some answers.
Diamondback Management Services in San Antonio runs Cimarron and reportedly some 30 other facilities in Texas. But a visit to their website reveals almost as little about the company as Mr. Grinch was willing to reveal about himself: http://www.diamondbackmgt.com
There’s not one shred of evidence about who runs this company or even a phone number and address. And why doesn’t their website have any information about Cimarron or the many other institutions they manage?
Another source reports that this company rakes in up to $5 million each year: http://start.cortera.com/company/research/k3s0qrs6s/diamondback-management-services-ltd/#
$5 million? Is this price right, Bob Barker?
Yet inexplicably, for such a lucrative company, Diamondback has barely a vapor trail of traceable activities. Even more curious is the following list of Diamondback’s complete services: http://www.macraesbluebook.com/search/company.cfm?company=612204
“Products Description: Office administrative services, storage of automatic teller machines, hazardous materials storage, document storage services, specialized warehousing and storage.”
Is that what the industry calls it these days? “Specialized warehousing and storage” of the disabled? Let’s hope this is an unfortunate coincidence and embarrassing overlap of diversified services. Regardless, somebody’d better hire a PR firm, and quick! Something sure stinks around here.
The Moral of the Story
Perhaps “The Grinch” is too kind a name for this story’s villain. After all, this is no beloved nursery rhyme or TV game show where everyone ends up a winner. This is real life, and there are real human beings whose lives have been entrusted to the caregivers and management of this facility that made recent headlines for maggot infestation and now throws its residents’ presents on the pavement to keep visitors at a distance. These are disturbing events, and a Seuss-like happy ending couldn’t seem further away for these poor souls.
This isn’t just a story about some botched attempt to spread one day of holiday cheer. The real issue at hand is the care and quality of life individuals with disabilities deserve every day of the year. Perhaps if one were to put it in simple Seussian terms, the management at the Cimarron Living Center and its owners would get the message they seem to need more than the residents themselves:
It came without ribbons.
It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes or bags.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, he thought, means a little bit more.
Or maybe a more direct message from Ron Howard’s 2000 screen adaptation of this holiday classic is in order:
“Well, pucker up and kiss it.”
Heartwarming sentiment aside, we must not forget the forgotten, nor must we allow efforts on their behalf to be deterred by bullies or their needs to be cast aside in this manner. If there is one message this volunteer group wishes Cimarron and its management team to hear loud and clear, it is this:
We are not afraid of you, Mr. Grinch. We are watching, and we’ll be back.
As for the rest of you, and most of all for our citizens who reside in these facilities, they have but one simple wish:
May the spirit of Christmas live within your hearts all year long.
Happy Holidays,
Mother Jill
