New center to open doors to 10 girls: Retarded Group to Begin April 3

              A door will open here soon—a very unassuming brown door that leads into a gray stucco building at 1530 Eighth.
And through this door will walk 10 young women in search of help to make their still-new lives richer and more meaningful.
Behind the door there was at one time the facilities of the Westminister Union Presbyterian church's Sunday school.
Today, there is a small beauty shop, a grocery store, a laundry, A cafeteria^ and a sewing room.
A shopping center?
No, a vocational center—the Dr, IJussell   L,   Holman   Vocational Center!"        .   " TfESf center will admit its first group of girls April 3.
The girls will all be like Marie, ..'■*.
LEAGUE  PROJECT
Marie is 16 years old. She has reached her  maximum  intellec-
tual development. She is now too old for the special classes in the Orleans parish school system for the mentally retarded. This door has shut.
What are the choices open to her?
She can sit at home and watch television, continuing to be a ward of her family or her community.
Or, with the proper training, Marie can develop manual dexterity and skill that will open up*
new vocational opportunities for her. She can become self-sufficient, serving herself and her community. ,
But until now there was no place in New Orleans for Marie to go for this special vocational training, no place' designed to fit! her specific needs,
And Marie is not alone in herj situation.
There are hundreds of Maries in the greater New Orleans area. There are so many that the Junior League of New Orleans, following ah intensive study of community needs, developed and sponsored a community project to help such girls.
IT TAKES PEOPLE
This project has resulted in the vocational center on Eighth , st, I The center will hold open house' for all interested persons from 4 to 6 p, m. Friday,
Developing and opening such a center takes work .... ; and money «. . and courage ., . and community support.
But most of all, it takes people—people like Miss Claire Robin, director of the center; Mrs. Elizabeth McCormaek, social worker there; Henry Nebe, technical advisor from the state department of education's vocational rehabilitation center, and Mrs. Taylor Caffery, leader of the Junior League's work, in this program.
These people discussed the center and its development in an interview last week in the new sun-flooded office of the diredtdr.
Miss Robin explained that the 10 girls selected for the first class have all met specific admission requirements set up by the center.
Since this is a pilot project, only a small group of trainees will start the initial^ program, Miss Robin said,
She explained that after the center receives a referral from vocational rehabilitation, counsels ors in schools or other sources, as much information as possible is compiled to assist the staff, psychologists and psychiatrists in working with the individual girl and her parents.
THREE BIG AIMS
Before beginning the thorough " interviewing and testing that precedes admission,   girls  must  fit the following initial requirements.
1,  She must be white, female, 16 years or older, and from the greater New Orleans area, which includes Metairie, Jefferson, Algiers, and Gretna.
2,   Mental retardation must be her primary disability.
3,  She must be able to travel alone or must be capable of learning to travel alone.
4,  She must have the potential for full-time employement
Miss Robin said that the state vocational   rehabilitation   department