USOA Mrs. South Jersey & Advocate
Shari Hulitt is USOA Mrs. South Jersey, the guardian of her brother Andy, and a proud supporter of The Arc Gloucester. The USOA pageant campaigns bring the opportunity to empower and inspire others as well as lift others up and bring attention to a cause Shari is passionate about.
When her brother Andy became involved with the organization Shari became a dedicated supporter of The Arc Gloucester. “I don’t know what we would do without The Arc Gloucester,” Shari shared, “The programs here are so robust... Andy used to give us a hard time every morning to get up to go to his program when we lived in North Carolina... since moving up to New Jersey we have not had one problem getting him to program, he loves it and he loves the people there!” Andy loves the staff at his programs and all the friends he’s made.
“There are some pretty special people in the organization,” Shari shared. The direct support staff that Andy works with have made a tremendous difference in his life as well as Shari’s. Doreen, Howard, and Janet from the Woodbury Day Program see a different side of Andy, and they have overall been an amazing light in their lives. Andy is also involved with Camp Sun ‘N Fun, The Arc Gloucester’s summer camp where Shari pointed out that Barb and Jaime had gone above and beyond to make sure everyone had a great time and a much-needed respite. “Andy was more excited about going to camp than he was for our family trip to Disney!”
Being his sister and his guardian, Shari and Andy are in a unique position. Programs provided by The Arc Gloucester have given Shari the opportunity to meet other families in similar situations and provide their family with resources to make sure both Andy and Shari have the most fulfilling life.
As Shari continues her path for Mrs. New Jersey she continues to advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and bring awareness to The Arc Gloucester. “It’s not what you guys can do for me, it’s what I can do for The Arc Gloucester. The crown gives me the opportunity to share this with a bigger audience.”
