Letter

Livingston Wyoming Arc celebrates Developmental Disability Month

By Marcy VanZandt  | Arc of Livingston-Wyoming Board of Directors

The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming celebrates Developmental Disabilities Month. This month gives individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (DD), their families and advocates the ideal platform to raise awareness of issues in the DD field. It is the perfect time to remind the community about the “Best Kept Secret” we have with The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming, a not for profit organization that serves more than 700 individuals with disabilities, and employs over 600 people which generates millions of dollars in our two counties. I could go on about The Arc of LW and the amazing services provided for individuals from birth to seniors but really want to celebrate the PEOPLE we serve.

I became involved with The Arc of LW as a volunteer because of my daughter who receives services here. The best way to know what is going on in an organization and have input is to get involved! That was my introduction to some pretty incredible people. I’d like to pass along my good fortune by encouraging you to meet some of these inspirational individuals. Stop at The Hilltop Bottle and Can Return located by Hilltop Industries in Mt. Morris, or pay us a visit at Finders Keepers our thrift store on Main St. Check out any of our janitorial crews. Our consumers who work at these places take Customer Service to a whole new level. Stop at Hilltop Industries for your printing needs and be greeted like royalty, or attend one of our events like the Friends FORE Life Golf Tournament in June, the Ramon Rocha Run Walk in September, or Breakfast with Santa in December…what you’ll find are smiling upbeat people that will make your cares melt away. Think about volunteering at the Arc of LW by sharing a talent, help sort items at Finders Keepers, get involved with our Opening Doors Campaign for our new KidStart facility, or volunteer at one of our fundraisers. Participate in any or all of these activities and you’ll see what amazing people we have at our sites…individuals that don’t recognize the word “disability”. They concentrate on their abilities and work exceptionally hard to do their very best to get the job done!

We Make a Difference! This is the theme for the agency’s 2012 membership drive. We’d like everyone to know that the agency’s amazing staff and consumers do many things to give back to our communities. Some of the latest projects include Thanksgiving baskets for needy families in November and in December our Christmas elves helped more than 100 children have a brighter Christmas. We have a group of individuals who help pack backpacks for the Snackpak for Kids program, and our ACT group (Advocates Coming Together) have organized fundraisers for different community organizations. During the month of March the agency is holding a food drive to help restock area food pantries and Snackpak for Kids programs.

Individuals with disabilities DO make a difference! We invite you to get to know us! Become a member of The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming! Volunteer!! Super charge your life!! Celebrate this exceptional group of people!!!