Northeast Arc

Congratulations to Northeast Arc's banker, Paul Kurker of Eastern Bank for receiving a North Shore Chamber-Commerce Distinguished Leader Award last Thursday at the group's Annual Dinner. Kurker was honored alongside Sara Stanley of HAWC Healing Abuse Working for Change and Tony Sands of Beverly Hospital. Northeast Arc's Cyndi Park, Susan Ring Brown and Dianne Powers are pictured here celebrating with Paul.

Congratulations to Max, who was recently hired at Toscana in Peabody! He is doing some food preparation, including portioning out pasta for service ?? Max was referred to Northeast Arc's supported employment team by MassAbility and the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services.

Join us this Saturday!

Fall is often thought of as the season of Thanksgiving. At Northeast Arc, we believe every season is a time for giving thanks. Over the past 70 years, we have seen NeArc grow from a grassroots organization founded by parents of children with developmental disabilities to an agency that now supports more than 10,000 individuals a year in every phase of life. Seeing how far we have come and how much we have grown since 1954 is truly remarkable and makes all of us at Northeast Arc grateful for every individual and family who has been part of our story. This work is only possible thanks to the dedicated members of our team who carry out our mission of changing lives and discovering abilities for those we support. Staffing is our greatest challenge, and retaining our team members is critically important. By thanking our staff, and celebrating their impact, you can play a role in supporting employee retention and reducing wait lists for services. If a member of our staff has gone above and beyond to help you or a family member, you can say thank you by visiting bit.ly/nearcthankyou and sharing a message of gratitude. Thank you for your consideration and your support of our amazing and inclusive community!

Ezekiel Tanimomo, pictured left, a residential direct support professional, recently had the chance to attend the Massachusetts Direct Support Professionals Conference. The event featured a town hall forum with the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, as well as sessions focused on helping DSPs improve service delivery and grow in their careers. Ezekiel said the conference was an amazing experience, and found it inspiring to spend time with DSPs from other organizations.

There is no place for outdated, ableist, and offensive slurs like the r-word. Hateful terms like this can cause harm, so we are glad to see The Boston Globe shining a spotlight on the word's disturbing resurgence.

Some of the older students in Northeast Arc’s Pathways to Opportunities program are beginning to think about post-high school plans. Three students, Franklin, Doug, and J’Ziel recently traveled to Westfield State University for an open house with Pathways program director Maria Terris. All of the students would be first-generation college students, so it was a great opportunity for them to learn about the college admissions process and ask questions. According to Terris, students felt more confident making this kind of trip thanks to what they've learned in the program.

Boston University researchers are conducting a study to learn about how adults with Down syndrome who live at home experience autonomy and make daily life choices. They also want to learn about your thoughts about a new program to help adults who live at home develop autonomy. Who can participate: ● Adults with Down Syndrome who live with family or a guardian ● Parents/guardians ● Service providers What will I do? ● Participate in a one-time interview (between 30-60 minutes), either online or in-person Participants will receive a $50 gift card for completing the interview. To learn more or to participate, email [email protected].

Prom in November? The incredible Northeast Arc staff and our friends at North Shore Bank made that a reality for participants in the Endeavor program! Everyone enjoyed a fun Hollywood themed party, with great music and, lots of dancing!

We are grateful to Brian Vinagro, CFP?, of Peabody Wealth Advisors for yesterday's presentation at the CEnter for Linking Lives on Tax Efficient Planned Giving Strategies. It was also wonderful to have the additional expertise of 2054 Society Committee members Julie Low of the Law Office of Julie Low and Jessica Wistran of Glovsky & Glovsky LLC and Caroline Murray of Peabody Wealth Advisors. Fabulous questions from our very engaged guests!?And a huge thank you to Toscana's for the delicious lunch! Dianne Powers Suzanne Ryan Areeba Khan Susan Ring Brown Jo Ann Simons