The Arc 564 Main Street Fitchburg, MA 01420

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1 The Arc Fitchburg, MA T F the Crusader Real People. Real Opportunities. Inside this Issue Celebrating Volunteers and Staff... 2 Take Me Out to the Ball Game... 3 Opportunities to get involved... 4 Dine with The Arc... 5 National Developmental Disability Awareness Month... 6 Membership... 7 Winter / Spring 2015 A New Perspective... the life changing story from a volunteer Written by: Haleigh Bassett, College essay of a volunteer for The Arc of Opportunity I first discovered my happiness and the feeling of being content as a little girl when I went to work with my mom at the age of seven. She worked at The United Arc in Franklin and Hampshire Counties, a non-profit organization that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I spent countless hours volunteering shredding old papers, helping with bulk mailings, and at the auction to raise money for programs. I began going to her work on school vacations, during the summer, and any free time I could find. At the age of 13, my mother was offered a position as the Development Director at The Arc of Opportunity in North Central Massachusetts. The opportunity meant that my mother had to relocate to the Fitchburg area and left me with the tough decision to move with her, switch schools, and form new friends or move in with my dad, keep my friends, and continue to go to Turners Falls High School. I realized I could not part with my school as I had grown too fond of the teachers, student, sports and the education so I decided to move in with my father. For thirteen years I lived with my mom, not only as mother and daughter, but as best friends. The separation was one of the most difficult things for me to accept and I didn t always see her as much I would have liked to but it didn t stop me from continuing to volunteer my time at her new job. As I grew older, the volunteer tasks I received became more involved and were significantly more advanced than mailing papers including updating the database and the agency website. It wasn t until the opportunity to volunteer in the Elders program came about that I fell in love. I ll never forget what I felt, the day one of the individuals walked up to me, grabbed and locked arms with me, and took me for a walk, her name was Virginia. As we walked through the hall, I felt somehow connected to Virginia as a whole and saw in her eyes the simplicity of joy in life, I experienced what true happiness felt like. I remember going to my mothers work one day to learn Virginia had passed away. My throat tightened and it was hard to grasp the idea of such a great soul no longer was with us but I hold the special gift she gave to me on the day we strolled through the hall way and will always remember what I felt and saw in the presence of Virginia. Having the opportunity to interact with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is the single most amazing experience of my life. Words could never describe how I feel to be surrounded by them and to volunteer my time for them. They have encouraged me to be the person I am today and has shaped my life direction as I finish high school and move on to college next fall. I will continue to volunteer my time at The Arc of Opportunity and although I may not always get the chance to work directly with the individuals as I did in the Elders program, I feel the same amount of joy working on mailings or at the annual auction knowing that in some way I am helping some of the most amazing people I have ever met. 1

2 Celebrating Our Volunteers The Arc of Opportunity will be celebrating 200 volunteers on Thursday, April 16, We need your help! If you have had the pleasure to work first hand with our volunteers and experience all the great work that they do for The Arc of Opportunity, please take a moment to write a nomination that includes the name of the nominee, your name, title of award, and a detailed reason for the nomination. The following awards will be presented to the selected nominee on the night of our celebration. Volunteer of the Year - The volunteer who displays strong leadership and goes above and beyond the call of duty. Shining Star Award - Volunteer(s) who shines in their role and goes the extra mile. The Arc Founders Award - For a person with extended years of service to The Arc through advocacy, leadership and dedication. Celebrating Staff Employee of the month recipients for the FY2015 year JULY 2014 Patrick Reardon AUGUST 2014 Krista Bebezas SEPTEMBER 2014 Karen Saari OCTOBER 2014 John Goolsky NOVEMBER 2014 Jackie Rosa DECEMBER 2014 Ashleigh O Connor Mail nominations by March 31, 2015 to: The Arc of Opportunity ATTN: Nominating Committee Fitchburg MA Thank you to our generous sponsors of Annie Many thanks to our sponsors and attendees of the judgment free, sensory friendly performance of Annie at the Theatre at the Mount on December 6, 2014, the show was a great success. The theatre was packed with people of all abilities who came together and had much fun. We look forward to another outstanding performance in Stay tuned for details of the next show. Sponsored by: This program is supported in part by a grant from the Fitchburg Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by themassachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Mission Statement To create and support lifetime opportunities in the community for individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their fullest potential by providing advocacy, education, employment, residential, and recreational services to enhance quality of life. 2

3 take me out to the BAll game Jeffrey, participant of The Arc of Opportunity s Adult Family Care program, throws out the ceremonial first pitch at a game Red Sox Game last year on behalf of EMC. Friday, April 10, :00PM at The Arc of Opportunity 564 Main St., Fitchburg - Entrance at 161 Boulder Drive Admission only $10 per person And includes: All paid Admissions Are entered into A raffle for A flat screen tv listen to the red sox Vs yankees game streamed live BAllpArK food & Beer tasting games, music & fun Join in on the live & silent Auctions & raffles Hosted by the Montachusett Area and Fitchburg Rotary Clubs to support The Arc of Opportunity s Recreation Program 3

4 Shared Living Opportunities Do you or someone you know have a handicap accessible home and would consider opening your home to someone with a disability? The Arc is currently looking to place two different individuals in a shared living situation. To inquire or for more information, contact Jodie Therrien at x1063 or to j.therrien@arcofopportunity.org. Niagara Falls and Toronto Trip 8 More Travelers Wanted The Arc of Opportunity s Recreation program is headed to Niagara Falls and Toronto on June 11, June15, Contact Jim Casperson at X1011 or to j.casperson@arcofopportunity.org for more information and to sign up. Package includes: Bus transportation for 5 day trip 4 nights accommodations, 2 in Niagara Falls and 2 in Toronto All meals All admissions and attractions for scheduled activities and more! Upcoming Agency and Fundraising Events Friday, April 10, 2015 Take Me Out to the Ballgame event see page 3 for more details Thursday, April 16, 2015 Volunteer Recognition Event Volunteers free, $10 for guests Saturday, May 16, 2015 All Aboard The Arc event All are welcome Friday, October 2, 2015 Scapparone-Ficarra Memorial Golf Tournament Saturday, November 21, th Annual Auction To see a full list of all events and the details, go to /events View and apply for current job opportunities at The Arc Shop The Arc or call HR at We have added a new section to our website where you can save money, raise money, and purchase branded apparel. Go to /shop-arc or use the QR code to the right from your smartphone. 4

5 Starting the first Tuesday of may, the Dine with The Arc of Opportunity program launches! Join us every first Tuesday of the month at a designated local restaurant that will donate back a percentage of the sales for that day to The Arc of Opportunity of those who dine and provide a special coupon to your server. Upcoming Schedule: May 5, 2015 June 2, 2015 July 7, 2015 Go to /shop-arc/dine-arc to download special coupons as they become available, usually available 3-4 weeks before the scheduled date. Visit often to stay up-to-date of upcoming dining locations. 5

6 Become a Member of the arc March is National Developmental Disability Awareness month. The Arc of Opportunity invites you to become a member of The Arc. Why become a member? Your membership entitles you on a local level the following benefits: Reduced fees for The Arc of Opportunity recreational activities Opportunities to contribute time and talent through volunteering The Crusader newsletter two times a year Automatic membership to The Arc of Massachusetts and The Arc of the United States, the state and national chapters of The Arc Your support through membership enables The Arc National to: Offer guidance to those who need help and those who want help Monitor national progress made in the area of inclusion, such as education, employment, community living and recreation Make the public aware of the needs, rights and abilities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities Encourage progressive legislation Develop and promote effective programs and services Promote and apply research to enhance independence of people with disabilities To become a member today, detach and fill out the membership form on the following page and mail to: The Arc of Opportunity / Development Office Fitchburg, MA We look forward to welcoming you into membership! March is National Development Disability Awareness Month - Help us spread the word! Through the month of March, The Arc of Opportunity will be sharing messages on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to educate and bring awareness of National Developmental Disability Month. We invite you to log on and join in the conversation as well as share with your friends and family. We look forward to seeing you there! 6

7 The Arc Fitchburg, MA T F ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM Please accept my annual membership donation to help support the mission of The Arc of Opportunity in North Central Massachusetts NAME: ADDRESS: CITY, STATE, ZIP: PHONE: ADDRESS: By providing your address above, you will receive our electronic newsletter along with weekly and monthly up-to-date information on events and information at The Arc of Opportunity in addition to eliminating the cost of paper and postage as well as saving our forests. Every dollar saved provides more money for our programs! MEMBERSHIP LEVEL: $20 Clients / Staff / Students $30 Individual $50 Family (up to 4 members) $100 Supporting $250 Patron $500 Leadership PAYMENT TYPE: Check enclosed Mail to: The Arc of Opportunity, 564 Main St., Fitchburg MA Credit Card Name on card Card# Exp. Date: Automatic Bank Draft Save time and money by doing your membership online: 7

8 NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID FITCHBURG, MA Permit No. 209 Fitchburg, MA Return Service Requested the Crusader Real People. Real Opportunities. 8