Today is a big day! It is the 2023 Legislative Calendar Day.

Calendar Day is an annual tradition, organized by The Arc Maryland, where each Arc chapter meets with their elected officials and appointed leaders to hand out a calendar featuring stories of people supported by each of the chapters.

Calendar Day occurs every year on the second day of the legislative session. This year the session begins Tuesday, January 10, and ends Monday, April 10. 

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) deserve to be seen, heard, and advocated for in our state legislature. So, they rally in Annapolis with their families, supporters, and Direct Support Professionals (DSP) to pass out calendars and meet with legislators to provide information on their legislative priorities. Continue reading

The Arc wants people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to be bold!

Our new self-advocacy group, Living Boldly, encourages people with IDD to communicate for and represent themselves. We believe they should play a huge role in decision-making in all areas of their daily lives and public policy decisions.

Living Boldly meets monthly and advocates on various issues concerning people with I/DD.

As the 2023 legislative session approaches, Living Boldly has the following priorities:

• Calendar Day – On January 12, 2023, the day before the legislative session begins, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region will join The Arc Maryland in raising awareness and advocating for people with I/DD. Legislative Calendars, sharing unique, personal stories from each chapter, are hand-delivered to the legislative representatives by members of the group.
• Developmental Disabilities Day (DD Day) – On Wednesday, February 23, people with IDD, their families, advocates, and service providers will rally in Annapolis to educate legislators on issues that are important to our community.

Are you interested in joining Leading Boldly? Please reach out to Greg Snyder at livingboldly@thearcccr.org to find out how you can be a part of the group.

Over the last five years, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region has taken significant steps to deepen our services and commitment to the regions and communities we serve. Enterprise-wide, The Arc and its subsidiaries have each experienced significant growth and continue to expand services.

Some significant milestones include:

• Growing programs and services by nearly 82% to support over 3,000 people state-wide
• On-boarding an average of 25 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) per month to support the needs of the people we serve
• Launching a comprehensive Behavioral Health program using a trauma-informed model to better support the mental health needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Doubling available support for programs like Holiday Giving and the Family Fund
• Expanding Chesapeake Neighbors, hiring its inaugural executive director, and growing the property management team

As we continue to meet the needs of the community, we realize that our current headquarters in Severn, Maryland, has reached capacity. To better support our growing operations, we are proud to announce that we will open The Arc’s new corporate headquarters at 999 Corporate Boulevard in Linthicum, Maryland, in April 2023.

Who is moving to the new location?

The Arc’s new corporate headquarters will house many of our executive and corporate support areas, including the Office of the CEO, Finance, External Relations, People & Culture, and Self-Directed Services Administration and Stakeholder Relations. The headquarters will also operate as a shared space for programs and will include an additional Community Hub and Behavioral Health Suite.

What will happen to the current Severn office?

The Arc’s Severn location will continue to be an integral part of our operations. With a focus on Program Operations, the site will continue to host our Talent Acquisition team, Living Options & Services, Day Services, a Behavioral Health Suite, Information Technology, and Chesapeake Neighbors.

We will complete renovations to the new corporate headquarters in Linthicum ahead of moving in April 2023. We invite the community to join us for an open house on Thursday, April 20th, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM  to visit our additional space. More details to come in March 2023.

Questions about the project? Please reach out to us at info@thearcccr.org.

 

 

For over 15 years, The Arc has provided gifts, toys, and food support for kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their siblings. The Arc’s Holiday Giving program is unique in allowing families to request specific items, wrapping paper, and accessories, as well as providing a $100 grocery gift card for families to put together a holiday meal.

Since the start of the pandemic, Holiday Giving has doubled annually in the number of families seeking support. In the fall, we anticipated serving 250 kids. With significant support from the community, we are pleased to share that the 2022 Holiday Giving Program supported 394 kids throughout nine counties in Maryland.

This program is only possible because of the generous support of our community. We thank the 66 individuals and businesses who adopted and shopped for the kids, the 25 private donors who raised over $22,000 to ensure we were able to support everyone who applied, and our corporate sponsor – M&T Bank, for contributing $15,000, and nearly 30 volunteers to make the program successful.

If you would like to support this program in 2023 – please reach out to us at give@thearcccr.org.

At The Arc, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the backbone of what we do. This is a critical and sometimes challenging role that isn’t for everyone.

A DSP plays an important, diverse role in the life of the person they support. DSPs advocate for the person they support to have full independence and autonomy in decisions. DSPs create opportunities for people to live, work, and connect with the community around them. DSPs facilitate activities in the community based on each person’s unique interests and goals. And DSPs support new learning and skills, from personal accountability to learning to cook a new meal.

Throughout the pandemic and beyond, The Arc’s DSPs have continued to find new ways for the people we support to connect with their families, friends, and community. They’ve supported people in everything from creating and participating in a bowling league, organizing group events to spend time with their friends, applying for and landing a new dream job, and learning a new meal to surprise a lucky fiancé.

The Arc is successful because of the resilience, creativity, and gentleness of every DSP. They are facilitators, partners, and opportunity creators. Most of all, they are an example of exceptional dedication and service.

We invite you to join The Arc as a Direct Support Professional and experience a job where every moment is truly meaningful.

The Arc’s offices in Severn, Annapolis, and Easton will open on time. All services will operate as scheduled. People supported in Workforce Development should follow the operating status of their employer.

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The Arc Central Chesapeake Region is excited to announce that Gregory Snyder II, Chief of Staff, will join the Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce is the leading business resource and advocate for the Central Maryland community, including Prince George’s County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County. As a board member, Snyder will voice the issues impacting the business community while offering Chamber members business opportunities, meeting the community’s needs, promoting local businesses, and keeping members up to date on regional topics and trends.

“I am proud to serve the Central Maryland region through my new role on the board of directors,” Snyder said. “The work of the Chamber is vital in creating strong communities, and I am excited to get to work. I look forward to being a voice for equity and inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

Snyder prioritizes uplifting the communities of Central Maryland – currently serving on the Board of Directors of Keep Punching, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing and eradicating brain cancer. He also received The Daily Record’s 2020 VIP List Award, recognizing successful professionals under 40 in Maryland. He was recently appointed to the Anne Arundel County Commission on Disability Issues by the Anne Arundel County Executive for his work fostering respect, equity, and opportunity for people with disabilities.

As Chief of Staff for The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, Snyder uses his expertise and passion for policy to support projects and activities related to The Arc’s capital campaign and strategic plan. He partners with The Arc’s executive leaders on strategic priorities and leads governmental relations. Greg has dedicated much of his professional and personal life to public service and disability rights, including serving on The Arc Central Chesapeake Region’s Board of Directors for several years.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https://funny-robinson.52-44-126-31.plesk.page/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/gregory-snyder.jpg” alt=”Gregory Snyder II” title_text=”Gregory Snyder II” _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

November marks the start of the season of thanksgiving, and this fall, we have much to be thankful for. As we take a moment to reflect, here’s the top five things we’re grateful for this year:

Our colleagues – our team is the backbone of The Arc’s success. From our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to operations, programs, and administration, The Arc has incredible leaders at every level of our organization striving to facilitate better services and create more opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live the lives they choose.

Our donors – from Family Navigation to innovation, none of it would be possible without the loyal support of our generous donors. Our Children, Youth, & Their Families services are all funded through individual donations and grants. We are grateful for your support in making sure that families everywhere have access to these critical services.

Our community – our work relies on strong working relationships with so many members of our community. From lawmakers to local businesses, the support we receive from the community is critical in creating equity and access for people with disabilities.

Growth – over the last five years, The Arc has experienced significant growth in services, leadership, outreach, and infrastructure and is now creating more than 3,000 opportunities for people to live, work, and connect with their communities.

You – whether you are a Catalyst Club member, advocate, or just believe that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve choice and opportunity, we are grateful for your support every day of the year.

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]The Arc Central Chesapeake Region announces the resignation of Tracy Davis, Vice President of Self-Directed Initiatives. Tracy has decided to focus her professional efforts on work outside of self-direction in Maryland.

Self-Directed Services are essential to The Arc’s mission, and over the last 5 years, Tracy has been instrumental in the significant growth The Arc has experienced. Tracy and her team grew the program from just over 400 participants in 2017 to more than 1,800 participants today. She put internal systems into place and provided beneficial services to participants and their teams, always focusing on quality improvement and best practices.

The Arc thanks Tracy for her dedication and leadership and wishes her the best in her future endeavors.

To support this leadership change, The Arc has implemented a transition plan to ensure all needs continue to be met in a timely and professional fashion. In the interim, Christine Larsen, Chief Administrative Officer, and Matt Morgan, Chief Program Officer, will lead the transition as we begin a national search for a new Vice President of Self-Directed Initiatives. We look forward to announcing more in the new year.

In the interim, our Stakeholder Relations team is here to support you.

Please continue to submit service tickets or call 1.866.252.6871 with your questions.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https://funny-robinson.52-44-126-31.plesk.page/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Tracy-Jonathon-1.jpg” alt=”Tracy & Jonathon” title_text=”Tracy & Jonathon” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

While nonprofits are often recognized for their mission-based achievements and results, the economic impact as dynamic organizations is often overlooked. Nationally, nonprofits employ roughly 10% of the workforce and contributed $1.4 trillion to the economy in the first quarter of 2022.

What does that look like at a local level? In honor of Maryland Economic Development Week, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region is sharing some of the ways we contribute to a healthy economy.

Growth in Numbers

Over the last five years, The Arc has experienced significant growth in services, leadership, outreach, and infrastructure. In 2017, The Arc had an annual budget of $30 million. Today, The Arc’s annual budget is just over $150 million.

The Arc was founded in 1961 to provide service and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Anne Arundel County. We now proudly support nine counties throughout Maryland, and in fiscal year 2022, The Arc created over 3,000 opportunities for people to live, work, and connect with their communities.

Growth in Services

For more than 20 years, The Arc has provided fiscal management service for people in Self-Direction, a state-wide initiative. This allows people to have greater control over when and how they receive their services and who provides them. In this program, people with disabilities act as their own small businesses, hiring, training, and paying their own support teams.

Since 2016, The Arc’s Self-Directed Services has grown to 1,900 participants, and has participants throughout the state of Maryland, employing more than 5,500 people.

Growth in People

The Arc employs a staff of people who support every aspect of the organization, from direct service, operations, finance, branding, and infrastructure.

Today, The Arc employs just shy of 500 employees and, because of growth, is actively hiring for a wide variety of roles every day.

Growth in Programs

During the pandemic, we all recognized the need to better prioritize access to mental health services. That includes mental health counseling and services available for people with disabilities. With a small grant, The Arc formed a therapy group, Coping with COVID. What started as a small time-limited grant has now developed into a foundational, permanent program, Behavioral Health.

Since 2020, The Arc has expanded the program to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the region we serve, and growth plans include hiring an additional one clinical team member per quarter.

Growth & Expansion

The Arc has a deep commitment to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. In response to community need, we are developing a new 24,000-square-foot Eastern Shores headquarters in Easton, MD, located on Port Street. This will be a first-of-its-kind community space that incorporates universal design and provides space for mental health counseling, innovative services, and nine affordable housing units to be managed by The Arc’s subsidiary, Chesapeake Neighbors.

By revitalizing and connecting Easton’s waterfront district to its thriving downtown via the Port Street corridor, the project will directly impact the local economy. In addition to the temporary construction jobs it will create, The Arc anticipates 35 new, full-time positions as part of the project.

As economic engines, nonprofit organizations help shape the long-term character and stability of the communities where we operate.