Dear Friends and Supporters, 

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, a time of reflection and gratitude, I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest thanks. This year has been one of extraordinary progress, growth, and achievement for The Arc’s enterprise, and none of it would have been possible without your unwavering support, dedication, and passion.

The Arc is fortunate to be surrounded by a community that shares our passion for creating opportunities for people with disabilities to live, work, and connect in communities that are inclusive and welcoming to all.

In 2024, we are grateful to celebrate the following accomplishments, milestones, and community impact:

Saving our Employees Thousands on Medical Costs
In February 2024, we launched Health at Work, an on-site health suite providing free urgent and primary care for employees and their dependents. This initiative saved employees and The Arc thousands on copays and medical fees. We also kept health insurance premiums the same for employees for a third year in a row while simultaneously improving our insurance offerings.

Winning 3 National Awards for our Total Rewards
In August 2024, The Arc was recognized with three national awards from Health Rosetta for outstanding employee health benefits: America’s Top Health Plans, Top Health Plans of the East, and the Walk the Talk Award. The Arc was selected from over 2,000 candidates across the country for these prestigious awards!

Increasing Direct Support Professional Starting Wages to $20.00/hr
Back in 2018, starting wages for DSPs were only $9.88/hr. With the most recent incremental wage increase in July 2024, DSP starting wages are now $20.00/hr. This means that over the last seven years, The Arc has officially doubled DSP starting wages!

Investing in Career Ladders & Pay Mobility for DSPs
In April 2024, we launched the DSP Career Ladder, a self-paced professional development journey for DSPs who want to enhance their skills. Each certification level within the program comes with a pay increase, bringing starting wages for DSPs with all three levels of certification up to $23.50/hour!

Employing Over 600 People Statewide
This fall, we reached the 600-employee milestone! We continue to grow to meet the needs of our communities and scale our services to reach more people. Of our 625+ employees, more than 400 are DSPs providing services to more than 4,000 people across Maryland.

Celebrating our Incredible 6% Vacancy Rate
For the majority of 2024, The Arc has enjoyed a vacancy rate of only 6% for DSP positions, which means 94% of our DSP positions are always filled. This is impressive on a national scale because other organizations in Maryland are regularly reporting 20% vacancy rates and providers nationwide are averaging vacancy rates of 30-40%.

Launching More Services & Housing with Port Street Commons
Port Street Commons is a new 24,000-sq-ft space in Easton that will open this winter and provide more services, more housing, and more resources to communities on the Mid-Shore. With 9 affordable housing units, new community spaces, and 30 new jobs created over 3 years, Port Street Commons will allow The Arc to reach new people, expand both Day and Behavioral Health Services, provide housing, and boost Easton’s economic development initiatives for years to come.

Purchasing Two New Community Development Sites
Chesapeake Community Development has purchased two properties in Easton this spring that will be developed into Silo Square and Easton Crossing over the next six years. These properties will boast over 150 new housing units and townhomes as well as retail, dining, and green spaces.

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Behind each of these successes are passionate teams, generous donors, and forward-thinking community members ready to do more for our communities.

As we turn our attention toward gratitude and thankfulness at the end of the year, I find myself continually thankful for the ways our employees, people we support, donors, vendors, partners, and leaders come together to make these incredible milestones possible.

Thank you for your continued support, passion, and commitment to The Arc’s mission.

With gratitude, 

Jonathon Rondeau 
President & CEO
The Arc Central Chesapeake Region