Sara Fermo spent years at home raising her three children, regularly volunteering at her kids’ schools. When she decided to return to the workforce in 2015, instead of returning to retail work, she was drawn to jobs that would allow her to continue working with little ones. Soon enough, she was hired in administration at Stepping Stones School, and immediately knew she had found her place.

“I just fell in love with the kids there,” she says.

She worked at Stepping Stones for a couple of years before she started getting pulled to The Arc’s main office—first twice a week, then increased to three and four days, and soon she was offered a full-time position as operations coordinator for Children and Family Services. “I was so torn, because I didn’t want to leave the school, but I also absolutely loved working at the main office,” she says.

Since that move in 2017, Sara has helped countless families navigate their care through The Arc. For most of the year, her focus is on filing paperwork and making phone calls to ensure each child and their family are getting properly reimbursed for their services through PerformCare. “I want to make sure everyone is getting compensated for what they deserve,” she says. “These families are juggling a lot, so I’m glad to be that person who can help make things easier.”

And for two months of the year, the landscape changes as she works the office at Camp Hope, coordinating logistics amid a sea of counselors and rotating campers during the summer season. “It’s a nice change of scenery, and it’s great to interact with the campers.”

Sometimes when she goes to the camp’s car-pickup line, Sara finally meets parents in person after talking on the phone with them dozens of times. “We finally get to make that connection, and that’s always fun.”

Although she says she loves her work at the main office, the camp season is Sara’s favorite. “It’s just such a special, happy time,” she says. She is often reunited with campers who have graduated out of children’s services, and enjoys seeing them grown up and thriving.

That said, she particularly savors the last two weeks, when it’s just the younger campers and the vibe takes her back to her early days at The Arc. “We’ve had a lot five, six, and seven-year-olds, and I’m excited to see them grow with us, to see who they become.”

When the summer ends and she returns to the main office, Sara says she is thankful to reconnect with her Children & Family Services team. “I just love the atmosphere here,” she says. “We’re a great group of people, and I love helping the families, because it’s all about them. I am grateful to be part of a wonderful organization.”