March 11 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
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For individuals seeking a community living placement, The Arc of Essex County has the following November 2020 openings: NEW! Belmont Group Home (1 Male Vacancy) 1 Bedroom Available in a 5-Bedroom Group Home24/7 Staff SupervisionLarge Single Family Home in a Great Livingston NeighborhoodCan accommodate residents with additional medical supports and aging needsCurrent roommates are males ranging in age from early 50’s to early 60’s. They enjoy spending time as a group watching movies and vintage TV shows, hosting backyard barbeques, and exploring new interests and hobbies Verona Supervised Apartment (1 Male Vacancy) 1 Bedroom Available in a 3-Bedroom Supervised Apartment24/7 Staff SupervisionLarge 2 Family [...]
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In early October, the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement awarded The Arc of Essex County $15,000 in grant funds to be used for COVID-19 related needs. The Arc will use these funds to expand its tele-medicine initiative with StationMD purchasing an additional 9 telehealth kiosks for our group homes. The kiosks come equipped with a laptop hooked up to medical equipment to monitor patient vitals and communicate with doctors in real time via video conferencing. Since 2018, The Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement has awarded The Arc $30,000 in grant funds to assist elderly individuals to remain healthy, active [...]
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Each year, throughout the month of November, The Arc of Essex County strives to improve the lives of low income children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as their families by collecting new (tags included) winter coats. We need your help! Please consider signing up to donate a new winter coat for a child or adult in need. To sign up, visit: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F44A9A92CA2FD0-hapcoat. All of the collected items will go to The Arc of Essex County’s Home Assistance Program (HAP) families. HAP provides services to low income families whose child and/or parent has an intellectual or development disability. [...]
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The ongoing threat of COVID did not damper the Halloween celebrations at Stepping Stones last month. While the festivities did look a little different, fun was had by all. Throughout the day, each class participated in seasonal activities including a 5-car-only, teacher and staff facilitated trunk or treat, and pumpkin painting, in addition to a pizza lunch followed by apple cider and donuts for all. Some students chose to wear their costumes to school while others saved their spooky get-ups for family celebrations over the weekend. The Arc of Essex County's Stepping Stones School is a Department of Education approved private [...]
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Over the past four weeks, residents of The Arc of Essex County have received their mail-in ballots and exercised their rights by casting their votes for the 2020 election. With neutral guidance from their respective group home managers and observation and oversight from The Arc’s Director of Quality Assurance, residents discussed their preferences regarding who they wanted to vote for, what this year’s ballot questions mean. They then completed their ballots, and sign, sealed, and returned the envelopes to the County Board of Elections. The Arc of Essex County is committed to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and enabling [...]
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Thanks to The Arc of Essex County’s Board of Directors, all 25+ residential programs were treated to a special Philly Pretzel Factory treat in time for Thursday night football on Thursday, October 1st. The gesture aims to recognize the continued dedication of direct care staff and boost morale as residents continue to stay-at-home amidst the ongoing public health emergency. Would you or your school, business, or civic organization like to spread cheer to The Arc’s residents and frontline staff during this unprecedented time? Email The Arc’s Senior Director of Development and Communication, Heather Comstock, at hcomstock@arcessex.org to express your interest in [...]
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The Arc of New Jersey recently recognized four employees of The Arc of Essex County as Heroes of 2020 which replaced their annual awards dinner due to ongoing COVID restrictions. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we live, learn, work, and socialize. Keeping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities safe while supporting them to live a meaningful life has been an enormous challenge. But for many including The Arc of Essex County’s Casey Dickson, Sharlene Griffin, Diana Nwabudo, and Marie Veix it is a challenge that they have met head on with dedication, creativity, perseverance and empathy. Casey Dickson:Casey Dickson joined The [...]
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The Arc of Essex County began welcoming back day program attendees throughout the month of October. Implementing a slow, phased-in approach to ensure the health and safety of attendees and staff, three Day Programs including Special Young Adults (SYA), Opportunity Zone, and Bridges are now providing in-person services at a reduced capacity. While at their respective programs, attendees are assigned to a small cohort and participate with in-center activities and select community-based activities with their group and dedicated staff. Attendees are enjoying the increased opportunity for in-person socialization with favorite activities including seasonal celebrations and trips into the community with a [...]
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More than six months ago, The Arc of Essex County closed the doors to our in-person day, respite, and recreation programs for what we thought might be a few weeks. Our greatest responsibility was to keep our program attendees, residents, and staff safe in the midst of an unprecedented public health emergency. As the weeks turned into months, The Arc of Essex County not only prioritized the physical health of those we serve, but began rolling out virtual programming to increase opportunities for social engagement and reduce the feelings of isolation. Adopting technologies like Zoom and Facetime, today, The Arc offers [...]
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