Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Supporters, It is with heartfelt gratitude and reflection that I share my decision to retire as Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of Essex County this November. After 47 years with this extraordinary organization—15 of those as CEO—the time has come for me to begin a new chapter. Serving The Arc community has been the honor of a lifetime. Together with a passionate and mission-driven team, we have built a strong foundation of inclusion, empowerment, and support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families throughout Essex County. I am deeply proud of all we have [...]

It was a beautiful and sunny day for The Arc of Essex County’s Family Fun Fest on September 13, when Camp Hope came alive with laughter, movement, and creativity. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., families with children aged 2.5 to 12 gathered to enjoy a day filled with engaging activities, meaningful connections, and a chance to explore the grounds of Camp Hope. The event featured a variety of activities: Communi-Play and Zumba instructor Ms. J led age-specific movement activities that had kids dancing, stretching, and smiling. Meanwhile, Studio Arc staff facilitated interactive arts and crafts sessions, giving children the opportunity [...]

After kicking off the new school year on September 4, the children at Stepping Stones School have had a busy month of learning and bonding. On September 12, the school visited Camp Hope for a day of outdoor activities, including bubbles, crafts, ball games, and more. Classes also celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, including making guacamole together, learning salsa dancing, and exploring Spanish vocabulary with some of their bilingual classmates. Looking ahead, the school community is excited for a busy fall, with the annual Halloween celebration coming up as well as an open house to the wider community on October 29. Anyone interested [...]

The Arc of Essex County’s Uncorked and Uncapped tasting event successfully relaunched on September 25 at the Hanover Manor in East Hanover, returning for its seventh year after a hiatus since 2020. The benefit event featured more than 30 food, beer, wine, and spirits vendors who offered tastings of their favorite dishes and drinks, as well as live music and a virtual auction that featured getaways, event tickets, unique experiences, and more. The event was made possible thanks to the incredible support of sponsors, including Platinum Sponsor PSEG and Gold Sponsors The HILB Group and Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga. Proceeds from [...]

During Direct Support Professional Recognition Week (September 7–13), The Arc of Essex County proudly honored its dedicated front-line DSP staff, recognizing the vital role they play in the lives of those they support. Each DSP received a heartfelt thank-you gift, and every program center and residential home was decorated with posters expressing The Arc’s deep appreciation. Trays of soft pretzels were delivered to each residential and day program by staff from the main office as a token of gratitude for the tireless care DSPs provide. The Arc of Essex County CEO Linda Lucas and COO Kathy Hinnigan-Cohen shared a special video message [...]

Toddlers, children, and teens have been taking part in a variety of educational and engaging activities offered by The Arc of Essex County: The first Communi-Play session of the new season ran during Family Fun Fest at Camp Hope on September 13 (read the story about the event by clicking here). Led by “Ms. J,” Communi-Play gatherings are typically held on Saturday mornings at Studio Arc in Fairfield and provide festive and music-based communication lessons for children ages 2.5 to 5. To register, visit bit.ly/communi-play. Social Skills classes resumed on September 16 after a summer break, with classes taking place on Tuesdays [...]

September was full of fun opportunities for The Arc’s Adult Recreation participants, including: Matinee and Mingle on September 7, which featured a trip to the movies to see The Fantastic Four followed by a film discussion over a meal together. Bowling participants enjoyed friendly games at Bowlero Belleville on September 6, 13, and 27. Group Respite held a “Farm to Table” gathering on September 14, which included fresh seasonal produce to make fruit and vegetable salads of choice. On September 21, the Community Inclusion group created a fall pumpkin craft together at Studio Arc in Fairfield. On September 28, a group visited the Bear Mountain [...]

The Arc of Essex County’s Day Programs have been bustling with activities, including: A Field Day at DeHart Park, where participants from all Arc Day Programs gathered for baseball, basketball, parachute games, and relay races. It was a beautiful day for participants to get active outdoors together. At SYA, a trip to Turtle Back Zoo was a highlight, along with volunteering at the food pantry and going out into the community for community lunches and shopping trips. Visits to Studio Arc for projects and classes including painting, printing, sculpting, Tai Chi, yoga, and more. Stay tuned for this year’s holiday card collection, which [...]

Things were busy for The Arc of Essex County’s residents during the month of September. Highlights included: Girls’ Night In and Man Cave Monday at Studio Arc, which brought together women and men, respectively, from several group homes to gather at the studio for activities, dinner, and camaraderie The residents of the Belmont Group Home going flower shopping to beautify the house, painting pumpkins for seasonal décor, and baking cookies A community outing to Chik-Fil-A for the Newark Apartment program A trip to the movies for Verona Apartment Program residents Celebrating Renee’s 50th birthday at the Linden Apartment Program, George’s birthday at the Claremont Group [...]