Shoppers at stores in Montclair and Morristown can now pick up handcrafted greeting cards designed by artisans from Studio Arc. The General Store in Montclair and Just Jersey in Morristown now both carry seasonal cards made by Arc artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The cards feature a variety of themes, including birthday, graduation, weddings, get well, sympathy, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. They were crafted using mixed media and an embossing machine. Studio Arc provides visitors with opportunities to engage in a wide range of visual and creative arts classes. If you are interested in learning more about the exciting and [...]

With their “Love in a Tub” service-learning project, students from the Avon Avenue School in Newark gathered a variety of gift items and assembled kits to donate to residents in The Arc of Essex County group homes this spring. Each class at the school filled a plastic container with gifts such as winter gloves, activity books, hand lotion, socks, scarves, small blankets, mugs, tea, coffee, and hot cocoa. They also included a cheerful card with a note from the students. More than a dozen “Love in a Tub” kits were given to residents in different group homes, including Beechtree, Millburn, Green [...]

Participants in The Arc of Essex County’s Adult Recreation programs enjoyed a bustling April that featured a variety of engaging activities. On April 7, a Community Inclusion group took a trip to the incredible TILT Museum at American Dream, where they explored the interactive 3D exhibits and stepped into optical illusions painted by world-renowned urban art master Tracy Stum. Whether surfboard riding or jumping into a video game screen, every stop on the visit featured an imaginative adventure. The following week, a group gathered at Studio Arc on April 14 for a t-shirt making session, where they created patriotic shirts with their [...]

Participants in The Arc of Essex County’s Self-Advocacy Club finished in second place in the New Jersey Self-Advocacy Project (NJSAP) video contest and were celebrated at the group’s annual luncheon in April. The video, in which three Arc Day Program consumers share what self-advocacy means to them, was part of a contest sponsored by NJSAP in honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March. The group’s video secured dozens of votes via social media “likes,” and participants were pleased with their silver-medal finish. The Self-Advocacy Clubs meet at Arc Day Programs and cover various topics about how individuals advocate for themselves [...]

In 1998, Toshonda Johnson-Hall was working as a Payless store manager when residents from one of The Arc of Essex County’s group homes stopped in to buy new shoes. Toshonda began chatting with the residential staff and soon learned about The Arc’s day programs. With three young children at home, she was interested in a different working schedule, but she also was inspired by watching the dynamic between The Arc staff and consumers and thought the day program might be a good fit for her. Before long, Toshonda was on board as a floating staff member between The Arc’s Avenues and [...]

The Arc of Essex County is grateful to announce the recent awarding of two grants that will support adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Arc programs. The Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement granted $9,250 to The Arc’s Washington Avenue group home in Montclair, which will be used to purchase and install a sump pump and French drain for the residence. The Lillian Schenck Foundation granted $4,000 for Camp Hope’s 2024 season and its fee-assistance project. Camp Hope is a summer camp that has provided a fun camp experience for children and adults with IDD for more than 65 [...]

Sharing an important update from The Arc of New Jersey: The Social Security Administration (SSA) has released important new updates that will affect current and future Social Security beneficiaries. First, the SSA announced a significant reduction in the automatic overpayment recovery burden, from 100% to 10% (or $10, whichever is greater). When a person has been overpaid by the SSA, which can sometimes go on for months or years before the person is notified by SSA, the law requires SSA to reclaim those funds, often creating significant financial hardship for an individual and their family. Now, as of March 25, 2024, the [...]

For individuals seeking a community living placement, The Arc of Essex County has the following May 2024 openings: Green Ave Group Home (1 Female Vacancy) Ranch-style home on a quiet suburban street in Roseland 24/7 supervision Barrier-free layout with opportunity to support individuals with mobility challenges Near parks, shopping, and other activities West Caldwell Group Home (1 Male or Female Vacancy) Single-family style home in a quaint neighborhood 24/7 supervision Care given based on individual needs Group enjoys taking day trips together, pursuing hobbies at home, and enjoying backyard picnics Washington Avenue Residence (1 Male vacancy) Single-family style group home in a quiet Montclair neighborhood 24/7 supervision Within walking distance of parks and shopping Residents [...]