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 [...]

Each fall, The Arc of Essex County recognizes those employees whose long-standing commitment and dedication have helped shape the agency into what it is today. The Arc would like to recognize the following individuals for their tremendous service to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 30 Years Anabela Da Silva KringKathleen Hinnigan-CohenJames Jones 25 Years Charlene ArmstrongChristy CampbellSylvia CummingsGale JamesDina JeanSherry KellnerDametralius MoonGauthie PierreCheryl WalcottSherl Williams 20 Years Maria DonaleskiGinette MoraudRobin Moses 15 Years Graig BerkowitzAngelo MarshallShareem McElhaney 10 Years Rochelle AlfordAlan BinsteinAndrew CasallasHeather ComstockDezarae GoodeJessica KahlJasmin MedinaVladimir MoraudArocha PittmanDorea RameyJacqueline Vaughn 5 Years Janine AuriemmaKevin BrievaSadie BrittAngelica BryanSheila CasimirMichelle ClarkeLeonarda FernandezBenita FishbeinJanevah FlemingJaquiah GarvinLe-Azia GreenKayron HarrisKathryn HartAntonio Hernandez-JonesElmira IngramTyrone [...]

Tributes are a beautiful way to acknowledge those you care for, and at the same time, help further The Arc’s mission. To purchase a tribute, please call Ann Burleigh at (973) 535-1181 ext. 1245 or visit our tribute page here. Tribute Donations (July to September 2025): In Memory of Davey OwensAl Lasso In Memory of Jimmie GaspariniJen Jacovini In Memory of Kathleen ConstantinoElizabeth CarrollJessica MurphyBridget HinchcliffeMaureen O’ConnorMary ZubickiMichael RaimondoKevin and Patricia MooreVictory and Leonard OrzechowskiJoAnne Mastropasqua In Memory of Ruth Bird and Arthur TannenbaumMarianne Ribley In Honor of Glennise Renae HillmanSherleen Hillman In Honor of The Arc Hotel Respite Program Participants and StaffJames Ruiz Supporters can host Facebook Fundraisers [...]

Hugo joined The Arc of Essex County’s West Caldwell Hub Day Program in 2024 and quickly became immersed in the social scene there. He especially enjoys trips to go bowling or play miniature golf, and learning artistic skills at Studio Arc, where he is particularly fond of painting with different colors. Hugo is also very active in The Arc’s Saturday Respite program and frequently takes part in Adult Recreation weekend activities. Some of his favorite events are Zumba, Summerfest at Camp Hope, Hip-Hop Class, and the Brunch Cruise. When asked who he enjoys hanging out with in Arc programs, he smiles [...]

When Therese Tomaiko was in her thirties, she went back to school to become a lawyer, and picked up overnight shifts at a group home so that she could study at night while earning an income. “While I was there, I totally fell in love with the population, and I just couldn’t NOT work with them,” she says. “I decided I was going to stay in the field of developmental disabilities.” Over the next 30 or so years, Therese worked her way up through the ranks at different agencies, from the overnight shift to manager to coordinator to supervisor to regional [...]

Sharing this important webinar update from The Arc of New Jersey: Webinar: Oral Health Care for Special Needs Populations This webinar will cover home care tips and helpful information regarding oral health and dental care for adults and children with disabilities. Learn about common oral health concerns, how to encourage good oral hygiene at home, and specific advice when visiting the dental office. Parents and caregivers of individuals with disabilities are highly encouraged to attend! Thursday, October 9th, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm Register by clicking here. Speaker: Maria Czarniecki, DMD Dr. Maria Czarniecki is a dentist at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine Special Care Clinic in [...]