With more than a dozen events to choose among, The Arc of Essex County’s Winter/Spring Community Inclusion, Recreation, and Respite Catalog is packed with fun activities and trips for adult consumers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Community Inclusion Trips include visits to Funplex, the Sea of Life Aquarium at the American Dream Mall, the Turtle Back Zoo, and the Silverball Museum. Group Respite activities include Soup Day, where consumers will be making soup and enjoying each other’s company; Super Bowl Sunday, where they will enjoy snacks and play football-themed games; a “Be Mine” Valentine’s celebration; Oscar Night, complete with a red carpet; a Mardi [...]

To make the holidays more festive (and delicious), the West Essex UNICO organization catered a Christmas dinner for 30 of The Arc of Essex County’s residents and staff on Thursday, December 23. Residents from the West Caldwell, Green Avenue (Roseland), and Cedar Grove group homes and the Verona Apartment Program, and their residential staff, were all treated to a holiday meal that included antipasto, meatballs, and pasta. The Arc of Essex County and those we serve would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the West Essex UNICO for their continued generosity during the holiday season. The West Essex UNICO’s mission [...]

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 The Arc of Essex County's website here.  Special Occasions (October to December 2021): In Honor of JoAnn RainesCara L. SchnaperSchwab Charitable In Honor of Albert C. IanaconeJohn Ianacone In Honor of Joseph BergmanGeri Kahn In Honor of Susan ComparatoEllen RooneyHeather Rooney In Honor of Eileen StuartJoan Ratner In Honor of Brian LoweAllyns Melendez Memorial: In Memory of Gregory J. De LorenziSchwab Charitable In Memory of Luisa RendennaMary Tranchetti In Memory of Grace BergmanLeona Bergman In Memory of [...]

On Sunday, December 5th, members of The Arc of Essex County’s Board of Directors hosted a virtual caroling party in lieu of their annual Board Caroling event. Eight groups homes tuned in to sing along to their favorite holiday songs, bringing warmth and joy to the season. If your school, business, or civic organization would like to spread cheer to The Arc’s residents and frontline staff during the winter months, please email The Arc’s Senior Director of Development and Communication, Heather Comstock, at hcomstock@arcessex.org to express your interest in getting involved and discuss ideas and agency needs.

Throughout the months of November and December, The Arc of Essex County gathered items for members of our Home Assistance Program (HAP), including 40 coat donations for children and adults, dozens of toys and gifts, and more than 500 non-perishable food items for our families. The Adult Day Programs competed to see who could gather the most food items for the drive, and this year SYA was victorious with 203 items. For their efforts, SYA attendees and staff will enjoy a pizza party. The Arc thanks everyone who contributed to the drives and helped make the holiday season brighter and cozier for [...]

We’re back in person and can’t wait to run, walk, and have fun together! On Saturday, April 9, 2022, The Arc of Essex County will host its 24th Annual Building Tomorrows event at the Clipper Pavilion in South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange, returning to an in-person gathering after two years of virtual events. The day will once again feature a 5K Run, Fundraising Walk, and Family Fun Fest with games, activities, and fun for all ages. All proceeds will directly benefit The Arc of Essex County's services that support nearly 1,500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their [...]

In December, the Newark Police Department’s 7th Precinct sponsored a group from The Arc of Essex County’s Saturday children’s respite program to attend a movie at the Citiplex 10 theater in Newark. The group received free admission as well as snacks, and enjoyed the movie “Encanto” together. The event was part of the police department’s autism and special needs program. Recreation and respite programs for children ages 5 to 21 years old meet on Saturdays for approximately 6 hours and feature a 1:3 staff-to-participant ratio. Door-to-door transportation is available to those who live within Essex County. If you are interested in additional [...]

The Papermill Playhouse in Millburn and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark both hosted groups from The Arc of Essex County during December, giving consumers and staff the opportunity to watch fun and festive holiday performances. NJPAC provided complimentary tickets to two Cedar Grove group home residents and one chaperone, who enjoyed Mannheim Steamroller Christmas on December 15. On December 21, the Papermill Playhouse held a special free community engagement performance of “A Jolly Holiday: Celebrating Disney’s Broadway Hits,” providing nearly 70 complimentary tickets to Arc consumers. The Arc of Essex County thanks the Papermill Playhouse and NJPAC for their generosity [...]

For individuals seeking a community living placement, The Arc of Essex County has the following December 2021 openings: NEW! Verona Supervised Apartment (1 Male Vacancy) 1 Bedroom Available in a 3-Bedroom Supervised Apartment24/7 Staff SupervisionLarge 2 Family Home with Great Front PorchLocated near public transportation and within walking distance of Verona's downtown shopping & restaurants and the beautiful Verona ParkCurrent roommates are males ranging in age from early 20’s to late 40’s.  They enjoy spending time pursuing their own interests such as reading, watching TV, being active, socializing with friends, and occasionally participating in community activities as a group. Belmont Group Home (1 male [...]

The Arc of Essex County made spirits bright with a Jolly Jamboree, a Gingerbread Extravaganza, and some holiday shopping for adults in our Group Respite program in December. The Jolly Jamboree featured Christmas games and caroling karaoke, along with hot chocolate and sweet snacks. The Gingerbread Extravaganza gave all participants a chance to gather together and create confectionery masterpieces to take home. An additional group enjoyed shopping at Livingston Mall with their peers, picking up gifts for loved ones and enjoying a meal together at the food court. If your loved one with intellectual or developmental disabilities is interested in educational [...]