A group of talented Studio Arc artisans spent the autumn months creating Winter Wellness Kits, using their craftmaking and Cricut skills to assemble beautiful boxes packed with homemade self-care items. Six women from the Opportunity Zone day program in Maplewood made weekly visits to Studio Arc to craft handmade soaps, lip balms, linen/room sprays, bath salts, and sugar scrubs infused with essential oils. The decorated boxes also included cards of encouraging affirmations as stated by the artisans themselves. When the kits were completed, the group visited The Arc of Essex County’s main office to sell them for $25 each, proceeds will be [...]

With activities and celebrations for Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's, the students at Stepping Stones School had a busy December packed with festive fun. On December 9, students from The Deron School of New Jersey visited Stepping Stones for their annual gathering. In addition to playing fun games and activities, the Deron and Stepping Stones students completed a craft together -- a cute wooden snowmen for each of the children to take home. On December 15, the annual Stepping Stones Holiday Party welcomed families and a visit from Santa Claus. The children got to meet with Santa, sing holiday [...]

On December 9, Stepping Stones School hosted The Arc of Essex County’s Parents’ Night Out event, which provided Arc parents with the opportunity to enjoy an evening out while knowing their children were safely enjoying activities with their peers. The children and teens in attendance ranged in age from 7 to 19, and all had a fun night of making winter wonderland-themed crafts, playing games, and enjoying conversation with their friends over a pizza dinner. The Parents Night Out program costs were offset by generous donations to The Arc of Essex County’s Community Recreation Fund through the 2021 Annual Appeal. The 2.5-hour [...]

Your support coordinator is a critical part of your family member’s ability to successfully access and maintain services. If you do not have a support coordinator, are unhappy with your current support coordinator, or just want to learn more about what your options are, join The Arc of Essex County for one of our “Meet the Support Coordination Agencies” events this winter. The first event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Opportunity Zone, 50-58 Burnett Avenue, Maplewood. (Thanks to the generous donors to our 2022 Annual Appeal, there will be free childcare available at [...]

When the COVID pandemic began in March, 2020, the federal government declared a public health emergency (PHE). The PHE is still in effect as of early December when this message was prepared.  Because of the PHE, no one should have received a Medicaid termination notice for any reason -- even if the Medicaid beneficiary has more resources than the allowable maximum. However, at some point (possibly in mid-April, 2023) the PHE will officially end, and then "Medicaid unwinding" will begin. The term Medicaid unwinding describes the process that NJ Medicaid will use to determine whether individuals who have been receiving NJ [...]

Throughout the months of November and December, The Arc of Essex County gathered items for members of our Home Assistance Program (HAP), including 55 coat and pajama donations, toys and gifts, and hundreds of grocery items for our families. These contributions support the 15 families in our HAP program, benefitting 55 children and adults in our Arc community. Day Programs, Stepping Stones School, and The Arc main office were drop-off sites for the food drive, which resulted in more than 600 items collected, which filled 3 to 4 bags of groceries per family. The Adult Day Programs competed to see who [...]

The Cedar Grove Elks Lodge and West Essex UNICO each contributed to making the holidays a merry season for The Arc of Essex County residents. Residents from the Belleville, Green Ave, and Cedar Grove Group Homes enjoyed visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, music, pizza, ice cream, and gifts at the Cedar Grove Elks Lodge #2237 Christmas Party on December 3 at St. Catherine’s of Siena School in Cedar Grove. On December 18, West Essex UNICO catered a Christmas dinner for 30 of The Arc of Essex County’s residents and staff at the West Caldwell, Green Avenue, Verona, and Cedar Grove group [...]

Participants in The Arc of Essex County’s recreation programs enjoyed a collection of different holiday-themed activities throughout the month of December. On December 4, the group shopped at the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne to purchase holiday gifts before they shared a meal together at the food court. The Holiday Lights Spectacular on December 11 showcased beautiful twinkling lights at Jenkinson’s Aquarium in Point Pleasant. The Arc participants had a wonderful time viewing the holiday displays, exploring the sweet shop and gift shop, and having a meal together. To close out the bustling season, an Ugly Sweater Cookie Swap on December 18 featured “ugly” [...]

The Arc of Essex County received a $9,855 grant from Blue Foundry Charitable Foundation, which will support new programming at Studio Arc. The funding will support classes such as Music and Movement for toddlers and young children, Saturday Kids Art for children ages 6 to 12, and Teen Art Sessions for youth ages 13 to 20. This innovative program will empower individuals of all abilities and interests. The Arc thanks Blue Foundry for its commitment to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and is grateful for the generous contribution to Studio Arc programming.