On April 2, a new weekly class was introduced to women in The Arc of Essex County’s Day Programs, aimed at helping participants build and sustain healthy relationships. Using an established and widely praised curriculum, Director of Clinical Supports Erica Friedhoff led a group of seven women from the Opportunity Zone and SYA Day Programs for a small group discussion. The curriculum is evidence-informed and trauma-informed and was developed with the help of self-advocates. For the first meeting, the Healthy Relationships Group set ground rules for their conversations—including listening to each other and being respectful—and discussed what makes a healthy relationship, as well [...]

More than 25 teams have already registered for The Arc of Essex County’s 27th Annual Building Tomorrows 5K Run, Family Walk, and Fun Fest, to be held on Saturday, April 26 at the Clipper Pavilion within the South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange. The Fun Fest is slated to include a cooking station with Chef It Up 2 Go, a bubble experience with OMG Bubbles, roaming characters from My Fairytale Party, a community art piece with Pinot’s Palette, music by the Dancing DJs, and more, featuring fun and engaging opportunities for all ages. Registration is $30 for 5K runners and $10 [...]

Children at Stepping Stones School and their families were treated to a fun and interactive bubble show to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on March 21. Mike from New Jersey Bubble Parties called up volunteers of all ages as he showed off bubble tricks and gave each student, teacher, and family member the opportunity to stand inside a giant bubble. In addition, the school community wore blue and yellow clothing and accessories to represent Down syndrome awareness. That wasn’t the only celebration during the month of March, as the school also welcomed students from the Deron School to work with the [...]

Participants in the Bridges 2 Day Program, within the Opportunity Zone Program Center in Maplewood, wasted no time popping virtual bubbles, winning points, and competing in fun games as they enjoyed the recently installed Obie interactive game table together. The system was purchased thanks to a generous grant from the Maplewood Foundation, and the games and activities on the projection table have become a daily part of life for the Bridges 2 participants. It is also available to the dozens of adults and children who use the OZ facility throughout the week, allowing all ages to enjoy games that are [...]

The Arc of Essex County thanks Essex County for its partnership through Community Development Block Grant program. Recently, the county awarded The Arc $29,500 toward the purchase of a new vehicle for transporting Arc residents and day program participants. The van, a Toyota Sienna hybrid minivan, is easier for many of our program participants to enter and exit, and will not only help The Arc handle the higher volume of day program participants, but also allows for more rotation among Arc vehicles, to reduce wear and tear on the fleet. The Arc thanks Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., as well as [...]

Participants in The Arc of Essex County’s Adult Recreation, Group Respite, and Community Inclusion programs enjoyed a busy March together. Recent activities included: A trip to Beyond the Boogie Dance Company on March 2 in Montclair for an afternoon of line dancing fun A “Matinee and Mingle” on March 9, where moviegoers watched Captain America at AMC Clifton and talked about the movie while out together for a meal afterwards A trip to Somerville for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16 A bustling Hotel Respite Weekend from March 21 to 23 that included bowling, shopping, viewing a play at Plainfield High School, [...]

As the weather has warmed up, residents in The Arc of Essex County group homes and supported-living apartments have enjoyed a variety of activities together: The Irvington Avenue apartments held an international day on March 22, when the staff prepared dishes from their cultures and provided food for the residents to enjoy. The group also learned, danced, and asked questions of staff about the different cultures and music. Oakwood Group Home enjoyed a community outing at the Montclair Art Museum. The ladies of Belleville, Bloomfield, Green, Orange, and West Caldwell group homes gathered for a Girls’ Night In at Studio Arc. The gentleman of [...]