Category: The Guardian

The Arc of Essex County Remembers Scott Ovsiew, with a photo of a man in a light blue shirt.

The Arc of Essex County Remembers Scott Ovsiew

It is with great sadness that The Arc of Essex County announces the passing of Scott Ovsiew. Scott had been a part of the Arc family since 2010, when he first resided in the Verona Apts. In 2017, Scott moved to the 705 Apartment Program and finally the Belmont Group Home in 2022. He started attending The Arc’s Community Link Day Program in 2016 before joining the West Caldwell Day Program in 2018. Scott was known for his great memory, love for games shows, Target graphic T-shirts, and his preference for Entenmann’s chocolate cake and peanut butter. He made sure [...]

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The Arc of Essex County Remembers Robert Otterbine, with a photo of a man giving a thumbs up in a guitar store.

The Arc of Essex County Remembers Robert Otterbine

With heavy hearts and fond memories, The Arc of Essex County remembers Robert Otterbine, who passed away on his 61st birthday. Robert was a one-of-a-kind spirit—an artist with a witty soul. He was sharp as a tack, especially when it came to a good game of Jeopardy or a round of Hangman. His humor was bold, sometimes mischievous, and always unforgettable. After delivering one of his many jokes, he'd flash a grin and say his signature line: "I have a million of them, hachacha!" Robert lived in the Verona Apartments since 2008, attended West Caldwell Hub, and was a frequent participant [...]

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The Arc of Essex County logo with the text "Residential Corner." Three photos: one of a cream-colored home, one of a light brown brick apartment building, and one of a white and brick home.

May 2025 Residential Corner

For individuals seeking a community living placement, The Arc of Essex County has the following May 2025 openings: (NEW!) Fairfield Apartments (1 Female Vacancy) Luxury apartment living in Fairfield in two-bedroom apartment Supervised apartment setting for an individual on the CCP Access to residential staff in building 24/7 Building features a lounge and game room, as well as another Arc two-bedroom residence Just steps away from Studio Arc Close proximity to shopping and dining West Caldwell Group Home (1 Female Vacancy) Single-family style home in a quaint neighborhood 24/7 supervision All-female home Care given based on individual needs Group enjoys taking day trips together, pursuing hobbies at home, and enjoying backyard picnics Belleville Group [...]

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A group of women sit in a circle of chairs, facing each other and talking.

Healthy Relationships Class Begins for Day Programs

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 [...]

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A group of five young men stand together in front of a body of water, wearing running bibs and shirts that say "Team Brian Strong."

The Arc’s 27th Annual Building Tomorrows Event Coming Up on April 26

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 [...]

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A group of three children look with amazement at bubbles, which they are trying to pop while sitting in their chairs.

Stepping Stones Welcomes Bubbles, Crafts, and Guest Readers

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 [...]

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Men stand alongside an Obie interactive table, playing a game with their hands on the projected screen on the table.

Obie Table Brings Joy to Day Program Participants

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 [...]

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A group of adults stand together in a group, holding a large check written out to The Arc of Essex County.

New Van for Arc Participants

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 [...]

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A group of adults line dance in a large room together

Adult Recreation Roundup

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, [...]

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A group of adults stand together and smile in front of a wall with tribute plaques.

Residential Services Roundup

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 [...]

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