The children at Stepping Stones School celebrated their first holiday season in their new school building, and put a fresh spin on familiar school traditions. The annual holiday party on December 12 welcomed families of the children in the Early Intervention and school programs, and included a holiday music dance party, refreshments, gifts from the Candle Lighters, and a visit from Santa himself! On December 17, students from The Deron School of New Jersey visited Stepping Stones for their annual collaboration. The Deron students helped guide the Stepping Stones children as they completed a wooden snowman craft together. The day also featured [...]

Dozens of families registered for The Arc of Essex County and The Arc of New Jersey’s second “Wings for All” event at Newark Liberty Airport, which was held on Saturday, December 7. Families had an opportunity to go through a low-stakes visit to the airport in a “test run” that gave individuals with IDD the chance to run through the various stages of an airport trip and identify any pain points for families. The event was supported by United Airlines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Transportation Security Administration, and Munich Terminal A at Newark Liberty [...]

Continuing the musical tradition, singers from the United Presbyterian Church of Lyndhurst visited The Arc of Essex County’s SYA Day Program on December 18 for a morning of singing holiday carols with day program participants. With The Twelve Days of Christmas as a highlight, the singers and musicians from United Presbyterian led songs and took requests, performing toe-tapping hits such as Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and more mellow tunes like Silent Night. A rotating assortment of Day Program singers, bell-ringers, and tambourine-tappers led their peers from the front of the room, while others sang and played instruments from their seats [...]

The children who participate in The Arc of Essex County’s programs kept a busy schedule in December. Special activities included: Visiting the “Magic of Lights” holiday light show at PNC Bank Arts Center on December 7 A Children’s Saturday Respite holiday shopping excursion and an inventive “gift wrap fashion show,” where children and staff created accessories out of holiday wrapping paper Parents’ Night Out on December 13, complete with holiday crafts and activities Interactive Communi-Play events on December 7 and 21 at Studio Arc, where children ages 2.5 to 5 played games that help build communication skills A free trial class of a new Social [...]

Throughout December, the residents in The Arc of Essex County group homes enjoyed a mix of festivities at home and fun adventures in the community. Some highlights include: West Essex UNICO provided a Christmas dinner for 30 residents and staff at the West Caldwell, Green Avenue, and Cedar Grove group homes and the Verona Apartment Program on December 19. The Arc is so grateful for UNICO’s continued generosity. Residents from the Belleville, Cedar Grove, and Green Avenue group homes and Verona Apartments attended the Cedar Grove Elks’ holiday party on December 9. In addition to receiving a delicious meal, they had the [...]

The Day Programs have been busy enjoying the holiday season, with each celebrating the December holidays with their own version of parties and activities. In addition: Participants in our Entrepreneurship Club held a pop-up shop at The Arc of Essex County’s main office, where they sold an assortment of holiday gifts that they had handcrafted at Studio Arc, including cards, candles, soaps, and more. Artists from Bridges, OZ, SYA, and West Caldwell Hub created new and innovative art at Studio Arc, including self-portraits, chalk gingerbread houses, and expressionist paintings. SYA hosted singers from the United Presbyterian Church for a holiday sing-along (click here [...]

During the month of December, the adults participating in The Arc of Essex County’s Recreation Programs enjoyed a variety of fun activities, including: A Winter WonderLights drive-through show on December 1, where participants experienced the magic of more than 1.5 million lights animated to holiday music, including tunnels and giant displays “Holly Jolly Shopping and Lunch” at the Willowbrook Mall, where shoppers could purchase holiday gifts for their loved ones before gathering for a meal together Giftwrapping and Carols at Opportunity Zone, where folks learned how to best wrap the items they brought with them while singing favorite holiday tunes Bowling trips to Bowlero [...]