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Make a generous donation to The Arc of Alachua County's 'Kool Kitchen Capital Campaign' so that The Arc's Employees and and Clients can have a brand new, clean, and fully-functional kitchen and a push-button, wheelchair-accessible front door at its main campus.
The current kitchen at The Arc's main building is old, stinky, dilapidated, uninviting and non-functional for use as an everyday kitchen. The countertops are ugly, the cabinets are old, the flooring is ripping apart and the appliances (from the 1980's) are broken, unusable! It’s a mess!
Such a grungy, non-functioning kitchen makes it impossible for The Arc, its clients and its employees, to start and maintain new programs or services that would benefit them, potentially employ our clients and bring in much-needed revenue.
Help us raise $45,000 to buy & install a new kitchen and new wheelchair-accessible door system at our main campus so that we can begin to offer new programs and new services to better serve our clients and employees.
Here are 3 easy ways to donate to The Arc's 'Kool Kitchen Campaign’:
Remember; all donations to The Arc of Alachua County and to the 'Kool Kitchen Capital Campaign’ are 100% tax-deductible and make a great Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa gift for the Holidays!
The Arc closed its main campus and Day Program from October 9 - October 11, 2024 due to severe weather associated with Hurricane Milton. Thankfully, The Arc emerged unscathed from Milton as it experienced no power outages, no structural damage and no injuries to clients or employees.
There are no clients or employees currently testing positive for COVID. We continue to have success battling COVID among our clients and employees. Staff members on our Safety & Supervision Committee kept Day Program open this past month (except for Hurricane Milton closure noted above) and will keep Day Program open next month from November 1 - November 30, 2024.
The Arc is aggressively recruiting DSPs and Maintenance Specialists. We currently have 40 DSP vacancies, down significantly from 75 in July 2022.
Lead copy on our website reflects the need to fill vacancies in these following mission-critical positions: Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and Maintenance Specialists. Weekly social media messaging on the need for qualified people to fill these positions goes out on all Arc social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
A New Employee Training Session begins on Monday, November 4, 2024.
Members of our Safety & Supervision and Transitions Committees continue to work closely with Leadership to identify potential new clients for our 10 residential vacancies.
The Arc is working to increase the daily Day Program attendance to 125.
The Arc's 3rd Annual Arts & Crafts Expo is coming on Saturday, December 14, 2024 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at our main campus access from Santa Fe College.
This event follows on the heels of our first two fairs in 2022 and 2023; events that allowed adults and children with developmental disabilities to display - and sell - their artwork and craft pieces to the public. The Expo will feature food, drinks and live music. The Arc needs our generous donors, supporters, friends and fans to come through with a donation to our time-limited capital campaign to raise $6,000 to offset the costs of the Expo.
If you would like to donate to the ‘Arts & Crafts Expo' at The Arc on December 14, 2024, there are three ways to do so:
Pay for a 'Booth Without A Table' for $14 or 'Pay for a 'Booth With A Table' for $16 online at SQUARE UP using your credit card.
For more information on registering for a booth - with or without a table - to the Expo, or to register for a booth at the event online, click below.
Contact Anthony Bowman in The Arc's HR Department at abowman@arcalachua.org or at 352-334-4060 ext. 114
If you have more questions or want more details on positions available at The Arc of Alachua County, please contact Anthony Bowman, at 352-334-4060 ext. 114 or at abowman@arcalachua.org.
The 2024 Annual Meeting brought a throng of guests to The Village on October 22nd in celebration of The Arc’s 58th anniversary of service to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD).
The standing room only audience was enthralled by the song stylings of Arc Employee Patricia Williams (photo below) who sang Hero and Lean On Me. When finished, Patricia got a standing ovation.
Arc CEO Mark A. Swain and Arc Board President Cathy Costello led guests through the evening’s program.
The Arc announced a number of very special winners of individual awards including:
The Arc thanks all of its incredibly generous individual, table & event sponsors for bringing this annual extravaganza to fruition:
The PWS-USA Florida Chapter's Spring Meeting at The Arc on Saturday, April 20th was a huge success.
The event was blessed with great weather, caring volunteers, generous benefactors and, most importantly, families dedicated to advocating and supporting people with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). The event was a huge success due to the plans, preparations and partnership between PWS-USA's Florida Chapter and The Arc.
The Arc thanks Desiree Giuliano and Michelle Torbert from PWS-USA Florida Chapter for their experience, support and helpfulness throughout the entire planning process. It was a pleasure working with them, and the wonderful parents, advocates and young people who I grew to know as strong advocates and good friends. A huge 'shout out' goes out to Dr. Miller and Dr. Tan for their riveting and cutting-edge presentation on PWS, PWS Treatment and Nutrition for People with PWS.
Many of the attendees were families and friends impacted by PWS throughout Florida and beyond. All of these 'new faces' got to see what a great PWS Program looks like, under the leadership of incredibly passionate and intelligent experts like Dr. Miller, Dr. Tan, Mark A. Swain and dedicated Arc employees and behavior analysts.
Most of all, I thank our Arc clients with PWS and those families who traveled from far away and who were unfamiliar with The Arc, who got to learn about our programs, services and group homes dedicated to supporting people with PWS. Everyone had an incredible time and were comforted by the knowledge that The Arc of Alachua County is here to help people with PWS when needed.
One-hundred golfers, forty sponsors and vendors, and thirty-six volunteers converged on Hawkstone Golf & Country Club on Friday, April 5th for the 26th Annual Bob Rose Golf Scramble benefitting The Arc of Alachua County and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This year's event ended up being the biggest fundraiser ever and took place under gorgeous sunny skies at Hawkstone Golf & Country Club.
Bob Rose once again lent his name to this year's event, and our premier sponsors, SKY Radio 97.3 FM and Infotech, led the way again with our other sponsors and vendors in supporting The Arc's signature event (see the sponsor banner below).
Just a couple of points worth mentioning: no one shot a Hole-In-One at the tricky par 3 hole No. 8 (so no one went home with a Kia Telluride from SE Car Agency) and no one hit a Hole-in-One at the par 3 No. 13 (so no one won a $25,000 cruise to the Galapagos Islands from Cruise Planner, Inc). Maybe next year?
Also of note, the winning bid on the 3-night, 4-day vacation stay on the beach in Orange Beach, Alabama (courtesy of Norman & Rhonda Lier) came from Stephen Tanner for $1,000.
The winning score of 51 was delivered by the foursome of Nick DeConna, Dwaine Bush, Stoney Smith and Logan Smith (see photo above).
Bob Rose spoke prior to the shotgun start, and Arc President/CEO Mark A. Swain and Adele Elchert spoke afterwards, thanking all our golfers and sponsors.
All in all, it was a fitting way to celebrate a 26-year legacy of love, support and partnership known as The Bob Rose Golf Scramble.
Bicyclists representing Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. rolled onto The Arc's main campus as part of the 2024 Gear Up Florida/Ability Experience Friendship Visit. This 'client-favorite' event brings together Arc clients, employees, visitors and community VIPs for a day of food, fellowship and fun. The Gainesville stop was just one of many for these bicyclists who bike nearly 1,000 miles from Miami to Tallahassee in the month of May to help raise money and awareness for people with developmental disabilities.
The May 21st visit included a police escort by Santa Fe College's Police Department, a photo shoot, a client autograph session, a luncheon catered by David’s BBQ, and a dance led by Mr. October DJ, Michael Davis.
After leaving The Arc, bicyclists enjoyed an afternoon of swimming and relaxation at the gorgeous Gainesville Health & Fitness Center, dinner from Satchel’s Pizza, and bedding down at Trinity United Methodist Church. The bikers headed off early the next morning for their next stop - Jacksonville.
The Arc of Alachua County thanks all of our vendors, sponsors, clients, employees, and bicyclists representing Gear Up Florida/The Ability Experience for a fabulous event.
We look forward to seeing you all in May 2025!
ATTENTION: The Arc of Alachua County offers shredding drop off service two (2) days per week: Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Alachua County residents can drop off their shredding at our main campus across from Santa Fe College on any Monday or Wednesday of the week from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. This expanded drop off service will be offered each week on Monday and Wednesday only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Arc's main campus at 3303 NW 83rd St.
The fee for shredding will remain $0.32/lb. Residents are reminded, however, that we no longer offer 'Free Shred Wednesdays' on any Wednesday of the month. The Arc also asks that visitors who bring their shredding into The Arc on a Monday or a Wednesday to park in one of the VISITOR spots at the front of the building and to walk into the front lobby where they can ask for assistance from a member of our Gone4Ever (G4E) shredding crew. Do not, under any circumstances, drive to the back of our campus with your shredding without communicating to the people in our front lobby of your intention to drop off your shredding!
ALERT: The Arc asks for the cooperation of all residents dropping off their paper for shredding on Mondays & Wednesdays to remove all non-paper material. The Arc's Gone4Ever (G4E) Shredding Program has seen an abundance of non-paper material in the boxes, bags and containers people are using to transport their papers. Over the past few weeks, our shred team has seen hand lotion, shoes, sweaters, shirts, diapers, electronic devices and other 'non-paper' material in containers, bags and boxes that are supposed to contain paper only. Please remember that our drop off shredding service on Mondays & Wednesdays is for PAPER ONLY! Leave all other non-paper material at home, or find another vendor to handle it.
Leaders from Audacy/WSKY Radio, 97.3 FM, along with Arc clients and leaders celebrated Earth Day 2024 by planting a Southern Magnolia Tree in The Arc's Garden at the main campus.
Service project volunteers heard remarks from SKY Radio Legend Bob Rose and Arc Development & PR Director, Mark Johnson. After their remarks, the volunteers were put to work planting the Magnolia Tree; a tree symbolizing caring, comfort and hospitality.
The dedication was a sweet, simple and successful Earth Day event, one that highlights the very 'special relationship' between The Arc and our great friends at Audacy!
Hear our latest radio spot featuring CEO/President Mark Swain.
LiveScan provides fingerprinting, screening and photo capture services by appointment only at our main campus, 3303 NW 83rd St. (across from Santa Fe College), every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
LiveScan appointments can be scheduled from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
LiveScan does not accept walk-ins at this time.
LiveScan keeps The Arc's main campus safe for staff and customers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We are only allowing one (1) LiveScan guest to wait in our lobby at a time. Each LiveScan guest will be greeted by The Arc receptionist. Upon entering the lobby, he or she will tell our receptionist at the main desk that he/she is here for his/her LiveScan fingerprinting. The LiveScan guest will then be seated in our front lobby until The Arc's LiveScan staff member escorts him/her into the building and to his/her appointment.
LiveScan fingerprints are done quickly, locally and reasonably, so please call The Arc’s Front Desk at 352-334-4050 ext. 2 to schedule yours.
LiveScan information is easy to find, just click the LEARN MORE button below.
The Arc of Alachua County is a community based organization committed to providing a continuum of exemplary services, supports, and advocacy to assure that people with developmental disabilities can enjoy respect and dignity and be full participants in the community.
The Arc of Alachua County is a community based organization committed to providing a continuum of exemplary services, supports, and advocacy to assure that people with developmental disabilities can enjoy respect and dignity and be full participants in the community.
The Arc has a rich history spanning 60 years and marked by accomplishment. We continue to carry out the mission and vision of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their parents and siblings.
Over the last 60 years, The Arc has grown and adapted to the changes that people with disabilities face across their life span. Through the decades, The Arc has seen several name changes, advocated for the passage of state and federal legislation on behalf of people with disabilities and established a broad network of state and local chapters that range from small voluntary groups to large, professional organizations.
Although much has changed for those that we serve, we always try to raise awareness, supporters, and always help improve the lives of the intellectually and developmentally disabled.
I am sure it is no surprise to you, but people always want to know what we have been up to around The Arc and at our events. Our followers on facebook get to see quite a few or our pictures, but the rest of you are left in the dark.
Well even though everyone should be our fans on facebook, we still decided to put up a gallery of images to show some of the highlights from the major events we have had this year.
Every year we hold several events we consider picture worthy. But dont worry, you will probably see some other, "non event" pictures sneak in as well. If you have a good picture you would like to share, stop by The Arc and let us scan it and share it as well.
We hope to keep the new gallery up to date throughout the year, so check back and enjoy.
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