Dear Esther,
We're excited to bring back our Friends of the Arc Newsletter to share the latest news from The Arc San Francisco!
I'm writing to you as the Interim Executive Director during Kristen Pedersen's maternity leave. Our biggest news is that Bridgette Georgia Pedersen was born a few weeks ago and she and her parents are all doing well. Hooray!
The Arc SF is doing well and thriving. More and more participants are returning to in-person services, Friends Like Me in-person programming is back, and ArtReach has reopened in a beautiful new space in Burlingame.
We've made great strides toward the goals in our Strategic Plan, too, increasing staff pay and benefits, expanding our advocacy, and launching new programming.
One of our goals was to make our communications more accessible, too, providing translations into Spanish and Chinese, and having live Spanish, Chinese, and ASL interpretation at our events. We're doing it! Our website offers a translation widget and we are working to ensure it is also fully accessible to screen readers. Let us know what you think or if you have any language requests.
Please enjoy reading the articles in this issue and let us know what you think!
Warmly,
Esther Landau
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The Arc San Francisco Updates it's Mask Policy | |
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The Arc San Francisco will make masking optional for all staff and participants starting on May 15th, now that the state of California no longer requires face masks to be worn in healthcare facilities and other high-risk settings.
The Arc San Francisco has determined that it is safe to follow this guidance and make masking optional. You can review our updated Masking, Vaccination and Exposure Policy linked here.
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The Arc San Francisco is hiring! | |
Image Description: Digital image of Arc staff at a resource fair. Two wear orange shirts that read:
Ask Me, I'm an Arc Ally.
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As a person-centered organization, The Arc SF collaborates with, supports, and amplifies the voices of people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
We are creative, flexible, and welcoming to all, promoting equity and infusing all our work with a disability justice perspective.
Bringing this work to life requires passion, skills, and perspectives from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Do you have what it takes? Join us and make a difference in the fight for inclusion!
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Image Description: Digital images of Arc Marin participants PJ and Demelza boarding a public bus. | |
A severe shortage of drivers in Marin has caused Arc participants such as PJ to experience long van transfers to and from The Arc Marin. The van service, Marin Access has been inconsistent, and PJ has had to wait up to an hour for a pickup. To overcome these difficulties, the team at Marin has been teaching participants how to use public transportation.
PJ was not only introduced to the public transportation system but was also demonstrated how to walk to a number of locations within a short distance from home. He has been able to get around on his own after 8 weeks with great success.
It’s important to recognize the difficulties that people with disabilities experience when relying on public transportation and van transfers. The Arc Marin is delighted to continue its transportation education program.
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The Arc San Francisco Visits City Hall | |
Image Description: Digital image of Arc participants posing with Supervisor Hillary Ronen. | |
On March 1st, members of The Arc SF's Speech Writing class visited San Francisco's City Hall to meet with its Board of Supervisors. We could only connect directly with Supervisor Hillary Ronen.
We spent 30 minutes in her office addressing the issues of particular importance to the class members. Topics discussed included homelessness, public safety, public transportation, and the importance of funding disability services. Supervisor Ronen was very attentive and open to hearing our perspectives.
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Workforce Development Participants meet London Breed | Image Description: Digital image of SF Mayor London Breed greeting Arc participants outside the Ferry Building. | |
Participants in The Arc's workforce development program and hundreds of job seekers attended an employment fair held at the San Francisco Ferry Building on April 12. Approximately 80 employers from the local area attended with the intention of interviewing and hiring potential employees.
Mayor London Breed personally met with Arc participants and discussed with them their career goals. Click here to read more about the event and catch us at the 50 second mark of the video!
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The Arc is More than Just a Place! | |
Image Description: Animated image of Leo B., a participant at The Arc for more than 40 years. Click the image to view her video highlight. | |
This year's Arc Breakfast, themed "The Arc is More than Just a Place," returned to the Julia Morgan Ballroom in person on March 16, and we celebrated the collaborative community of participants, families, employers, and circles of support working together to provide accessibility, inclusion, and advocacy for disability justice in Marin, Burlingame, the East Bay, and throughout San Francisco.
Thanks to you, our sponsors, and supporters, we exceeded our target goal of $143,000!
Check out our full program here, or click on the thumbnail to see our feature on participant Leo, who has been part of The Arc community for over 40 years.
Thanks again to Peridot Productions, Flipbird Films, and The Julia Morgan Ballroom for helping us produce and host an incredible event!
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Join us at our second Speaker Panel on Thursday, May 4th!
We are excited to announce our next speaker panel focused on conservatorship.
Our discussion will be led by self-advocate, Heather Ostrau and joined by Zoe Brennan-Krohn, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union from 6pm-7pm.
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The Arc SF ArtReach Studios present: Upcycling Fashion
On Wednesday, May 10, ArtReach will present "Upcycling Fashion", a fashion show featuring our own Arc participants!
The designs will be showcased on the catwalk, and we're looking forward to showcasing our brand-new space in Burlingame!
Admission is free and snacks and drinks will be available!
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The Arc SF and Pulse Present:
The Pulse Party: Disco Fever
We invite you to join Arc participants, volunteers, and members of Pulse of the Arc, our young professional council, for a night of dancing on Friday, May 19th!
We will have drinks for purchase and free snacks, so you can keep your energy up while having a great time. Additionally, there will be a raffle that you won't want to miss.
Please RSVP today! Admission is only $20, and all proceeds from tickets, drinks, and the raffle will be donated to The Arc.
We hope to see you there!
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The Arc San Francisco I San Francisco I Marin County I San Mateo County
Main Campus: 1500 Howard St. SF, CA 94103 | 415.255.7200 | www.thearcsf.org
OUR MISSION To partner with adults with developmental disabilities as they design their futures and transform our communities through lifelong learning and self-determination.
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