IN THIS ISSUE...
  • 60 Voices That Shine - #37 Lloyd Lewis
  • Look To Education To Prevent Deadly Escalation
  • Focus Group: Secondary Transition Planning
  • “Born For Business” – New Must-See Television
  • Emergency Financial Help For Broadband
Lloyd Lewis - #37

Few people are as driven as Lloyd Lewis, president and CEO of arc Thrift Stores, a nonprofit organization created to fund chapters of The Arc in Colorado. For many years, he was driven to succeed in his financial career that included municipal investment banking, IBM, and CFO of a tech company.
 
During those years, Lloyd had no involvement in the disability world. That all changed when he and his wife learned in August of 2003 that their newborn son Kennedy had Down syndrome.
 
Lloyd learned that kids with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) grew up at home with their families and thrived. He envisioned the same for his son. In fact, he said that he never went through the typical grieving process that most parents of kids with IDD experience. Lloyd knew that Kennedy would have a great life from day one, and he was driven to help make that happen.
 
In May 2005, Lloyd was recruited to be CFO at arc Thrift. When Lloyd later became CEO, the number of employees with IDD skyrocketed—it grew from 10 in 2005 to 350 in 2021! Today arc Thrift Stores is a tremendously successful social enterprise where people with IDD can find meaningful work. The stores’ success led Lloyd to create arc Academy over a decade ago, where employees with disabilities come to learn, socialize, and give back to their communities. CLICK HERE to learn more about arc Academy.
 
In 2003, the stores brought in $30 million in revenue; they’re currently on track to bring in over $100 million. This impressive growth has allowed the funding that flows to the now 15 Colorado Chapters of The Arc to increase. Lloyd is a Colorado Business Round Table member and was nominated for Colorado Biz Magazine’s CEO of the Year last year.
 
Kennedy, now 18, has a loving, gentle, and kind personality. He loves animated movies and would always have his birthdays at Chuck E. Cheese. He and his dad have the same taste in movies and food. Lloyd advocated hard for Kennedy to be included in general education in high school. He’s currently a junior at Cherry Creek HS, attending multiple “mainstream” classes, and he plays unified basketball and soccer. He and his best friend love to tell each other knock-knock jokes.
 
Since Kennedy’s birth, Lloyd Lewis has never stopped using his voice to promote employment, education, socialization, and community service opportunities for people with IDD. He also promotes scientific research, advocated for access to COVID vaccines, access to housing, and much more.
 
Lloyd has effectively used his voice to create more awareness of arc Thrift's distribution of 100 tons of food to the needy, as well as its recycling, vehicle donation, voucher, and volunteer programs. What he’s most driven to do though is to make sure that Kennedy and everyone like him can have fulfilling lives and successful futures.
 
At our chapter, we’re grateful that Lloyd continues to be driven to support people with IDD. We cherish our partnership with him and arc Thrift. We encourage everyone to donate and shop there with a purpose! CLICK HERE to go to arc Thrift to learn more about this amazing organization that is so much more than thrift.
 
CLICK HERE to view a documentary called “Visible,” which is about the arc Ambassador program. It was created through a partnership between arc Thrift and CU Denver and will be shown at the Denver Film Festival.  
 
To see all of the “60 Voices That Shine” featured thus far or for more information about our 60th Anniversary, CLICK HERE.
Look To Education To Prevent Deadly Escalation

In crisis situations with law enforcement, sometimes things can escalate out of control. When a person with an intellectual or developmental disability is a suspected perpetrator, the chances of that become even greater. And since one in three people with IDD also has mental health challenges, the combination can make a crisis situation turn deadly, as was the case with Alex Domina.
 
Alex is a 19-year-old Loveland man who has an intellectual disability. On Monday, August 16, he was experiencing a mental health crisis, and his grandmother called 911. She explained that Alex wasn’t a threat to anyone, and he hadn't hurt anyone, but she needed assistance. When police arrived, the situation escalated after Alex went into the house and got a knife. He was shot three times and remains in critical condition. CLICK HERE to read more about this tragic event, and the further information that was released by police, the family, and their lawyer.
 
This is not the first incident of deadly escalation involving a person with IDD. Various chapters of The Arc in our state take part in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) to help prevent these tragedies. The training educates law enforcement officers on the different developmental disabilities, how to recognize them, and the ways to interact more effectively with people exhibiting these behaviors.
 
Our chapter of The Arc has been participating in CIT with local municipal departments who are eager to be well-prepared to deal successfully with crisis situations involving people with IDD. You can access some of this valuable information on our website, CLICK HERE. We value our partnership with area law enforcement in working toward a safer community, and we believe education is essential in keeping people of all abilities safe and sound.
Focus Group: Secondary Transition Planning

You can help the Colorado Department of Education gather insights into understanding this secondary transition planning process by participating in a focus group. The goal is to understand the needs of parents and families as they start to navigate the secondary education transition process for youth ages 15 to 21. Transition planning is required and usually starts much earlier than you might think.
 
All focus groups will be held virtually and there are two sessions coming up:
 
September 22 from Noon – 1 PM
September 22 from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Spanish)
 
Registration is required, CLICK HERE to register. CDE would really appreciate your participation. Note that they do require at least a two-week advanced registration, so don’t delay. If you have any questions, you can contact Gail Lott at [email protected].
"Born For Business" - New Must-See Television

From the makers of “Born This Way,” an Emmy-winning series featuring young adults with Down syndrome, “Born For Business” is your end-of-summer must-see television. The debut of Peacock’s new series features four individuals with different disabilities – including Collette Divitto, who was born with Down syndrome.
 
No one would hire Collette after she graduated college. So, she sought out her own career pathway which led her to starting Collettey’s Cookies. Her business employs others with disabilities and has sold more than 300,000 cookies to date. For a sneak peek at the series, you can view the trailer, CLICK HERE.
 
This 10-part series can be streamed on Peacock.com (CLICK HERE), with commercials, if you sign up for a free Peacock account. Tune in tonight or whenever you need a dose of inspiration.
Emergency Financial Help For Broadband

If you want to view “Born For Business” on Peacock, you need broadband to stream the show. But many people cannot afford broadband service, especially those living on fixed incomes.
 
That’s where the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program comes in. This is an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) program that provides discounts, temporarily, for broadband services for qualifying households. This program is in place until six months after the COVID-19 health emergency is declared over or when funds run out.
 
Eligibility criteria includes income at or below 135% of the federal poverty line and/or qualification for lifeline benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid. CLICK HERE to see if you qualify.
 
Benefit options include:
  • Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
 
Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household. CLICK HERE to enroll.
 
Broadband has been a lifeline during the pandemic. It helped keep people connected to one another, provided entertainment, as well as gave access to news and health information related to COVID. If you struggle to pay your bill for an Internet connection or need a new device, look into this program for some much-needed financial relief!