Hundreds Learn How The Arc Improves Lives at Summit of Hope 2019

On Tuesday, October 1, the 13th Annual Summit of Hope Community Awareness Event and fundraiser was held at the Arvada Center for The Arts. We invited as many people as possible who didn’t yet know about the essential nature of our work and its transformative impact on our community. Throughout the program, we explored this very question: What would life be like without The Arc? Three courageous families told of their journeys from fear and despair to having hope and optimism for the future after connecting with The Arc. 

Summit of Hope was a tremendous boost for our campaign to raise $75,000 for advocacy. You, too, can help ensure that people with I/DD continue to have the right support, at the right time, by making a donation today. 100% of your donation will support families, friends and neighbors in Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties. 

We are in the process of building a “virtual Summit” online that will contain the highlights of our event, so that you can experience it, too! We’ll send notice in an upcoming The Arc in Motion e-mail when it's been posted live.
Teen LifeAbility Is Back!
 
At The Arc we believe teens deserve a place to be themselves and explore their interests. Teen LifeAbility offers that experience. Understanding what teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) want to learn more about and experience will help us design empowering sessions that they will enjoy. 
 
On October 17, 2019 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, we’re inviting teens and their parents to join us for Coffee House at Panera Bread at 650 S. Wadsworth Blvd. (at W. Center Avenue) in Lakewood. We look forward to reconnecting and chatting with teens (and their parents!) about their interests and visions for future Teen LifeAbility sessions. 
 
Once we identify the topics of interest, The Arc Outreach team will begin planning for a Teen LifeAbility Session in December. Stay Tuned! 
 
A little about Coffee House...
Coffee House occurs on the third Thursday of every month. Adults with I/DD and other members of The Arc community gather at Panera Bread to enjoy some coffee, food and conversation. Next month, we’d like to invite teens to gather in their own nook, or join the usual suspects at Coffee House, and there’s room for parents to do the same!
 
What is Teen LifeAbility?
Patterned after our thriving LifeAbility series which supports Ability in adults with I/DD to create more self-directed, fulfilling Lives , Teen LifeAbility is made up of events designed for teens with I/DD to:
  • Make friends
  • Find, and be role models
  • Learn to speak up for themselves effectively
  • Build confidence and independence
  • See their own potential & have aspirations for the future
 
Who is Teen LifeAbility for?
Teens with intellectual & developmental disabilities (I/DD) between the ages of 14 – 18 and their parent(s)/guardian(s) are invited. 
 
There is no charge for this program thanks to the many wonderful members of The Arc community who invested in this vision! 
 
To learn more about Teen LifeAbility, visit our website .  
Five Minutes to Help Us Serve You Better
 
Thanks for keeping in touch with The Arc - Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties! As our office expands, we’re looking to share more stories, photos and social media posts about The Arc's community. 
 
If you haven't already, please fill out a 5 minute survey to help us learn more about you, your connection to The Arc and the types of communications you read. We will take the information from this survey to make our communications more relevant and helpful to our community. 
 
The survey is anonymous. We will not share any of your information with a third party. 
 
You may complete and submit the survey through Tuesday, October 15, 2019.  
 
Thank you for your time. We are so grateful to have you as a part of The Arc's community! 
Webinar: Promoting Competitive Employment Opportunities for People with I/DD

Employment is a critical part of community inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). For youth, a smooth transition from education to employment is equally essential and a monumental milestone. Securing and maintaining employment helps many people achieve independence in their communities, but there are often barriers for people with I/DD to overcome.

In the US, employment rates and educational achievement rates for people with I/DD continue to fall behind compared to individuals without disabilities, despite the efforts of some state and local agencies to address these issues through policy, advocacy and programs.

Join The Arc for this webinar on Tuesday, October 15 at 12:00 PM. It will address employment challenges, deliver skill building activities and provide tools and resources for searching and getting competitive employment for people with I/DD. 

Click here to register!
Important Change to the Fair Housing Act —  Make A Comment Today!

The Administration has proposed changes to the Fair Housing Act (FHA) that will limit the ability of people with disabilities to live in the community. Please click here to learn more about the proposed changes to the FHA.

Click here to submit a comment to The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) telling the agency that you OPPOSE its harmful proposal.

It's easy! All you need to do is:

  1. Go to this website
  2. Fill out your contact information
  3. In the section where you see the pre-written comment for you, insert the following paragraph somewhere in the template. Be sure to edit what is in bold:

"Disparate impact means the burden would shift from the landlord to people with disabilities to prove why they need tools, equipment and adaptations to their living environments, such as grab bars, in order to live independently. As a person with a disability (or caregiver, parent, etc.) it is obvious why people with disabilities, people aging in place and parents of children with disabilities, need environmental modifications and assistive devices. The current rule supports their need for environmental modifications and assistive devices. The rule change will force more people with disabilities, who could live independently with tools, equipment and adaptations to their living environments, into nursing homes and assisted living, rather than remaining in their own rental homes and apartments. This will also interfere with older adults who wish to age in place and will force many of them into nursing homes and assisted living as well. Further, the rule change will make it more difficult for parents of children with disabilities and chronic conditions, who also need environmental modifications, to manage their children's needs."

Comments are due Friday, October 18 by 9:59 PM.
Vote for The Arc!

West Metro Chamber is hosting the 2nd Annual Women’s Summit of the Rockies on November 13, 2019. They start with a national keynote speaker from FranklinCovey, offer two breakout sessions (three topics to choose from for each session) and end with their Cocktails for Charity – sponsored by Foothills Credit Union. 

For their Cocktails for Charity, West Metro Chamber has created an online poll with all of their nonprofit members, including The Arc. They ask for you to cast your vote for your favorite nonprofit and at the end of the event, they will award the two organizations with the most votes with a check for $500 each!

Please support The Arc - Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties and vote!

Hey Lucky's Market Shoppers!

Are you looking for a simple way to support The Arc? Next time you grocery shop, go to Lucky's Market on Wadsworth! There's only ONE MONTH left!

From now through November 9th, we’re one of three Lucky's Market Bags for Change partners.

All you need to do is bring your reusable grocery bags and at checkout the cashier will give you a wooden dime for each. Before leaving the store you’ll see the Bags for Change display (pictured). Just drop your dimes in the slot with our name. Then, in November, Lucky’s Market will add up what the community has donated, and make a donation to us for double the amount!

Be sure to stop by Lucky's Market, and don't forget to bring your bags!
Are You on Social Media? Connect with The Arc Today!

Stay up to date with what’s happening at The Arc by connecting with us on social media! Click here to find us on Twitter, click here to find us on Facebook, and click here to find us on Instagram!
Want to be even more connected? Check out our website here !