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Most of what The Arc Mid-South did in 2025 didn't come with a headline. It was math worksheets on Tuesday mornings in the L.E.T.S. classroom. It was loading up the car and driving to a resource fair, setting up a table, explaining what we do to families who'd never heard of us, packing up, and driving back. It was filing conservatorship paperwork for families who can't afford an attorney. It was sitting on hold with TennCare for the third time that day. It was showing up to an IEP meeting and sitting there for two hours so a parent wouldn't be alone in a room full of district staff. It was our staff spending the weekend with someone so the parent who cares for them every day could finally rest. The gala celebrating 75 years of service was one night. The rest of the year was ordinary. Ordinary is what we do. Ordinary is what your membership pays for. Not the headlines or the newsworthy events, but the 12 months of showing up when nobody's watching and nothing makes the newsletter. If you're still a member, thank you. If you've lapsed, please come back. Our work doesn't stop.
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This month, L.E.T.S. students practiced the skills that go into looking put together: sorting laundry by color so you don't end up with pink socks, ironing a shirt safely, hanging clothes so they're still presentable the next morning. Instructors Vivian Douglas and Mildred Shores walked students through each skill until they had it.
Watch L.E.T.S. students practicing life skills The semester ended with a matinee at Theatre Memphis for the 48th annual production of A Christmas Carol. Theatre Memphis has supported The Arc Mid-South's mission for years, and now L.E.T.S. students got to experience what they help make possible.
Photo courtesy of Theatre Memphis After the show, the group celebrated with a Christmas brunch at IHOP on Showcase Boulevard. Their server Wendy went out of her way to welcome our students and left them a thank-you note.
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Thank you to everyone who gave to our Clear the List campaign. $1,055 came in for the L.E.T.S. classroom in December. Donors funded what keeps the room running: hygiene supplies that run out, art materials and stationery students use every week, a sensory kit that helps students when they feel overwhelmed, and an iPad that'll make communication easier. The L.E.T.S. classroom is one of the only programs in Memphis for adults who aged out of special education at 22. Over 15 students show up three days a week for literacy, life skills, and vocational training. Forty more are waiting to get in. That momentum put us within reach of the technology that will take instruction further:
If you can cover one, that's one fewer thing we're chasing.
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The Arc Mid-South hosted a holiday dinner at Coletta's Restaurant on December 9 to thank the people who made this year possible. Board members, longtime supporters, and volunteers who helped pull off the 75th anniversary came together for an evening of food, stories, and the kind of teasing that only happens when people have worked side by side for years.
Board members, donors, volunteers, and staff members at the holiday dinner Board member Kathleen Gomes got emotional when she spoke about Executive Director Carlene Leaper and what she's meant to the organization across 45 years. Forty-five years of IEP meetings, advocacy fights, and standing by families who called The Arc when they had nowhere else to go. After a year of resource fairs, L.E.T.S. programming, advocacy work, and a gala that brought Memphis out in force, the holiday party was a chance to sit down together and simply say thank you. |
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The Arc Mid-South opened the office for a holiday celebration on December 19. DSPs came through between shifts. People we serve dropped by with family. Everyone left with hearty food and bags of goodies.
Staff members and families we serve enjoying holiday gathering This month, we recognized three direct support professionals for excellence: Clara Prince, Robin Stevenson, and Linda Roberson. We also recognized Celestine Alsobrooks for most improved. DSPs are the ones who show up at people's homes, help with daily living, and make independence possible. Thank you to everyone who came through. See you in 2026. |
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SAVE THE DATE February 25, 2026 Disability Day on the Hill
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