1st Quarter - The Arc of Macomb County

2015 Volume I
The Arc Advocate
For people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities
Special Points of
Interest:
Building on a Strong
Foundation….…1
Christmas Wrap
Update………...……..2
Monthly Dance
Calendar….………….3
Amazon Smiles……..4
Inside Every Issue:
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Do You Know
About...
Spotlight on
Associates
Special Thanks
Upcoming Events
Weekly Events
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as volunteer and
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Information for Members & Friends of The Arc of Macomb County
Building on a Strong Foundation
Happy New Year to one and all! Another year is behind us, and The Arc experienced a lot
of changes in 2014, from top to bottom. Our Board of Directors changed a little bit, with
the retirements of Sandy Williams and Pat Nizza. Sandy and Pat had each served on The
Arc Board of Directors for more than 15 years, serving an instrumental role in pursuing
The Arc’s mission. Although Pat and Sandy officially retired, they continue to assist The
Arc, by providing support and volunteering at Arc fundraisers. Please join us in a heartfelt
“Thank You!” to Pat and Sandy for their years of dedication and service to The Arc. They
will be missed, but we wish them many happy returns and look forward to seeing them at
future events.
Please also join us in welcoming a new Board Member, Michael Kolb. Michael is a
Funeral Director at Harold W. Vick funeral home in Mt. Clemens. Michael previously
worked with The Arc, providing invaluable assistance with after life planning for The Arc’s
clients and members. Michael joined the Board of Directors in December 2014 and
wasted no time in making his presence felt at our Macomb Mall gift wrap fundraiser.
Welcome, Michael, we look forward to working with you on our Board!
In addition to changes on the Board of Directors, The Arc’s long time Executive Director,
Ron Kimball, retired after 38 years of service.
Most of you know Ron personally and know that I could not begin to list his
accomplishments, a list which pales in comparison to the number of lives he has touched.
Ron was known not just for his contributions to the community, but also for his demeanor
and care toward individuals, whether they were clients, employees, peers, vendors, or just
someone he happened to meet. When Ron started at The Arc, The Arc had less than ten
employees. Today, The Arc employs more than 150 people and serves many hundreds of
clients.
Last March, in recognition of his hard work and dedication, The Arc of Oakland presented
its Dove Award for Lifetime Achievement to Ron for his many years of contributions. A
fitting tribute to a deserving person, but it’s by far the end of the story.
True to form, Ron has continued to stay very involved with The Arc, maintaining
relationships, putting in countless hours on fundraisers, and serving on The Arc of
Michigan’s Board of Directors. Ron has been, and always will be, an integral part of The
Arc. I look forward to continuing the legacy Ron has left behind.
The Arc continues to evolve and adapt to changes in the field, enabling us to plan for the
future while remaining true to our mission, assisting and advocating for our clients in the
areas of benefits, housing, staffing, and employment. Please check our quarterly
newsletters for upcoming events and keep an eye out for the unveiling of
our newly remodeled website at arcservices.org.
Sincerely,
Lisa Lepine, Executive Director
Special Thanks...
to the generous individuals, groups, and/or businesses for their 4th quarter and end of the year contributions,
which are essential to the success of The Arc’s mission:
Lawrence Page Family Charitable Foundation
James Trentacosta
Knights of Columbus St. Isidore Council
Knights of Columbus St. Lawrence Council
Knights of Columbus Richmond Council
Knights of Columbus St. Joan of Arc Council
Paul & Maureen Murad General
Michael & Francie Perry
Michael & Devon Slanec
Gerald & Elizabeth McCalley
Catherine Rud
Thomas & Diane Mueller
DR & DS Breza
Elaine Jarosz
Marsha Tuck
Laure Schewe
Weskalines
Andrew & Vickie Kosnik
Donald & Gloria deBeauclair
Evelyn & John Fiscelli
Robert Miller
Lee & Paul Coyle
Novartis
Elaine Jarosz
In loving Memory…
Ronald & Victoria Cork in memory of Mary Redoutey
Mary & Alan Crummy in memory of Mary Redoutey
Amy Traxler in memory of Mary Redoutey
Thomas Marchand in memory of Sylvia Marchand
Stephen & Mary Kutyla in memory of David Kutyla
Ronald & Donna Hughes in memory of Jan Wilson
Cathleen & Same Mackool in memory of Karen Shamie
Kay & Kenneth Kuck in memory of Marilyn Nieman
James & Carol Meza in memory of Marilyn Nieman
Lorraine Middleton in memory of Marilyn Nieman
Laura Hummel in memory of Marilyn Nieman
David & Frieda Allen in memory of Marilyn Nieman
Dale & Lorraine Middleton in memory of Marilyn Nieman
Barb Parker & The Card Club in memory of Marilyn Nieman
Christmas Donations
Linda Paeth
Ron Kimball
Debra & Louis Macks
Pierre & Nancy Marchand
Sandy Williams
Edward Hogg
Philip G. Karrandja
Robert King
Marie & Gary Johns
Ronald Surma
Norman & Donna Southlea
Thomas & Joan Sullivan
Christmas Wrap Update
Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the generous spirit of our community,
we raised over $11,000 during our annual Macomb Mall Christmas Wrap fundraiser.
What a fantastic end to the year and a great way to kick-start 2015.
Thank you!
Do you know about…Vocational Training?
The Arc of Macomb County’s Community Employment department provides vocational training for young adults at Fraser High School and The Macomb Intermediate School District’s (MISD) Lutz School for Work Experience.
Classes focus on the core skills involved in seeking employment. These skills include resume building, the application
process, lobby etiquette and how to answer commonly asked interview questions.
Over the last few years, classes have expanded to include the “soft skills” needed to maintain employment. Topics
include communication, time management, problem solving, teamwork and company policies.
Students graduate the program with a strong understanding of the job seeking process as well as employer expectations, enabling them to successfully compete for and maintain employment.
Credit Charisse Cossu-Kowalski for the initial vision. Her son Joshua attended Fraser at the time, and she felt he
could learn better by experiencing real-world situations related to seeking employment.
She approached all involved parties with the idea to help prepare mainstreamed teens, including her son, for competitive employment within the community.
As the idea evolved The Arc’s Wm. C. Range, Employment Services Director, was contacted to develop a program
targeting these needs.
Although the job interviewing class had been actively taught at the Arc for several years, the soft skills class needed to
be developed from the ground up. The Arc’s Janet Maracle worked tirelessly to develop a program suited to the needs
of this special population.
As a result of everyone’s hard work, the Business Group classes came to fruition.
The Arc taught its first class three years ago, with Charisse’s son enrolled as one of the first students.
Good news travels fast and the success of the program reached the ears of the MISD’s Lutz School for Work Experience. The Arc’s Community Employment department was asked to develop a program targeted to the needs of the
Lutz students
Now, in its second year, the Lutz program continues to grow. Along with classroom lesson plans, the students get to
apply their knowledge firsthand in community based assessments. This allows them to more fully grasp employer expectations, in a real-time employment setting, positioning them for success in whatever job they choose.
Just one example of the many ways we strive to meet the needs of those we serve.
If you would like to know more about how your young adult may be able to learn more about seeking and/or keeping
competitive employment, and your young adult has an open MRS case, please contact Mr. Range at:
wrange@arcservices.org.
Page 4
Year at a Glance
Bingo: Every Saturday evening at 6:30pm at Warren Plaza Hall. Doors open at 4:30pm.
Painting Sensations: March date TBD (look for it on Facebook!),
The Arc of Macomb
Golf Outing: May 9th at Sycamore Hills Golf Club, Macomb
Spring Garage Sale: June 6th - 7th, The Arc of Macomb
State Arc Conference: June date TBD, Lansing
National Arc Conference: October 3rd—5th, Indianapolis
Fall Garage Sale: October 10th - 11th, The Arc of Macomb
Gala: October 16th at Lakeland Manor, St. Clair Shores
Vendor Fair: November date TBD, The Arc of Macomb
Gift Wrap: November 30th - December 24th, Macomb Mall
Monthly Dance Season
Fun and friends abound at Warren Woods Middle School at
The Arc of Macomb’s monthly dances. Dances are held one
Friday a month from 7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and feature either a
DJ or a live band; admission is just $3.00 per person.
Warren Woods Middle School is located at 13400 Twelve
Mile Rd.; please use the door by the far west parking lot
only.
Save these dates for fun, friends, and dancing!
February 13 March 13 April 17 May 15
Informational Presentations
April 15 - Parent Night at the MISD - Social Security Presentation, by Paul Landry
May 6—Parent Night at the MISD—What happens after I am Gone? By Lisa Lepine
Amazon Smiles
And we do too, when you use AmazonSmile for your online shopping. You’ll enjoy the same
wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.
The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will
donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to The Arc of Macomb County. Log into
Amazon with the following URL: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/38-1738601 to start shopping.
What are you waiting for?
Page 5
Board of Directors
President:
Shari Fitzpatrick
1st Vice President:
Gloria deBeauclair
2nd Vice President:
Joseph Tinson
Secretary:
Whitney Swanson
Treasurer:
Bruce Manning
Awareness Days, Weeks, Months
February - 1st: National Freedom Day; 6th: National Wear Red Day; 9th - 15th: Random
Acts of Kindness Week; 22nd - 28th: National Eating Disorders Awareness Week; 1st—
28th: Children’s Dental Health Month; Ethnic Equality Month; National Cancer Prevention
Month; Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
March - 18th: Kick Butts Day (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids); 21st: World Down
Syndrome Day; 24th: American Diabetes Association Alert Day; 25th: Tourette Syndrome
National Advocacy Day; 2nd - 8th: National Sleep Awareness Week; 23rd - 27th: National
Youth Violence Prevention Week; 1st - 31st: American National Nutrition Month;
Brain Injury Awareness Month; Self-Harm Awareness Month.
Directors:
Tom Beardslee
Michael Kolb
Administrative Staff
Executive Director
Lisa Lepine
llepine@arcservices.org
Employment Services
Director
Matt Peters
Spotlight on Associates
Matthew Peters
Employment Services Director
mpeters@arcservices.org
Employment Services
Director
Wm. C. Range
wrange@arcservices.org
Representative Payee
Director
Shelly Taras
staras@arcservices.org
Advocacy Director
Mary Scarsella
mscarsella@arcservices.org
Financial Director
Stephen Tunney
stunney@arcservices.org
Community Support
Services Director
Kelly Harrington
It is with great pleasure we announce the newest member of our team, Matt
Peters. Matt joined the administrative staff on January 5, 2015 as our Employment Services Director.
His role involves seeking out new employment opportunities in the community,
for people of all abilities. His focus revolves around “growth and change to better serve our customers”. Matt says, “Job development is hard, but doable.”
He should know. Matt brings with him over 20 years of experience with residential and vocational programs. In the past he has worked with The Guidance
Center in Wayne County, as well as DES in Clinton Township, Michigan.
His formal training includes a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Northern
Michigan University and a master’s degree in rehabilitation and community inclusion (RCI program) from Wayne State University.
Matt married Ellen 20 years ago. They have a 14-year-old son named Devon
and a Great Dane/Mastiff rescue dog named Stella. He enjoys hiking
(preferably in the Upper Peninsula), shooting and history.
kharrington @arcservices.org
Employment Services
Director - HAB
Luanne DeGueisippe
luanned@arcservices.org
Oh, and if you run into Matt at The Arc, ask him
about his favorite doo-wap song, but be prepared you might be here awhile.
The Arc of Macomb County
44050 N. Gratiot Avenue
Clinton Township, MI 48036-1308
CURRENT RESIDENT
Weekly Activities
Bingo
Where:
Warren Plaza Hall (SW Corner
of I-696 and Schoenherr)
When:
Evening Bingo: doors open at
4:30 p.m.; games begin at 6:30
p.m.
Phone: 586-469-1600
Fax: 586-569-4338
www.arcservices.org
Dance Exercise Class
ARC Raiders Bowling
Where:
CC Plus (300 N. Groesbeck Hwy,
Mt. Clemens)
Where:
Sterling Lanes Bowling Center
(14 Mile and Schoenherr)
When:
Wednesdays
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
When:
Saturdays at 9:00 a.m.
Cost:
$28 (prepaid) for 4 sessions, or
drop-in for $8 per session.
All fitness levels welcome!
Cost:
$5 per Week
Contact Information: Betty
(586) 575-9798 or Barb
(586) 790-9813
facebook.com/ARCServicesofMacomb
@ARCSvcsmacomb
About The Arc of Macomb County
The Arc of Macomb County is a CARF accredited, 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association
composed of people with disabilities, parents, friends and professionals involved with supporting people
with disabilities in Macomb County, Michigan. The Arc exists to assure that people with disabilities are
valued and that they and their families can participate fully in, and contribute to, the life of their
communities. We are committed to securing, for all people with disabilities, the opportunities to choose
and realize their goals and dreams regarding where and how they learn, live, play, and work.
Vision
For people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities
The Arc of Macomb County will be a culture of excellence in the provision of support for anyone
associated with The Arc. We will work until we achieve a society where every person is able to sustain
their own experience of companionship, connectedness and community. We envision that, one day, every
person is valued and treated with dignity and respect in their environment and their community. We will
engender a sense of safety for all persons with disabilities by increasing daily positive interactions and
decreasing unnecessary demands.