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The Arc’s LEAD Program Promotes Growth within Organization

The Arc is proud to announce a new program called LEAD at The Arc of the Ozarks. This program is designed to prepare Arc employees for career advancement through the development of leadership skills and promote a smooth transition from entry-level positions to positions in management and administration. LEAD will emphasize the importance of learning, empowerment, appreciation, and development as key components for success in leadership roles at The Arc. The program will include a formal application process, training opportunities, mentoring from a successful Arc leader and a group project. Successful completion of the LEAD program will result in priority selection for advancement opportunities. The program will consist of 6 full-day interactive training sessions over the course of one year on key leadership topics. Field assignments and meetings with a mentor will follow to ensure knowledge retention and application. At the end of the year the group will complete a proposal/ project to submit to our Leadership Team.

“We have some fantastic staff who are interested in moving up in the company, but still need to develop leadership skills to make a smooth transition.  What better way to show we appreciate our hard-working employees than to invest in preparing them for the future,” stated Lori Pace, Director of Training.  “I am excited about the opportunities this program provides for both personal and professional growth for our direct support employees. This program is something I have dreamed of starting for several years and I am grateful to our Executive Staff for making this dream a reality!”

2nd Annual Doughnuts Not Donuts Car Show

On June 10, The 2nd Annual Doughnuts Not Donuts Car Show was held at Country Girls Espresso from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event proved to be another success with 115 cars in attendance. The Ozarks Z Club, 417 German Autostil and The Arc of the Ozarks were able to raise $7200 to support the Carolyn D. Newport Fund for Young Families that supports families dealing with a recent diagnosis.

Doughnuts Not Donuts was an event for all ages. Children had the chance to jump in the bounce house and enjoy a doughnut from the Presenting sponsor, Krispy Kreme, who was on hand providing doughnuts to all attendees.

Trophies were awarded for “Best in Show” in 16 different divisions: Classic American, Modern American, Classic Euro, Modern Euro, Classic Asian, Modern Asian, Rat Rod, Antique, Supercar,
Service Vehicle (police), Sport Bike, Cruiser Bike, Trucks & Jeeps – Lifted, Low Rider and Best Custom.

This event would not have been as successful without the support of the 30 sponsors who contributed to this event.The Ozarks Z Club, 417 German Autostil and The Arc of the Ozarks would like to thank all the volunteers, sponsors and everyone who came out to support The Arc. 

Thank you again to all our sponsors: Krispy Kreme, Country Girls Espresso, PHP Specialists, The Articles, Reflections Auto Detailing, Queen City Press, Schweitzer Methodist Church, United Heartland, Carmil Car Audio, Pride Auto Detailing, Nicola’s, KDS Customs, C& E Tire & Wheels, WCA Waste Management, Buxton Kubix Dodd, Q & Company, BJ’s Trophy Shop, Distinct Detail, Springfield PerfectTint, Blu Current Credit Union, Extraordinary Business Designs, Ollis Akers and Arney Human Resources Consulting, Dings & Things, Federal Protection, Glass Tint USA and CoxHealth Plans! 

Mike Foley Recognized by Springfield Police Department

On Thursday, May 18, an Arc staff member Mike Foley, Training Assistant, was recognized by the Springfield Police Department for his “resoluteness” as an outstanding citizen for walking 5 miles each day to and from work. Sargent Nelson Kibby has seen Mike walk to and from work many times a week over the past several years and was inspired by his resilience and persistence. “We don’t get to deal with the positive very much, so you have inspired me because I know you’re going to work. We deal with people every single day who refuse to work, who refuse to do anything and to see you rain, shine or snow, it didn’t matter, you were walking down the road, you were going to work! That impressed me.” Stated Sargent Kibby. Mike was recognized with a “Certificate of Resolute” signed by Sargent Kibby and the Chief of Police. Mike was surrounded by several other officers, his family and co-workers cheering him on for this great achievement. Mike is a wonderful asset to The Arc of the Ozarks and demonstrates the true meaning of hard work and dedication. The Arc is honored to have such a wonderful employee. Congratulations Mike!

Link to video

The Arc Camps Out for Camp

On May 9, The Arc of the Ozarks took part in Give Ozarks Day. Give Ozarks is a 24-hour online giving day with over 200 nonprofits in the Ozarks raising awareness and funds for their organizations. The Arc raised money for their No Limits Summer Camp. To have a little fun, they held a 24-hour camp out at the Elfindale building (1721 W. Elfindale). Staff, clients and community members were able to partake in outdoor games, activities and campfire goodies. All were encouraged to share their experience at Give Ozarks Day using the hashtags #camping4camp and #thearc on social media. As well as, using a special snapchat filter! 

The Arc raised a total of $32,120.48 through 325 gifts, which includes pre- and post-event donations from Board members, staff, and community partners, as well as a generous match from The Arc of the Ozarks Foundation. Total money raised for all participating agencies on May 9 was $1,397,147.64.

Your gift on May 9 is helping The Arc of the Ozarks maintain and grow the No Limits Summer Camp Program. No Limits provides a summer of therapeutic recreation to children with disabilities ages 6-21. This experience provides a wide variety of activities designed to promote the educational and recreational interest of each camper. In a multi-week program, participants swim, play games, participate in arts and crafts, and attend field trips throughout the community. Training is also provided to teach individuals to become more independent in daily living and to improve social skills.

Thank you to everyone who came out and camped with us and gave 30 minutes to raise awareness of Give Ozarks Day. Every 30 minute slot from midnight to midnight was filled with board members, staff and community members. It was a wonderful day of community collaboration and support.

Thank you for your dedication to The Arc of the Ozarks. We are extremely thankful for your gift. 

Monett Golf Raises Record Funds

May 5 proved to be another beautiful day for the 14th Annual Monett Golf Tournament. With lunch being served at 11:30am, 20 teams hit the links for a sunny start. The four man teams raised funds and awareness for The Arc of the Ozarks. The winning team featuring Ric Juett, Steven Woody, Layne Woody, and Ryan Eaton took 1st in the Championship-Flight with a score of 54.

This year The Arc raised nearly $9,000, breaking previous records for the tournament. All proceeds benefited The Arc’s programs in Barry and Lawrence Counties. “We are so appreciative of the support we have received from the Monett community for this tournament and look forward to the 15th year,” said Danielle Wise, Director of Development.

Mark your calendars for next year and get your backspin ready for our 2017 Golf Tournament on Friday May 4 at Windmill Ridge Golf Course.

Melissa Makes Huge Impact

Melissa West started as a direct care staff in December of 2010 and is now a Behavior Tech Supervisor in a CounterPoint ISL. Melissa recently helped make a dream come true for a young man she works with named Terry.  Terry has always wanted to meet an NBA player and he listed this as one of his dreams in his support plan.  Melissa made some contacts and was able to not only get free tickets to an Oklahoma Thunder / Sacramento Kings game, but was also able to arrange for Terry to meet NBA stars Anthony Tolliver and Buddy Hield!  Terry was all smiles and was bragging about his own “3 point skills” to the NBA players.

Melissa is also a professional hair dresser on the side. She recently made an offer to provide a cut and style service free of charge for any ARC consumer that wanted to get ready for the ARC or SCIL proms or for any client that is graduating from High School.  In the past Melissa has provided haircuts to new clients with CounterPoint who cannot yet go to a regular salon due to sensory or behavioral issues.  She has been instrumental in helping our clients look good and feel safe while getting their hair cut until they can get into a regular salon. 

Melissa is a great example of a staff person who cares and goes the extra mile and make dreams come true for her clients. 

The Arc Supports Autism Awareness Month

For many years, April has been deemed National Autism Awareness Month. Along with raising awareness, much of the month revolves around educating people on autism and the issues faced by families in the autism community. Autism is a developmental disability characterized by difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors or narrow or obsessive interests. Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder all fall under the broad category of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

As the fastest-growing developmental disability in the country –there is an increased need for services. About 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. ASD is almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 42) than among girls (1 in 189).

To help address our needs locally, we have a couple programs to support those affected by autism. These programs include our CounterPoint Autism program, Rivendale School and No Limits Summer Camp. Our CounterPoint Department provides residential supports, a therapeutic recreation program, Saturday respite and family and community services. While our Summer Camp and Rivendale School are not exclusively for autism, over half of the individuals that utilize these services fall under the Autism Spectrum.

On April 2nd, we observed World Autism Awareness Day in an effort to shine light on autism and the growing need for services and understanding. We will also be partnering with the Price Cutter Charity Championship to sponsor Go Blue FORE Autism Championship Sunday on August 13th. The Arc of the Ozarks will be at the 18th hole under a big blue tent at Highland Springs Country Club. There will be information about The Arc, the autism services we offer and blue goodies for everyone.  Everyone in attendance is encourage to wear blue to show support for The Arc and increase autism awareness. Families affected by autism will get free entry to the event on Sunday. All the money raised from this event will fund The Arc’s No Limits Summer Camp, a camp for children ages 6-21 with developmental disabilities.

No Limits Summer Camp registration is under way

The Arc’s No Limits Summer Camp is just around the corner. This program is a fun place for children and young adults ages6-21 with developmental disabilities to participate in activities that promote the educational and recreational interests of each camper.

No Limits participants swim, play games, complete arts and crafts, and take part in field trips throughout the community. Each individual is provided tools to become more independent and improve social skills. Sessions will run Monday through Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm. The first session will be from June 5 through June 30 and the second will run from July 10 through August 4.

If you would like to help send a camper to our No Limits Summer Camp you can donate via our donation page or print the scholarship form and mail it in with your payment.

Donation Page

Scholarship Donation Form

Clients and staff attend 16th Annual Disability Rights Rally

On March 15th, Dr. Kayette Glass, the director of our Cornerstone Psychology Clinic took several individuals to Jefferson City for the 16th Annual Disability Rights Rally. The primary purpose of the rally is to bring Missourians with disabilities and family members to the Capitol, to hear from and talk with legislators about issues impacting the lives of individuals with disabilities every day. Several goals were set for the rally. They include advocating for legislation that would help people with disabilities work while continuing to be able to access appropriate and necessary supports and services. They also hope to push for proposed legislative changes to the guardianship statute, which require consideration of less restrictive alternatives for full guardianship and emphasize person-centered services. Another major focus was to show opposition to proposed budget cuts that target home and community-based services.

“The Arc of the Ozarks was proudly represented this year at the 16th annual Disability Rights Legislative Day by several consumers and staff.  Everyone enjoyed the visit and had the opportunity to tour the capital,” stated Dr. Kayette Glass. “We hope to attend this rally annually.”