The Arc of Baltimore’s landscaping workers had a terrific opportunity to help the Orioles prepare for their opening day of the season. With an interest in planting sustainable beds and green areas of Camden Yards, the Stadium Authority used the services of The Arc’s installation crew with plantings of perennials and shrubs – and planters with flowers in the shape of O’s. Way to be creative, Arc landscape workers!
Alternative Spring Break 2010
For the second year in a row, students from Ohio State University spent their spring break with The Arc of Baltimore and the people we support. This year, we had a week of events at The Dundalk Center focusing on “Mind, Body and Spirit.” People from all of The Arc’s centers and their staff attended the event. The students held workshops on exploring the internet and using email, oral hygiene, arts and crafts and reaching out through letters and drawings to returning injured soldiers. In the afternoon the students gave lessons on all the latest dances. While many young people were lying on a sandy beach somewhere, they chose to spend the week with us! Thank you so much Ohio State! We will never forget you and the wonderful time we had!!!!
TU Serve Day
Towson University hosted an exciting event on April 23, 2010. The service project, entitled, “The Big Event,” sent 500 students, faculty and alumni to various non-profits in the Baltimore area to perform community service. The Arc of Baltimore was lucky enough to be part of this event and a group of students painted the inside of a home where two supported individuals reside. The students brought all painting supplies and did a wonderful job! Thank you Towson University for sponsoring such a great project and thank you to all the people who were involved!!! Towson hopes, “The big Event will inspire students to value serving their community.”
Ravens Linebacker Visits Arc of Baltimore Employment Center
At the conclusion of just another day on the job, supported workers at The Arc’s Employment Center at Seton had a terrific treat when Ravens Linebacker Jameel McClain made a visit. He signed autographs for the appreciative crowd, many of whom came equipped with shirts and balls for signing.
Thanks for visiting, Jameel. Go Ravens!
Photo Exhibit Shows Faces of The Arc of Baltimore
Photographer Howard Korn presented an exhibit of his work at the recent Art in the Round. Faces of The Arc includes an array of people and children supported by The Arc of Baltimore.
Back to Normal.. With Kudos and Thanks!!!
Heroes were in abundance at The Arc during last week's snow storms. They included many staff persons who went above and beyond the call of duty. They did what was needed.
Preparation was intense among staff in our Community Living program ensuring that necessary medications and food were in supply for the 300+ individuals we support in homes across Baltimore. And if any supplies did run short, staff drove personal 4-wheel drive vehicles to deliver whatever was needed for those in our snowbound homes.
Many of our staff transported co-workers who don’t have proper vehicles for such snow and got them to the homes where they were needed. Numerous employees stayed hours and days extra to cover for staff that could not get to a house for their shifts. Click here to read more....
Lost revenues, snow removal costs, and overtime pay will leave a tough financial mark on The Arc of Baltimore as a reminder of the storms. Please express your kudos to Arc staff and consider a "snow" gift at this time. Click here to donate.
Arc Employees Featured in Catholic Review
Click here to read about several Arc staff members who chose careers in the disabilities field due to very personal experience.
Spring Breakers Serve in Dundalk
Ohio State participants in Project SERV – Students Engaged in Responsible Volunteering – spent a hands-on March week in Dundalk with folks in The Arc of Baltimore’s day program. The project paired students with supported individuals creating artistic tiles that now decorate the center. Click here for a sampling of what was created.
Photos by volunteer Susan Naeny
First Anniversary
Congratulations Melissa and Mike Madden. We hope you are still enjoying marriage bliss – and cake together. Melissa works with the hospitality crew catering meetings at The Arc’s Seton location and Mike works on the landscape installation crew.
Town Hall Brings Families and Policymakers Together
The realities were brought home for families on the State’s Waiting List for support services as stories were shared in a January Town Hall event sponsored by The Arc of Baltimore and the End the Wait Now! Campaign.
Read more about the Town Hall event in the latest issue of The Arc's Advocate.
Geraldo Rivera featured families on state waiting lists for services in a recent show on the Fox News Channel. Several Maryland families traveled to New York for the show’s taping.
Click here to visit the Fox News channel site and select the six video segments they provide there of the show.
Richard sells golden stories in Author’s Tent
Richard Walen writes down stories and musings of his experiences on a regular basis. Recently, Richard’s writings that were compiled into a book were on display at the Baltimore Book Festival where he sold and signed copies of his book, Richard’s Golden Stories, in the Author’s Tent.
Richard's books are $10.00 each and may be purchased by e-mail to rchristian@arcofbaltimore.org. Congratulations Richard!
Day of Sharing Delivers the Goods
A Crew of Arc supported volunteers delivered to the Paul’s Place Outreach Center donations of personal care items – soap, shampoo, baby wipes, and other necessities as part of The Arc’s Day of Sharing and giving back to the community. Pictured here is part of the crew that sorted and delivered the donations alongside Paul’s Place Executive Director Bill McLennan.
Read All About It!
Harry Shackleford may not look too happy about turning 50, but he’s delighted to be surrounded by his friends and cutting his cake!
Danny and Maria
The Arc of Baltimore has known the Rosner and Hudak families for many years and had the pleasure of watching Danny and Maria become a couple. Check out the recent Catholic Review for the story. Click Here
Bob Goldstick (left) and Tom Sessomes (right) are hard at work in their office
The Arc Moves and Grooves
Melvin McLean and Preston Perkins take a pose at The Arc of Baltimore sponsored dance at the statewide convention of The Arc of Maryland. Click here to see more pictures of the dance.
Happy Birthday Bernadine!
Bernadine Spangler celebrated her 71st in style recently by renting a limousine to take her and her roommates out to dinner. Pictured with Bernadine are her roommates: Kathy Drury and Carol Volk.
Baltimore County Recognizes Excellence
Derrick Hairston received the Baltimore County Commission on Disabilities' Employee of the Year award at a recent luncheon. Pictured with Derrick are Commission Chair Terri Parrish, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, and Susan White-Bowden who served as the luncheon emcee. Derrick has worked at the Towson McDonald's on York Road for 17 years.
The Arc landscapers continue the tradition of planting bulbs – more than50,000 – at Baltimore’s Sherwood Gardens. Pictured here (left to right) are Mike James and James Peddicord.
Mary Preston, a participant in The Arc’s Homeland Center, sits proudly and comfortably in her new custom-fit, electric wheelchair that was made possible by donations from Keepers of the Green, a local clan of the international golf organization based in Scotland. According to staff, Mary mastered navigating the chair on her first day with it.
Walter
Beatty
That
mega-watt smile you see on Walter Beatty’s face
is never more striking than when he’s playing
the drums. The 37-year-old, who works on a landscape
crew and lives in a boarding house, took a vacation
to the Bahamas with Arc support provider Olu Fatodu.
During their first evening on the island, Walter and
Olu listened to a jazz band and Walter was awestruck.
Olu introduced Walter to the band leader, who offered
Walter a chance to play the drums that night. Although
Walter plays by ear, he clearly does so quite well
because the band invited him back to play for the
next several evenings. After vacation, Walter joined
his church band. Now staff members take him to practice
on Wednesday, and he plays every Sunday, accompanied
by a great big smile.
Charles
Cimino
Talk
about growing old gracefully. Charles Cimino, 80 years
young, lives independently in downtown Towson and
receives regular drop-in support from The Arc of Baltimore
for grocery shopping and other essentials. A long-time
employee of Goodwill Industries, Charles is retired
but spends lots of time out and about in the community,
thanks to a specialized walker equipped with a seat
(see picture). Having the walker means Charles can
continue to go downtown to eat at Hooter’s Restaurant.
It’s one of Charles’ favorite places,
and not just because of the food. As he tells it,
the waitresses shower him with attention. Who can
blame them?
Cassie
Dittman
Not
only did Cassie Dittman play a nun in The Matthew
Players’ production of The Sound of Music, she
had to sing in Latin! Cassie, who is supported by
The Arc of Baltimore in employment and community living,
performed in five shows with the community theater
group. She was the only cast member who has a developmental
disability. According to an Arc staff person who saw
the show, “To see Cassie take a bow with the
entire cast was really something!”
Heroes were in abundance at The Arc during last week's snow storms. They included many staff persons who went above and beyond the call of duty. They did what was needed.
Town Hall Brings Families and Policymakers Together
Happy Birthday Bernadine!
Walter
Beatty
Talk
about growing old gracefully. Charles Cimino, 80 years
young, lives independently in downtown Towson and
receives regular drop-in support from The Arc of Baltimore
for grocery shopping and other essentials. A long-time
employee of Goodwill Industries, Charles is retired
but spends lots of time out and about in the community,
thanks to a specialized walker equipped with a seat
(see picture). Having the walker means Charles can
continue to go downtown to eat at Hooter’s Restaurant.
It’s one of Charles’ favorite places,
and not just because of the food. As he tells it,
the waitresses shower him with attention. Who can
blame them? 
Not
only did Cassie Dittman play a nun in The Matthew
Players’ production of The Sound of Music, she
had to sing in Latin! Cassie, who is supported by
The Arc of Baltimore in employment and community living,
performed in five shows with the community theater
group. She was the only cast member who has a developmental
disability. According to an Arc staff person who saw
the show, “To see Cassie take a bow with the
entire cast was really something!”
