 Dave Hotaling, Steve White, and John Wilber were nominated by Kelly Gardepe for going “above and beyond” in making the internships of Fred and Francis successful. Kelly wrote that these men deserved this recognition by demonstrating the 6 Unifying Principles of The Arc of Delaware County:
Those We Serve Come First: They would stop what they were doing to help Fred or to answer questions. They always made his training their top priority.
Commit to Excellence: They would change their work days to accommodate their (Fred and Francis’s) appointments and changed their own schedules to accommodate their training.
Be Dedicated: They would always shuffle work around to make sure there was always something for them to do and learn.
Employee Satisfaction: They treated Fred and Francis as equals and made them a part of the garage team.
Communicate Effectively: They communicated effectively by repeating things or adjusting terminology to ensure they were getting the best training.
Be Innovative: They had a big part in setting up both internships. They would help with the scheduling and creating the internship as a whole.
Congratulations to Dave, John, and Steve!
 Tina Osadca spearheaded efforts at Community Living Skills- Walton (CLS-W) to gather toys for children. The toys were delivered Dec. 15 to Community Bank in Walton, NY. Donna Bundy, Branch Manager of Community Bank, formerly Wilber National Bank in Walton, explained that the bank has been accepting toys for children of the Walton Central School District for over 20 years. They typically are able to provide toys for approximately 300 children and so they greatly appreciated the donation from Tina and CLS-Walton.
Anna Conway, Life Coach at CLS-W, related that Tina is a very caring person. While discussing their plans for Christmas, Anna had shared her plans for buying gifts for her children. Tina asked, “What about the kids that don’t have moms or dads? We need to get them some (gifts).”
So they discussed ways to help children that may not be fortunate enough to receive gifts this year and decided on participating in the local “Walton Toy Bank” program. Within a week Tina had made collection boxes for the toys, advertised the toy drive with posters and announcements throughout the CLS-W facility, and successfully concluded the effort with 2 full boxes of toys.
Tina said, “Every kid needs a present for Christmas!” When she delivered the toys to Community Bank Tina said they were surprised and thanked her. It made her feel “Great!” she shared.
Tina lives in Franklin and loves to sew and write to friends and family. When asked what she wanted for Christmas she related,” A new purple notebook!”
 On December 8th, over 100 people attended the community open house presentation of “Our Song” held at Resources For Industry (RFI) in Walton, NY. This event was a culmination of several workshops held at The Arc of Delaware County’s (Delarc’s) RFI and Community Living Skills (CLS) in Walton. The workshops were conducted by Elly Wininger, award winning musician and song writer. Participants created their own music and lyrics and then hosted this open house to share their musical creations. Steve Finkel, Life Coach at Delarc shared: “This program is not just a musical activity, but stresses a foundation of enjoyment and satisfaction that music can bring, especially if it’s your own!” Steve had heard about Elly’s workshops and approached her with the idea of hosting workshops at Delarc, she agreed. Elly said, “Music is transformational”, she shared that during the workshops many people had experienced a heightened sense of participation and the ability to express themselves. Lyrics and themes were developed during the first two workshops and were based on what people shared that affected them or interests that they have. One song, “The Flood”, was developed by the RFI workshop attendees, was about how Hurricane Irene and Lee impacted them either on a personal level or affected them through experiences of people they knew. Elly said that during song development, one person observed that the group was “listing all the bad things that had happened, but there were some good things that happened too”. That comment inspired the group to list the many volunteer efforts they had been a part of or had been a recipient of, as well. This song ended up being a crowd favorite at the performance. Bruce Besdansky and Elly Winiger provided accompaniment with guitars during the performance. Also participating in the workshops and performance were community volunteers and members of the First Presbyterian Church of Delhi choir- Bea Mooney, Tom Little, Ed and Joyce Goff. Reflecting on this experience Bea shared: “What a blessing it was to be part of this event. As with mission work and any outreach, I always walk away feeling like I took so much more than I gave, and I try to give my all. I enjoyed every second of it and would love to be invited back again!” In addition to the musical performances, laughter and amazement could be heard from the audience as comedian Henry Kamp and mentalist Gavin O’Rourke-Soccorso entertained with jokes and mind reading demonstrations. A separate OUR SONG performance took place at Carousel Children Services. OUR SONG is funded in part by a grant from the New York Council on the Arts’ Decentralization program, administered in Delaware County by The Roxbury Arts Group. Visit our Flicker site for more photos of this event at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/
For the second year in a row, The Arc of Delaware County (Delarc) and Delta Kappa Gamma are working together to help build a lifetime of caring and compassion for students in Delaware County. With news of the negative effects of bullying and peer pressure, this contest endeavors to challenge students to see past differences and focus on the person inside. The theme of this year’s contest is “Everybody Can” and is open to all Delaware County Elementary and Middle schools. The goal is to educate students and their communities about people with developmental disabilities and strengthen character by building compassion and caring. Students are encouraged to take a proactive approach to increase their knowledge and awareness by utilizing resources provided from the contest packet, independently research the topic by requesting a self-advocate from Delarc to speak to the class, read articles, books, visit websites, and interview family and community members. Projects that students can create for entry in the contest are only limited by the imagination. Some examples of projects include: songs, poems, posters, videos, book reports, creating a puppet show or role playing scenario, creating a power point presentation, planning and hosting an event or creating a children’s book. There are three cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each school. And winning entries from grades 5-8 will also be entered into a county-wide contest for a chance to win a Grand Prize of $500 or laptop computer, and scholarships for their class to participate in Delarc’s “Share, Learn, Grow Mentorship Program.” The “Share, Learn, Grow Mentorship Program” is an interactive one-day program where people with disabilities serve as mentors to the students; the students are paired up with people supported by Delarc and they spend the day side by side learning, sharing, and getting to know each other at one of Delarc’s facilities. Erika Liddle, South Kortright Central School teacher, whose 6th grade class worked together on a class project for the contest last year and won the Grand Prize, had this to say to other teachers considering entering the contest: “You need to do it; you have a chance to make a difference in how children see things, and this is a great opportunity to build compassion.” Participating in the contest and the “Share, Learn, Grow” program was how her students learned a valuable life lessons. One thing that struck her during her class’s reading of a book about autism was a connection the kids made to a former classmate. What they had not understood about this child was why he had behaved certain ways. They had an “aha” realization that probably this child had autism and that explained why he had behaved a certain way. The students’ visit to Delarc reinforced this understanding . “This program fits hand in hand with discussing bullying and its impacts,” shared Erika. Before, they may have been inclined to shy away from him, or perhaps pick on him because of the differences, but after their contest experience, their eyes were opened. To learn more about this contest or to request an information packet for this contest, contact Catherine Tweedie at Delarc, (607) 865-7126, email Catherine@delarc.org or Pam Thompson at Delta Kappa Gamma, (607) 746-3497 or email pandg1@live.com. The contest is running through February 1st, 2012.
 Heidi Friedman, Life Coach 7 at CLS Arkville, received a visit from Blesher Lil’ Heart on November 30th. She was nominated by Hope Townsend, Program Director who shared: “Heidi is committed to excellence and is extremely dedicated. She (Heidi) is always here- early and working on other department projects such as flower and car care.” Having earned 24 Time Utilizations Awards, it is not surprising to know that she is described as a person who understands the important role she plays in the lives of those we serve daily. They know they can count on her. Time Utilization Awards are given monthly and recognize employees who schedule and utilize their leave time appropriately. Heidi encourages others to try hard to earn Time Utilization Awards and recognizes and congratulates those who do earn them. Congratulations Heidi!
 A free Open House set for Thursday, December 8th at Walton’s Resources for Industry (RFI) welcomes two groups of singers presenting their original music and lyrics to the community for the first time. OUR SONG’s creator, Elly Wininger—a Lake Hill, NY resident—is an award winning lyricist and guitarist. She leads the two groups, one from RFI and the other from Community Living Skills (CLS), also in Walton. Elly said that “OUR SONG‘s premise is actually simple: people interested in music gather as a team to create a theme, write their own lyrics, create the melody behind the words and then sing at a performance.” The presentation of the two group’s songs is happening at a free community Open House set for Thursday, December 8th , starting at 1:00pm at RFI’s center on Route 206/190 Prospect Avenue in Walton. Wininger added that “the key to creating their songs was first learning to work as a team and add in some good old fashioned brain- storming for ideas and possible contemporary themes. In fact, the group from RFI all felt that the terrible storms of late August/early September that devastated many towns and villages in Delaware County was a story that needed to be told.” In addition to the two groups from RFI and CLS, word of the OUR SONG program spread to some members of Delhi’s First Presbyterian Church Choir, four of whom are joining as singers with both groups on the 8th. One of them, Bea Mooney of Treadwell, said that “the opportunity was one that we wanted to be part of---when we heard about OUR SONG, we called and volunteered to help.” Doug Anderson, RFI’s Program Director, said “We hope that the community will join us on the 8th for a free afternoon of great music, plus we have a couple of surprises in store for guests after the premier of the OUR SONG presentations, including stand-up comedy by Deposit’s Henry Kamp, and some special magic from Franklin’s Gavin Soccorso, a recently returned Marine Special Forces Lance Corporal, who served in Bosnia, Burma and South America. We will also be displaying a wide range of original artistic projects, from paintings to photographs and jewelry, some for sale. Light refreshments will be served at the end of the program.” “Guests are also encouraged to bring donations for the Walton Food Bank, so desperately in need of food following the storms,” added Anderson. “Every can or box will help,” he added. OUR SONG is funded in part by a grant from the New York Council on the Arts’ Decentralization Program, administered in Delaware County by The Roxbury Arts Group. Anyone with questions can contact: Steve Finkel at 607-865-7126 or email to: s.finkel@delarc.org .
 Shawn Bowker was recently honored as The Arc of Delaware County’s 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award, for the THRIVE (Together Helping Reach Individual Victories Everyday) program. Jessica Baldi, Life Coach, set the tone of the award presentation referring to Shawn: “Few times in our lives, we find ourselves truly blessed and inspired by someone we know. Despite challenges and obstacles, that often times will set us back, it’s amazing to witness someone overcoming and succeeding in spite of those hurdles.“ Those that have the ability to inspire others share common traits such as courage, persistence, perseverance, willingness to try new things, showing an interest in the world and people around them. Through the voices of friends, community members, and coworkers, a picture of Shawn emerged as stories were shared, a slide show presentation, and videos were shown that inspired all in attendance. Shawn has challenged himself and others by participating in activities that far exceeded any expectations that were set for him. For example, a few years ago Shawn started taking horseback riding lessons. His persistence paid off as he gained the skills and knowledge that were needed to win ribbons and trophies at several events throughout the summer. And those that know Shawn shared that he has no fear. Through adaptive ski equipment, he pursues his interest in skiing. He rides to the top of the highest mountain at Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort and skis the 3 miles down to the bottom- loving every minute of it. When Shawn first came to the THRIVE program he said that he wanted to walk again. His determination and subsequent progress at achieving his goal has been noticed by his friends. Tina Cawley shared, “He never gives up even if he doesn’t feel good… He tells me,” You keep on going too.” “Another friend Jennifer Gugliotti said, “He motivates me in the different things that he does.” Shawn serves as a role model to people in his community as well. He enjoys giving his time and sharing his knowledge by volunteering at Downsville Central School- his hometown high school. He has coached baseball and is continuing to coach basketball. He calls drills to the team, and presents awards to his team at their annual sports banquet. Although people know Shawn in different ways, as student, community member, coach, mentor, and friend, all agreed “Shawn is a really nice, caring guy. He cares about other people.”
 Things fell into place for Marlana Volpe when a connection was made between The Arc of Delaware County and a preschool program located a few blocks away from Marlana’s home in Stamford, NY. Marlana had expressed an interest in working with children in a child care setting. For the past two years she began taking child care classes at Resources for Industry in Walton, NY. Marlana said, “I am more comfortable with kids… I like all of it (taking care of children)”. The Kiddie Corner Preschool program is a nonprofit organization and serves approximately 18 children ages 3-4. Kris Anderson, one of the teachers at the center explained, “We are set up to be involved with community, and this is one of the ways to accomplish our goal.” So when Kiddie Corner was approached with the idea of having Marlana volunteer to assist in their preschool program, they were very receptive to the idea. Marlana is well prepared when she arrives at Kiddie Corner Preschool. She brings songs, stories, and crafts she learns at RFI to share with the children. During snack time and circle time she assists the teachers and at the end of the day helps the children with their backpacks when they are getting ready to leave. She also helps with some of the administrative tasks of filing and preparing bulletin boards. “Marlana is always willing to do what I ask her. And if she hears me ask a child to do something, Marlana will make sure that the child follows through with what they were asked to do”, said Kris. Marlana, and those that know her, have said that her involvement with Kiddie Corner has made her more confident, outgoing, and assertive. A former “homebody” who rarely left the house now enjoys going on field trips with the children and building friendships with those she works with. When asked what she would say to others considering working with The Arc of Delaware County, Kris said, “It’s rewarding to all involved. You should definitely give it a try.” The Arc of Delaware County is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support people with disabilities in living personally fulfilling lives. To learn how you can help The Arc fulfill its mission, visit www.delarc.org.
 The Arc of Delaware County and the Catskill Mountain Artisan Guild (CAT) have collaborated to develop and implement a series of workshops with the purpose of exposing people to a variety of arts who typically don’t have the opportunity to do so. This series of workshops started in May 2011 and consists of month long workshops, each concentrating on a specific type of art: drawing, painting, pottery, beading, singing, dancing, acting/radio, sewing, writing, weaving, print making, and collage. Jill Cline of the CAT summarized her feelings about the program, saying “Creativity is innate in people. Every human being has creativity within, but whether this creativity is discovered or developed depends on whether people are exposed to the various arts and materials available.” This series of workshops has done that and more.
James Mould has participated in 3 of the workshops and says the experience has changed him in many ways. He explained that prior to taking the workshops he found it hard to try something new. When he started drawing about 3 years ago he worked mainly in pencil and with markers. These workshops have exposed him to other materials and techniques. Jill Cline shared that at first, James wanted to do what he knew; he was comfortable with that, but not inspired. When he started exploring materials that he had never encountered such as watercolors, oils, acrylics he really grew personally and artistically. “He grasped the concept that art is infinite and it excited him.” Heather McAdams, Life Coach said that she has seen many changes in James. “He is open to trying new things now. He is coming out of his shell more and more. He loves his art work and always has his portfolio with him.” James has sold some of his artwork and has recently been invited by other artists to exhibit some of his works at the Longyear Gallery in Margaretville, NY in January 2012.
Speaking for the CAT organization Jill shared, “We feel lucky that we get this chance and opportunity to teach.” They are seeing the self discovery of natural talent that the students hadn’t known they had. “From the little bit we give, we get back so much more” said Jill.
To view some of James Mould’s artwork, visit The Arc of Delaware County’s website at www.delarc.org and click on the ‘Flickr” link.
 Shannon Robinson has fulfilled a personal dream by working at “Springdale Farm” located in Hamden NY; a farm that has been in the Moody family since 1919. This 200 acre farm nestled in the Catskills is home to 89 Holsteins and 40 Jersey cows and heifers.
Angela Edwards, Person Centered Facilitator for The Arc of Delaware County stated that Shannon had met with her in January of 2011 to develop a plan to achieve his personal goals and dreams. Angela stated, “His focus stayed true to his dream of working on a farm. He didn’t stop advocating for himself. He showed great confidence while sharing abilities that matched his desire, saying “I’m strong, I’m a hard worker, I know how to use a shovel and throw hay.” A connection was then made with the Moody farm in an effort to put Shannon’s desire to work at a farm into action.
When Bill Moody was first approached, he admittedly had some concerns about safety for Shannon working with the animals, for instance what would happen should one of the animals startle or chew on his clothes. Farming is a challenging business with operating costs continuing to increase and wet weather reducing the amount of available feed and roughage for livestock. So, it is perhaps not surprising that this family who has weathered the ups and downs of the farming business for 92 years continues to see the opportunities that lie in accepting potential challenges.
Shannon works at the Moody family farm with pride and enthusiasm, feeding approximately 40 calves, removing the old hay and putting it in the pens for bedding for the calves. “Everything about the experience has been positive. Now that we’ve done it, I don’t have the concerns I had before”, shared Bill. This provides a welcome respite for Bill’s wife, Patsy who typically did these chores each morning before heading to work at her off the farm job. When asked about what he would say to other businesses looking for employees, Bill said, “I think we don’t have knowledge of the possibilities. We need to get the word out about this. ...My vision was limited on what people with disabilities can do. What has happened here has more than met my expectations.”
If you are open to exploring similar opportunities contact The Arc of Delaware County at (607) 865-7126 or email: delarc@delarc.org
 Rebecca Townsend, Life Coach for the Arc of Delaware County (Delarc) coordinated flood recovery efforts by the people of Delarc. She states that she felt compelled to act when immediately after the flood, the people she worked with asked her what they could do or how they could help. The felt very badly for the people affected by the flood she said, “As an agency we are involved in our communities. Usually we’re looking to communities for their support. So it was natural to look to give back.” Several people at other locations within Delarc jumped at the opportunity to help. At the Resources for Industry location in Walton, 15 people participated in different ways. Some collected and donated food, toiletries, clothing, and items for backpacks to be distributed through Delaware Opportunities. Sally Kauffman was involved in gathering donations and said they all worked together to make a list of items needed by the flood victims. She said “We’re a team effort around here. Us and the Arc- we see a need and jump into action. A lot of us volunteer in communities.” Others worked through Sidney Civic Center to assist homeowners in their clean- up efforts. After assisting two homeowners in cleaning up their basement, hauling garbage, and cleaning a refrigerator, Fred Hammond and Melissa Finch were asked to come back and help another homeowner. They helped an elderly woman move furniture in her flood damaged home. Fred said “I just felt like helping and I had a good time.” They plan on going back. Melissa said, “I like to give. Call me, I will go right back. I like to work and clean.” When asked how the act of volunteering impacted those involved, Rebecca stated: “I have seen the personal pride in what they did by those that have helped. Being able to give back to their communities, being able to make new personal connections in the community was really neat!” The Arc of Delaware County is a not for profit organization that supports people with disabilities to live personally fulfilling lives. For more pictures about our flood recovery efforts or information about our organization visit our website http://www.delarc.org/, or call 607-865-7126.
 You May Know A Winner!
It is always fun to discover the personal side of people that you may say “Hi” to everyday but not know well. Check out these names of people that have entered and/or won prizes for their entries at the Delaware County Fair and congratulate them! Capture the opportunity to ask them more about their projects and interests and get to know them better:
Horsemanship-Brenda Scott and Brenda McCall (Thrive), Francis Schulz and Jean Borget (RFI) all won blue ribbons in their respective classes. Also participating was Alissa Cronin (Life Coach-Thrive) who entered the barrel riding competition.
Photography- Sammie Conklin (RFI) placed 3rd in the amateur class. Also participating were Bob Bates and Becky Todd (Thrive), Billie Savory (RFI) and Janet Stoop (Life Coach- Thrive).
Amateur Drawing- James Mould (RFI) won 1st place and a blue ribbon. Teresa Vengen (RFI) won 3rd place. Also participating were Karl Lucker and Lewis Pepper (Thrive).
Amateur Painting- Shannon Robinson and Patricia Finch (RFI) entered paintings.
Cooking- Cindy White (Thrive) won a blue ribbon for her chocolate chip cookies. Nancy Haydon (Thrive) won 2nd place for her oatmeal raisin cookies.
Jewelry making- Doris Knowles (Thrive) won first place for jewelry making.
Sewing- Janice Hess (Thrive) won a red ribbon for a quilted walker bag she made.
Tractor Pull- Warren Stelter (Thrive) received a ribbon for 4th place.
The Hamden Town float - sported a photo of the Hamden covered bridge taken by Thomas Ferrante (Thrive).
Brandon Condon planted a flower garden at the Fairgrounds on behalf of CLS-Walton. This garden at the fair has been a project of CLS-Walton for 5 years.
Five people in the Delaware Sport Center’s Small Engine Repair course celebrated their success on August 10th. Mark Fenner, Joseph Fitapelli, Paul Hamill, Gary Whiteman, and Robert Wilcox received certificates in recognition of their achievements in the course provided by Jon Armstrong , owner of Delaware Sport Center. Jon has been offering this course for the past 3 years in collaboration with the Arc of Delaware County (DelArc). Each course consists of three 9-10 week sessions throughout the year. Seasonally appropriate equipment is included in the curriculum and includes: mowers, trimmers, weed eaters, chain saws, small motor bikes, ATV’s, and snowmobiles. The course covers understanding the basics of equipment/engine components, basic preventative maintenance, breaking an engine down and putting it back together, trouble shooting, classical problems/solutions. Jon has been a strong community supporter of DelArc. “It’s been a great joy to have the guys participate. I think they’ve gotten a lot out of it. And it’s been good for us, too.”
One class participant, Paul Hamill, had an additional reason to celebrate. When he arrived for the celebration, he learned that he was being offered a job there. Engine repair has always been a strong interest of Paul's. Julie Conrow, Assistant Program Director, Resources For Industry, Walton, NY shared these thoughts about Paul: “When I first met him he shared that he dreamed of some day having a job repairing engines. The Small Engine class that has been occurring was developed specifically with Paul in mind … to help him work toward his dream. He started out attending the class, and then had the opportunity to share his knowledge and assist with teaching the class. Now he is proud to share that he is a paid employee. The opportunity to learn and work in an area of such great interest has helped Paul grow in all aspects of his life.”
Paul said, “I am thrilled to have achieved my dream today.”
 Students from three local school districts won scholarships for their classes to spend a day at The Arc of Delaware County (Delarc). Students entered a contest by creating posters, poems, essays and other projects to demonstrate respect and including people with disabilities in their schools and communities. The contest was cosponsored by The Arc of Delaware County and Beta Omicron, a chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an international organization of women educators.
During the visits, students were paired with mentors who receive services from Delarc. Students and their mentors spent the first half of the day side by side working, learning and sharing. Students learned what it’s like to read, write and even make pizza with a disability.
The second half of the day was spent learning about respect and empathy through YouTube videos, presentations and an interactive “pop quiz.” Throughout the day students learned skills including how to handle bullying, how to stick to a budget, and how to interact with people who have disabilities in a positive and meaningful way. Students also watched the latest video released by Delarc, titled “Making the Shift to Community Connections,” which can be found at www.YouTube.com/arcdelaware.
The Grand Prize winner was Mrs. Liddle’s 6th grade class from South Kortright (pictured above). The students created a series of posters reflecting empathy and respect for people with disabilities. Second place county-wide went to Ali Eichler from Franklin for her essay about respect and Noah Dougherty from Andes won third place for making pasta figurines with a poem and music.
To learn more about The Arc of Delaware County, or to schedule a visit for your own life-changing experience, visit http://www.delarc.org/ or call Delarc’s Community Relations Department at (607) 865-7126.
"Picture Your Passion", a wonderful photo show exhibiting the work of five talented Delaware County residents, Billie Jean Savory and Rebecca Todd (both of Deposit), Matt Wilson (Delhi), Sam Conklin (Walton) and Thomas Ferrante (Margaretville), is opening on Monday April 25th at the NBT Bank branch in Hancock (11 Main Street). The show is the 3rd this year for these five artists, following very successful exhibits at The Roxbury Arts Group Old Bank Gallery in Roxbury and the Catskill Watershed Corporation executive offices in Margaretville. The show in Hancock will last from Mon. 4/25 through Friday, 4/29, during normal bank hours. Your invited! Join us on Monday the 25th, there is a opening reception at the branch for the community from 5:00p to 6:30pm with refreshments being served. Our gratitude to the hosts for the exhibit and the reception: NBT Bank and the Hancock Chamber of Commerce....with a special thank you to Robin Evanitsky, a caring community and Delarc Board member that was so key in making this exhibit happen.
March is the annual celebration of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Focusing on this month gives us an opportunity to celebrate the contributions that people with disabilities make as neighbors, friends, coworkers, and members of our community. People with disabilities are valuable, contributing members of our community who have much to offer and a desire to participate. Much progress has been made in our society’s treatment of people with developmental disabilities, parents are no longer pressured to send their children away to institutions, more doors than ever before are open to individuals with disabilities. With organizations like The Arc of Delaware County, people are living fulfilling lives and have proven to be reliable workers, excellent volunteers, and capable of meeting or exceeding expectations or standards. Though the acceptance and treatment of people with disabilities has come a long way, we still have a long way to go – for instance, as many as 60% of individuals with disabilities – 7 million nationwide – remain unemployed. Community members can help by becoming a Member of The Arc of Delaware County, which you have or will be receiving information in the mail about. Other ways to help include hiring someone with disabilities, inviting them to participate in civic organizations or community activities, donating time or money to The Arc of Delaware to support our mission, or even just teaching children that all people have something to contribute.
 Delarc congratulates Terri Beers & Arlene Goedel, who recently received visits from Blesher Lil' Heart, Delarc's staff recognition mascot.
Terri's nomination form read:
"Terri took the time to help me complete a job responsibility. During the staff retreat, she was willing to re-certify my CPR Certificate when it was 'free time' for staff. This allowed both of us to keep our schedules without needing to rely on others to cover."
Arlene's nomination form read:
"Arlene always puts the people we support first. Whether it's covering, staying with folks when they are not feeling well, or having muffins and coffee with them on their birthday, Arlene always has the people we support first on her mind and in her heart." The nomination forms went on to describe how each displayed Delarc's Unifying Principles. Congratulations again to Terri and Arlene!
Beverly Tuthill, lovingly known as ‘Miss Honeybee’ by the countless number of children and families she has supported in her role as Director of The Arc of Delaware County's Carousel Children's Services Program, will be supporting a new parent support group for families of children (birth through adult) with autism spectrum disorders or developmental or intellectual disabilities. Parents are invited to the Delaware County Resource Center at 34570 State Highway 10 in Walton, NY, on Thursday, January 20th from 6:30 – 8 PM for a first meeting to help set the schedule and agenda for future meetings. Join other parents in an open, compassionate setting. Ask questions and learn from others. Voice concerns and share resources. Give advice, support and encouragement. In creating this group, Beverly explained, “We want to provide the support families are looking for, so when we heard from parents and other providers that there was an interest in such a group, we immediately started putting plans in place to make it happen.” “We hope to see families from across Delaware County come together to support and learn from one another, and really make this group their own,” she concluded. For more information about the parent support group meeting, to receive a flyer with information, to reserve space for child care, or to be notified of future meetings, contact call Sharon at (607) 865-6783 or e-mail parent_s@ymail.com.
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