Did you know that The Arc’s Community Day Program volunteers log countless hours annually? They do! It’s our way of giving back and stretching the boundaries of what people with disabilities are capable of. Thank you Quad City Botanical Center for recognizing the efforts of people with disabilities with the Volunteer Group of the Year Award!
Valerie Adamson
Advanced Business Systems
Antonella’s Pizzeria II
Angela Arensdorf
Maria Avila
Wayne Beck
Kimberly Brokaw
Bruce Campbell
Jeff Combs
Joan & Stephen Conrad
Thomas & Kathleen Conrad
Jack Cozad
Dispatch Argus Santa Fund
Lori & Tony Dixon
Sue Gadient
Bernice & Abraham Gunaseelan
John Gustafson
Happy Joe’s
Thomas Hayden
John Deere Construction & Forestry Outreach and Volunteerism
Gilbert Jones
Mike Kaiser
Doug & Mary Elizabeth Klaman
Nicole Koellner
Linda Koester
Bill Kreps
KWQC-TV
Lopiez Pizza
Scott Maess
Jenny Miller
Mike & Michele Montford
Beulah Morrow
Mulkey’s
Oakwood Country Club
Pagalo’s Gourmet Pizza
Darrell Perry
Pizza & Subs
Quad Cities River Bandits
Quad City Pizza Co.
Quad City Times
Kimberly Reynolds
St. Ambrose University Alumni Office
Lisa Stearns
Stoney Creek Inn
Karl Swanson
Target
Margaret & Roald Tweet
Two Rivers Massage
Sarah & Dean Wright
Brittany Wunderlich
Zimmerman Honda
Respect $10,000 or more
Lyford Estate
17th District State Central Committee
Sheila Murphy Foundation
Achievement $5,000 – $9,999
Modern Woodmen of America
Mutual of America
Bryce Campbell
Sharon Esslinger
Charles Deere Wiman Memorial Trust
Janice Nelson Trust
Knights of Columbus- Loras Council 532 Iowa
Vonderhaar Family Foundation
Achievement $2,500 – $4,999
John Donald O’Shea
John Deere Foundation
Quad Cities Community Foundation
Francis & Sue Vroman
SENB Bank
Main Street Iowa LLC
Community $1,000 – $2,499
Donald & Katherine Healy
Jack Cozad
Doris & Victor Day Foundation, Inc.
Howard & Geraldine Knaack Foundation
Lee Foundation Santa Fund
Joseph & Donna Terfler
Bernice & Abraham Gunaseelan
Thomas & Kathleen Conrad
Laura Swift
Exelon c/o CyberGrants
Lisa Toalson
US Wealth Management & Investment Services
Emery Doonan
Rosemary Costello
Northwest Bank & Trust Company
Travis Cutler
Paul DeWispelaere
Dr. Carrie Montford
Napsky Trust
Mike & Tracy Poelvoorde
Mike & Michele Montford
Knights of Columbus- Allouez Council 658 Rock Island
Janis & Todd Haugen
Tere Huberburrill
John Deere Classic
Wayne Beck
American Bank & Trust
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Arthur J. Gallagher Foundation
The Blackbaud Giving Fund
James Patton
Ralph & Mary Radloff
Varian Medical Systems
Walmart
Self-Determination $500 – $999
Barb Goettig
Knights of Columbus- Leo Council 716 East Moline
Nicole Koellner
Bozeman, Neighbour, Patton, & Noe
Catherine & Benjamin Olvera
M. Kathleen Seusy
Estes Construction
Bill Kreps
Paul & Sheila Guse Charitable Trust Fund
Tamara Daily
Heather Feik
Patrick & Char Verschoore
Nicholas Book
City of Silvis
Michael Glanz
Christopher & Stephanie Cramer
Crawford Company
DuTrac
Geneseo Comm Charitable Foundation
John Deere Construction & Forestry Outreach & Volunteerism
MidAmerican Energy Foundation
Jim & Twila Mitchell
Leslie O’melia
Doug & Kyle Rick
Tiny & Judy Rosa-Gastaldo
UnitedHealthcare Services, Inc.
Diversity $250 – $499
DARI
Verne Folkmann
Brian Northrup
John & Kathy Buccifero
Mr. Siva Ganesh
Media Link Inc.
Yen Dao
QCR Holdings Group, Inc
John Gustafson
Patrick & Kathleen Doherty
Sue Gadient
Deno & Barbara Minas
John & Bonnie Leinart
William E. & Julie A. Tanner
Joan & Stephen Conrad
Peggy Love
Kurt & Meg Davis
Blackhawk Bank & Trust
Thomas & Deborah Bracke
John & Susan Crampton
Daniel P. Daly
Miles Davidson
Christi DeWispelaere
Henderson County Democratic Committee
Kathryn Lawhorn
Nestle Purina PetCare
Cynthia Volpe-Price
Western Structural Company
Integrity $100 – $249
Annette Doonan
Sarah Bohnsack
Kristine Loy
William Bateman
Frank & Theresa Dewaele
Mike Holmes
Linda Koester
Gina Livingston
Karen Steen
Gene Thomas
Christina E. Harper
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
James & Gina Brunk
Tara Huntley
Janet Johnson
Linda & Gary Johnson
James & Elizabeth Bromley Loveless
James Norris
Brian Ramsay
Dr. Eric & Alex Ritterhoff
Tom Schroeder
Lawrence & Jane Tschappat
Craig Hignight
Melissa Easley
UnitedHeath Group Matching Gift Funds
Michael & Diana Kavanaugh
William Peutz
Brent & Audrey Wyatt
Gilbert Jones
Friendship Manor
Hammar & Associates PC
Happy Joes
Heritage Landscape Design
Flora Lawhorn
Richard & Diane Phillis
James Teros
Timothy & Patricia Tulon
Cindy Crosby
Bruce Noah
Marcia Richard & William Voltz
AmazonSmile.com
Nathan Burress
Crawford Brew Works LLC
The Generations! Band
Beulah Morrow
Mary Ann Timm
Dewayne HaGans
Randall & Peggy Peeters
Keith & Pamela Turner
Joan & Alfred Beck
Ron & Karyn Hanger
S.A. Fenwick
James Ramirez
Stephen & Jane Alexander
Ann D. Bell
Dr. Mark J. & Theresa Bergthold
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Beyer
Richard Bigger
Jeffrey Bisby
John & Clara Caldwell
Chris Elsberg Insurance Agency, Inc.
Charlene Cooper
Anthony Cottrell
Clarence & Lili Darrow
Robert & Anna Debo
Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Alpha Chapter
Laura Doonan
First Covenant Church of Moline
Mark & Jennifer Halupnik
John Hoffman
Joan Holcomb
William Keck
Ann Kerscheiter
Jack & Mary Knepp
Clarence Kreiter
John & Melody Loft
Curtis Lundy
Tom Lytton
Brenda Maess
Amy Maxwell
Jane McLean
Darline & Joseph Miljush
Julia A. Nielsen
Charles Peterson
Quality Plus Body Shop
RJS & Associates, Inc.
Jacqueline Schiff
Ron & Becky Smolenski
Pamela Snyder
Linnea Johnson
Van Meter Industrial Foundation Fund
Virdi Eye Clinic
Michael & Elizabeth WIlliams
Excellence $1 – $99
John Cooklin
Richard & Alice Dobbeleare
Bonnie J. Brunk
Carpentier Mitchell Goddard & Co.
E.H. Schroder Insurance Agency
J.L. Brady LLC
Kimberly Brokaw
Neal & Barb Keller
Paul & Sue McDevitt
Susan Mekus
Takesha McNamee
Carollee Baltzer
Richard & Lois Ann Black
Don & Debbie Bloomfield
Paul & Diane Brooks
Emma Carillo-Peters
Carroll County Democrats
Bethann Cetanyan
David Dewaele
Alvin & Bridgett Edgeworth
Debra Else
Arthur & Diana Fanter
Jerry & Mary Foster
Friends for Verschoore
Bradley A. & Linda J. Gill
Sally Gordon
Sue & Jeffrey Grimes
Isabel Gualajara
Emma Hoke
Kinzie Hull
Denny Jacobs & Associates
Jeri Jennings
Cheryl Johnson
David & Christine Kruse
Linda Lambin
Mark & Brianna Lane
Lori Lefstein
Todd & Robin Letney
Mary Maland
Christine Marckese
Erica Molina
Joseph & Beverly Quinn
Tracy Rommel
Donna J. Russell
Herbert Schultz
Jerry & Rose Springer
Angie Verde
Scott & Veronica Verschoore
Sharon Verstraete
Frank & Tammy Weikert
Craig & Cathy Wonderlich
Doug & Mary Elizabeth Klaman
Amy Downing
Ashlee Fuller
Alyssa House
Elisha Rummels
Sarah & Dean Wright
Cathy M. Anderson
Kristina Bell
Dorthea Berry
Darren Collins
Lori & Tony Dixon
Lee Dobereiner
Benita Flores
Joey & Tina Garcia
Samantha Hamor
Sandra Higgins
Kristy Lawson
Suzanne J. Liggitt
Tami M. Peck
Rochelle Plumb
Shirley Rhoads
Daniella Stogdill
Staci Nielsen
Marie Dewispelaere
UnitedHealthcare Employees
Patti Witt
Hyvee Reusable Bag Program
AT&T
Francis Adams
Selah Buccifero
Bill & Judy Carmichael
Dennis Cavanaugh
Mervyn & Carol Collins
Shaun & Vicki Graves
John Grossman
The Arc
Linda Heber
Making Friends Welcome Service Inc.
Kenneth Ohr
Dennis & Lois Pauley
Patricia Veronda
Connie Williams
Amy Baylor
Melissa Enlow
Kaitlyn Sherfey
Rachel Birkhead
James & Helen Bloome
Michael & Tracey Gowdy
Roger & Kathryn Harroun
Mathilda & Jesse Mendoza
Diane Pauly
Retirees Golf Club
Gary & Julie Seaba
Marilyn Siebert
James Waite II
John & Joann Ackerman
Mary Bennett-McClean
Amy Bucciferro
Lisa & Patrick Carroll
Lorna Cox
Danish Sisterhood #3
Albert & Kathleen DeBo
Jeffrey Dennis
Melissa Easley
Joaquin & Rose Marie Espejo
Cindy Ferguson
Ian & Kara Fuller
Mary Fuson
Mary Alice Gremonprez
Al & Denise Hampton
Harriet Schleich
Dorothy E. Hedberg
Donald & Ozma Karch
Linda Kendall
Dick Leivovitz
Liberty Diversified International
Drue Mielke
Connie Mohr-Wright
Mark Mueller
Gary & Kay Roberson
SD Home Team
Lauren & Anothony Showers
Donald W. & Leona Peterson-Spear
Tom Tagtmeier
Amy Verstraete
Michael & Roberta Vidmar
Tessa Wallace
Mary Wells
Sherry Williams
Sharon Young
Holly Rawlings
Sheila McGinnis
Mechelle Simmons
Dorothy Barber
Sally S. Brockway
Wes Carrington
Wade H. Carter III
Jean & Leonard Chard
Cheryl Cole
Keith & Sandra Crawford
Lexi Dawson
Tim & Andrea DeWaele
Mary Glanz
Philip & Rebecca Hare
Pamela Higham
Sandra Morrison
Ken & Donna Musgrove
Jessi Taylor
Kristine Klauer
Adam Bellender
Corey Akers
Sherry & Michael Beardsley
Sheri K. Elliot
Shelley Sheehy
David & Candace Sountris
Greta Wiborg
Clarice Wunderlich
Sheila McGinnis
Hannah Durbin
Greer Martin
Jennifer Bowser
The Arc of the Quad Cities Area is looking to hire a caring, compassionate and motivated LPN to help Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live their best life! Someone in this position should have good communication skills, be dependable, flexible, and prompt with good initiative as well as good team work skills. They must provide first aid, nursing care, and other health-related assistance to individuals as needed.
If this career interests you or someone you know, apply online today for our open “LPN” position! https://arcqca.applicantpool.com/jobs/964110.html
Looking for caring individuals who will actively support and further the mission of the Arc, work well with others, and have a working knowledge of tools, machine repair, building and vehicle maintenance, etc. If this sounds like you or someone you know, then apply online for our open “Maintenance Worker” position!
Apply today or look for more job opportunities on our site: https://arcqca.applicantpool.com/jobs/
The Arc of the Quad Cities Area will get $220,258 from the Illinois Human Services Capital Investment Grant Program, as part of over $14 million in awards to 70 human services providers throughout the state.
The grants are being provided through the first-ever competitive Human Services Capital Investment Grant program, designed to help social service providers address physical construction and accessibility needs.
Michael Glanz, executive director of The Arc of the Quad Cities, said recently that the grant will support the expansion of residential services in Moline to four people with disabilities (a building remodel for a group home) and improve the safety and efficiency of the employment opportunities offered to people with disabilities at Arc Industries.
“With these funds, we are able to continue to chart a path of growth and innovation for services for people with disabilities in the Illinois Quad Cities,” Glanz said. “We are all affected by the rising costs of inflation, which have dramatically affected the ability of The Arc to invest in quality programs through capital improvement — which is why this partnership with Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Department of Human Services allowing The Arc to invest in this way is so important.”
Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.
“Thanks to our Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, I am proud to announce that we are awarding more than $14 million to 70 human services organizations from 24 counties up and down the state to address much-needed infrastructure improvements,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a recent release. “Supporting these providers is an integral part of my FY24 budget proposal, which calls for the highest-ever statewide commitments to early childhood, developmental disability, mental health, substance use, and homeless prevention services. Thousands of lives will benefit from this investment.”
This $14 million in funding will address much-needed capital improvements for eligible Illinois not-for-profit human services providers. Each awardee has worked with one or more of IDHS’ six divisions: Developmental Disabilities, Early Childhood, Family and Community Services, Mental Health, Rehabilitation Services, and/or Substance Use Prevention & Recovery.
Another grant recipient is Braveheart Children’s Advocacy Center in Henry County, which is getting $176,141.
Illinois received more than 450 applications from human services providers throughout the state. The program was designed to prioritize disproportionately impacted areas, the expansion of human services, and to address fire prevention and mitigation (e.g., installation/replacement of fire sprinkler systems/fireproof doors, etc.).
Did you know that you can participate in a bi-state, Quad City wide Food Drive in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. happening now? There are 32 different locations to drop off your non-perishable food items. People with disabilities through the Quad City Disabilities Awareness Coalition will be picking up food items and distributing them to local food pantries throughout the QCA. Find a full listing of drop-off locations here: https://arcqca.org/mlk-day-of-service/ Help The Arc and the Quad City Disabilities Awareness Coalition improve the lives of our neighbors through inclusive volunteering and nourishing food.
Alex Hayes loves his job at H.C. Duke and Son (manufacturers of Electro Freeze), and his company loves what he brings to the table! Not only is his working role a major asset to helping skilled operators become more efficient and productive, but his infectious enthusiasm and team player attitude boosts the morale and team spirit of everyone he works with at H.C. Duke and Son. His direct supervisor even said that ever since Alex has to come to work for the company, he personally has experienced much more work satisfaction. While Alex certainly has brought joy to the company, the company has also brought Alex many pleasures of his own. Alex loves payday and the perks that come with working at a company that manufactures the Electro Freeze, a machine that is essential for making Blizzards at Dairy Queen. His favorite days are Blizzard days when H.C. Duke and Son’s specialty products are tested for quality, and the workers all get tasty ice-cream samples.
Alex got his position through The Arc’s Community Employment Services program, which provides local businesses with quality employees while reducing employers’ turnover and absenteeism through job matching and job coaching. Meg Pfoutz, Human Resources Manager at H.C. Duke and Son, was looking for potential employees during a tight labor market and knew that finding a solution meant reaching out to The Arc of the Quad Cities Area. Says Meg of the experience, “If companies have Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plans, but do not include neuro-divergent communities or people with disabilities, then they are missing opportunities.”
When it came to finding a workforce solution in the tightening labor market, the company made use of The Arc as a community partner, something more and more employers are discovering. Says Meg Pfoutz, “We have few unskilled positions, but we did have a number of choke points that didn’t require specific skills or certifications to fulfill.” She picked up the phone and spoke with The Arc’s Job Developer about customized employment which is an interchange between the Job Developer and the employer to find the best solution for the employer to match them with the abilities of people with disabilities looking for work opportunities. Jenny Miller, The Arc’s Community Employment Services Director came in to talk to all the employees at the plant about working alongside people with disabilities, building internal sensitivities, and mutually supportive work culture for all.
By partnering with The Arc of the Quad Cities Area, H.C. Duke and Son gave an opportunity that changed Alex’s working life, but the unforeseen benefits to the entire production team was a sweet surprise. Alex is quite an asset to the H.C. Duke and Son team, and the definition of a good co-worker.
You can post what inclusion means to you by tagging The Arc of the Quad Cities Area (@ARCQCA) and using hashtags #DDAware, #DDAwareness, and #InclusionMatters.
Pat and Jane have been friends for a long time, so far back that Pat can’t even remember when it all started. Pat had been a family friend of Jane’s family over thirty years ago, but when Jane’s mother passed away, Pat sensed a void she could fill and a wonderful friendship took root. Says Pat, “When her mother passed away, she needed an outside person to be able to give her the attention that she deserves.” Then Jane’s father also passed away, and their friendship deepened further and has been a source of comfort, reassurance, loyalty, and guidance.
Like clockwork, Pat has been picking up Jane for either breakfast or lunch every Saturday for at least twenty years. They are often joined by one or more of Pat’s five children, their children and spouses, and most often their dogs. “There can be just the two of us, or there could be twelve – it just depends,” says Pat. Jane knows everyone well including all the dogs’ names and even their birthdays. She’s a good sport because “she’s really a cat person.” Jane’s group home was also home to a cat for many years which she adored.
“She takes me every Saturday,” says Jane. “I’m glad.” The pair make their way to local restaurants and often stop for a bit of shopping. Says Jane, “My favorite places are Village Inn for eggs and coffee and then Target.” Says Pat, “wherever we go, Jane always sees someone she knows, she’s very social. She always introduces me as her sister.” In fact, Jane will often stay the weekend with Pat for special holidays like Christmas Eve and her birthday. Says Pat, “Jane is part of the family now,” so the association isn’t far off.
Recently, Jane’s Quality Intellectual Disabilities Professional reached out to Pat because she had refused a mammogram test because the experience had frightened her. It happened that Pat also had a mammogram test that week, so she was able to share that although it might be a bit uncomfortable, it was over quickly, and very important. That assurance made all the difference and catalyzed Pat’s interest in helping support Jane in her healthcare decisions as her guardian or power of attorney. “I want to be able to back up her decision-making for her healthcare choices and know that she’s followed through.”
Irrespective of how or when the friendship started, it has become more and more symbiotic as the years have gone by. “It’s good for both of us, she gives as much as she gets. She’s a wonderful addition to my life.”
Throughout the month we will be sharing more stories on three themes; see me as your neighbor; see me as your co-worker; and see me as your friend. You can post what inclusion means to you by tagging The Arc of the Quad Cities Area (@ARCQCA) and using hashtags #DDAware, #DDAwareness, and #InclusionMatters
Picture caption: Jane (left) and Pat (right) take a rest while visiting a park.
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month highlights how people with and without disabilities can come together to form strong communities, one friendship at a time.
