The Arc Georgia has been hard at work protecting the civil and human rights of people with disabilities across the state.

We are excited to share those experiences and updates, including how you can join our fight! From advancing person centered practices to coordinating a successful MLK Day of Service event, we have been busy furthering our mission of building truly inclusive communities in Georgia.


Stacey Ramirez, State Director
We've moved to the Historic Hurt Building
We are excited to report that we've moved into our new office space at the historic Hurt Building in downtown Atlanta! We are now in walking distance to the State Capitol and will be sharing a suite with Georgians for a Healthy Future , a powerful nonprofit organization focusing on advancing the health of all Georgians.

Stop by our new office and say hello!
50 Hurt Plaza SE, Suite 806
We welcomed two new interns this January!
Many of you may have been introduced to our Policy Intern, Martha Haythorn, via her policy advocacy video series " Mondays with Martha ". Martha joined our policy team in January and has been advocating for disability policy alongside our Director of Policy down at the Gold Dome. Martha is currently a high school student at Decatur High School and is interested in a possible career in policy advocacy.
We are fortunate to also introduce you to our Projects Intern, Ashley Gill. She is currently a senior at Auburn University majoring in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies. Ashley shared, "I decided to do an internship with The Arc because I am passionate about advocating for and working with the disability community and their mission perfectly aligns with these goals.".
Announcing Important Upcoming Events
Inaugural The Arc Georgia Day at the Capitol
The Arc Georgia is hosting a day at the Capitol to highlight the amazing work of our state and local chapters! Plan to join us!
 
Date: Wednesday, March 13th
Time: 8:30am-12:30pm
Location: State Capitol, Room 125

Wings for All ®
at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The Arc of Georgia, Delta Air Lines and TSA are teaming up to host a Wings for All® event at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on April 9, 2019! Wings for All ® is an airport “rehearsal” specially designed for people with disabilities, their families and aviation professionals. The event is designed to alleviate some of the stress that families who have a loved one with a disability experience when traveling by air.

This event would not be possible without the support of our many partners and volunteers. We hope that you’re able to join us for a day of fun and learning!
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 
Check-in: Starts at 9:30am
Boarding: 11:00am 
 
 
 
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at 470-222-6088.
Exciting Happenings and New Opportunities
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Food Drive
During this year's MLK Day of Service, The Arc Georgia partnered with amazing volunteers (AKA we are looking at you!), The Arc Macon , and Albany ARC to host a day-long food drive aimed at addressing food insecurity in our neighborhoods.

We collected food items to donate to Intown Collaborative Ministries , an organization dedicated to feeding families experiencing hunger. We are proud to report that as a result of the hard work of everyone involved, we were able to collect over 1300 nonperishable food items!

For information on the additional events we will be hosting this spring and summer, email us at [email protected] . . We would welcome more volunteers!
International Day of Persons with Disabilities Celebration
We had a great time celebrating 2018's International Day of Persons with Disabilities with our local chapter, The Arc of Clayton County ! People receiving services through the Clayton Center performed at TWO choir events as a way of celebrating the day.
The first event took place at Living Faith Tabernacle on Sunday, December 2nd and the second event took place at the Capitol building on December 3rd. The performances were a perfect way to celebrate the day and all did a fantastic job!

Check out The Arc Georgia Instagram for videos of the performances.
Person-Centered Thinking Learning Labs
The Arc Georgia is working in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and Support Development Associates (SDA) to advance and sustain person-centered processes across Georgia.

We have facilitated the first of 3 pilot trainings, known as Learning Labs, that act as technical support for those who have gone through the 2-day Person-Centered Thinking training. The goal of the Learning Lab is to provide a space for attendees to focus on implementation of the learned skills.

Information on future Learning Labs will be announced on DBHDD's events page !
Policy Advocacy Training and Presentations
To support grassroots advocacy, we provided policy advocacy trainings to a variety of groups including the self-advocates receiving services through Albany ARC and Atlanta's chapter of Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome (DADS) .

The training includes information on what is happening during the legislative session and providing training on how to use our voice to make change in public policy.

For information on how your group can schedule a policy advocacy training with The Arc Georgia, Please email us at [email protected] .
Tomorrow's Leaders
The Arc Georgia was awarded funding through the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities to develop a pilot program focused on developing and strengthening the leadership abilities of young people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

As this groundbreaking project gets underway, we look forward to keeping you updated on the exciting progress of our young leaders!
The Arc Georgia Pooled Trust
Special Needs Trusts are utilized to help provide the extras in life, above and beyond the basics provided by government programs. The Arc Georgia Pooled Trust offers two types of trusts to help families provide the highest quality of life for a family member with a disability… now and for the future.

·      First Party Trusts
·      Third Party Trusts

In both types of trusts, The Arc Georgia Pooled Trust allows funds to be pooled to maximize investments; however each trust beneficiary has his or her individual trust account.