September 17, 2020 | Issue #59
Celebrating Heroes in Times of Crisis

You may have taken a moment of silence at 8:46 am last week on September 11. 9/11 resulted in grief and trauma. New York City and others affected across our country came together to make sense of 9/11 and work through the tragedy. People offered each other support and slowly began to rebuild lives, families and communities.

We are experiencing a different kind of crisis today, which is a tragedy for some and a challenge for many others. Our community is at once part of the whole, and yet we cannot quietly sit back and wait. Continue reading.
Read Advocate? Take Our Survey and You Could Win A Gift Card!

In the coming weeks, we will begin planning for the fall issue of Advocate. We want to hear from you. Tell us how we can improve our quarterly printed newsletter and be entered for the chance to win a gift card. Visit arcmass.org/survey to participate.
Featured
The Arc of Massachusetts Receives 2020 Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar

The Arc of Massachusetts today earned the 2020 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, a service of Candid. By sharing metrics that highlight progress The Arc of Massachusetts is making toward our mission, we are helping donors move beyond simplistic ways of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios.

To reach the Platinum level, The Arc of Massachusetts added extensive information to our Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar: basic contact and organizational information; in-depth financial information; qualitative information about goals, strategies, and capabilities; and quantitative information about results and progress toward our mission. By taking the time to provide this information, The Arc of Massachusetts has demonstrated our commitment to transparency and to giving donors and funders meaningful data to evaluate nonprofit performance. 
We Cannot Rest, Friend

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and autism, their families, and the direct support workforce have been challenged more than ever before by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we prepare for colder weather and COVID’s likely resurgence, we know that this is not the end of the health, social, or fiscal crises. A state budget deficit is looming and will require more vigilance not less, stronger advocacy not rest.

While we don’t know what’s ahead, The Arc will continue to fight for people with I/DD and autism with your help. They are counting on us. Your gift today will make advocacy for our community and The Arc’s continued efforts to help families navigate the pandemic possible. Please join us as we chart a path forward in a world that has been radically changed by this pandemic.
Webinars
I Did It My Way! From Day Services to Individualized Supports
Learn from a group of self-advocates and their families on how they transformed their traditional day services into individualized support. Presenters will provide discussion of the before and after, how they decided the right supports, and funding sources utilized. Register for this presentation here.
Sponsor Spotlight


The work of The Arc of Massachusetts is made possible by generous donations from people like you, friend. None of our advocacy, education, and outreach would be possible without your continued support. Please consider giving today.