Introducing "Connect"

We are excited to introduce a new feaute to The Arc of Massachusetts website called "Connect," which will expand our social media outreach and allow advocates and their friends and families to share their stories and connect with others in the community.  Tim Evans, a board member of The Arc of Mass. is looking for stories from you.  You can email him at Tevans3741@yahoo.com.   You can see Tim's story about himself and his brother below.  

Shaun and Me - A Brother Shares His Story and Welcomes Yours!

Growing up I never thought of my relationship with my younger brother, Shaun, as any different from those shared by brothers. I never recall looking at him any differently or my parents showing him any more or less attention because of his disability. 

Around the age of five Shaun was diagnosed as autistic with impulse control disorder. Instead of looking at our families’ situation as strange, I was struck by all the wonderful things that made him special rather than different – from his great memory that had a knack for recording every last minute detail of an event to his love for any movie that had music in it. Being musically inclined myself it seemed like a huge bonus that I got to re-experience Walt Disney classics years after it was way too uncool to do so. Of course I was able to under the guise of watching them with my younger brother. I guess now is as good a time as ever to admit I continue to use that same excuse, twenty years later. In fact – not a car ride or a visit goes by now where I don’t plug my iPhone into the car radio and YouTube search “sesame street telephone rock”, “jungle book – that’s what friends are for”, or “Little Mermaid – part of their world,” and join Shaun in a chorus of the classics. Shaun is a smart young man with an incredible boyish charm to him. His has a rich innocence and is willing to let anyone with interest into his world without question or judgment.  Click here to read more.

We invite you to join us on Facebook and to please share on your walls.  Facebook and twitter will play a pivotal role in "Connect," as they will be our main means of notifying the community when our new stories are posted.   Thank you for your continued support! 

Connect includes personal stories, poems and links to podcasts which describe the challenges and successes of individuals with disabilities and families.   In September 2012, we uploaded two new and very short podcasts to our You Tube page.   

·         Children do grow to become adults: that’s true for youth with disabilities too! The Olsons, senior citizens, share their story of how they moved their son into his own housing. Matthew has no day to day assistance at his apartment nor does he have access to a work program ever since funding was cut two years ago. They are not alone—listen to their story.

·         Give kids opportunities and they can thrive! Meet the kids at the music therapy class sponsored by EMarc, an affiliate of The Arc. Recreation and leisure supports are essential to adults and children and they are subsidized heavily by donations (usually 50% or more!) Learn more about the wonderful outcomes and potential of youth in this story.

·         See our older podcasts which are still relevant. Julia has a good life, but mom worries about the future. James’ sister shares her joy at the relationship they have. View “All Aboard The Arc” and consider joining us next year and helping the mission! There is more. 

Steve Etzweiler Voices Need for Salary Reserve for Direct Care Workers

Click here to view the video.
 
 

As an Employment Specialist at CLASS, Inc, I help prepare and support individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions for work. Switching from the business field, I entered the human services sector two years ago because I wanted to give back to this community. My heart led me into this field.

My job is very rewarding.

People go into the human services field because they want to help others. We are a close-knit group.
 

Many people go into this field because they have a family member with a disability. Someone made a positive impact on their family, so they want to give back by working in the human services sector. They’ve been touched. Believe me, you don’t do this type of work for the money. You work in human services because you care.

I recall recently working with a young man who transitioned out of the public school system into our agency.   I think switching environments was tough for him. We had our battles. He wanted to work, so I helped him adapt to his new work environment by working one-on-one with him at times. He often felt frustrated, which then led to bad behaviors. He now excels with his tasks and he trusts me. I feel he now treats me like a best friend. This is what makes my job worth doing.

My job is also challenging.

Click here to read more.