2020, aside from starting another decade, also marks the 60th anniversary of The Arc of Augusta. By tradition, we need to mark the occasion with some form of celebration and we will do that later this year. Along with that celebratory moment, we are going to do something different! We are going to talk about the future and not the past. Our chapter of The Arc is not a place, it is not a building, not a staff, not a pair of programs, it is a movement! And it is about you.

We want to mark 60 years by talking to you, by talking to and about your DD child or children, by talking about what our services are or could be or should be to make their lives better and in doing so, make your life better. We want to talk about advocacy, want to talk about future legislation, want to know about needs in our community and we want to know what your vision of our work should be. What advocacy steps you would like to see us take.

To begin this discussion and to take the celebratory leap from where we are to where we should be we are launching a new, but short term project to the lay the ground work. We call it “The Arc 2030 Project.” The Arc 2030 Project is a visioning project to determine what services, programs and supports The Arc of Augusta should be developing for the future. The project will begin with a visioning work group to outline and discuss possible opportunities for The Arc of Augusta in the future. We will look at current and potential programming and community partnerships to add by 2030, so the next decade gets a fresh start and boost from the current decade.

A work group is being formed to begin the project, if anyone is interested in participating then please contact our executive director, Warren McKeen at (540) 943-1618 or by email at arc102@lumos.net

We work and plan for the day when DD individuals are a part of their communities, accepted for not only who they are, but also what they contribute. Accepted, supported and acknowledged. Help us to pave the way for a new future by participating with us, by celebrating 60 years in a different way…by talking about the future.

The only way forward is together.