Our Ability's 2014 Journey Along the Canal!

Check out the 2014 Journey Along the Erie Canal

 

John Robinson, CEO of Our Ability, fellow staff, friends and family journied along the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany once again in 2014.  They stopped in Albion on July 1, 2014.  Check out the link below to see their whole journey.

 

   (Arriving in Albion)

(John speaking to the crowd)

 2014 Journey Along the Erie Canal

Help Stop the Closure of Sheltered Work Environments!

Stop the Closure of Sheltered Work Environments in New York State

Once again, programs and services for some of our most vulnerable citizens are on the chopping block. This time, New York State is looking to take away an important vocational option for individuals that require greater structure, supervision and individualization for vocational and pre-vocational training due to funding cuts.

We all strive for all people with developmental disabilities to live and work in the most inclusive and least restrictive environments. For many people with more severe and profound developmental disabilities, the pre-vocational, sheltered work environment is an important stepping stone to develop the skills that are needed for employment in the competitive work environment. Without this type of program, many people with developmental disabilities will have nowhere to go and nothing to fill their days.

If this option is taken away, we need to ask WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE THE 8,000 INDIVIDUALS WHO CURRENTLY WORK IN EMPLOYMENT CENTERS THROUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE - yes, actual employment centers - not segregated sweat shops, the vision of which uninformed individuals have developed.

We were told that this transformation will cost the state MORE money.

You will hear that "options" are being developed to transform these individuals out of workshops - Pathway to Employment, Community Habilitation, Volunteerism - NONE of these options provide a consistent, long term paid position for the individuals we serve in our employment centers. NONE of them provide the opportunity for some of the most challenged individuals to engage in a daily routine of getting up each day, traveling to work, engaging in constructive employment, socializing with friends, and MAKING A PAYCHECK, which makes the individuals we serve feel valued and INTEGRATED into the community.

We strongly recommend that legislative action be taken to PREVENT CLOSURES OF SHELTERED WORKSHOPS. Why create a more costly and ineffective system that uses more tax dollars to reap less benefit?

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HAPPY AND GAINFULLY EMPLOYED. SIGN BROOME-TIOGA'S CHAPTER PETITION TODAY:
Please go to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-the-closure-of-sheltered-work-environments to sign their petition.

Vacancy Announcement 10/21/14 Administrative Assistant

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT – REGULAR FULL TIME
REPORTS TO: CAROLE MITCHELL – EXECUTIVE SECRETARY                                                                                                
LOCATION: A&O, CAROLINE ST, ALBION
DUTIES: PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE A & O TEAM TO INCLUDE ROUTINE PAPERWORK AS REQUIRED.  ANSWERING & DIRECTING PHONE CALLS. PREPARING REPORTS, MAINTAINING RECORDS AND FILES AND OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED. 
QUALIFICATIONS: WORKING LEVEL KNOWLEDGE OF TYPING, KEYBOARDING AND SECRETARIAL PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES AND IN THE USE OF PERSONAL COMPUTER; EFFICIENT WITH MICROSOFT WORD & EXCEL. A KNOWLEDGE OF THE GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, AND SPELLING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARE REQUIRED. 3 YEARS EXPERIENCE PERFORMING SECRETARIAL DUITES OR AN AAS DEGREE SECRETARIAL SCIENCE + ONE YEAR EXPERIENCE ARE REQUIRED.  GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS, HIGHLY ORGANIZED, ATTENTION TO DETAIL. 
STARTING RATE: GRADE 7, STEP 1 - $8.92/HR.
Interested candidates should submit a resume by October 28, 2014 to:
HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT
ATTN: Carol Fox
122 Caroline Street
P.O. Box 439
Albion, NY 14411
e-mail:  cfox@arcoforleans.org  Fax: 585 - 589 - 5669
Posted:  10/21/14
THE ARC OF ORLEANS COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Save the Date!

SAVE THE DATE

JOB FAIR FOR THE ARC OF ORLEANS COUNTY

When: Friday, October 24, 2014 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Where: At the Orleans Center for Workforce Development

NYS Dept of Labor

458 West Ave

Albion NY  14411

 

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  Have a positive impact on the lives of others, experience personal growth and satisfaction in a community of caring people working as a team to help people with developmental disabilities achieve their goals. 

 

Full-time/part-time positions as a Direct Support Professional for our Community Living Department and/or Vocational Services Department. Flexible hours, day, evening, overnight, weekends & holidays. 

 

Good math & writing skills.  Must have a valid NYS driver’s license.  Experience not required and extensive training is provided.  Must be willing to work various hours to include evenings, weekends, overnights & holidays. Must be able to lift, push and pull 40 lbs and must be capable of completing SCIP, CPR, First Aide and other trainings as required.

STARTING RATE:  Grade 7DC, STEP 1 - $9.28 per hour.

Vacancy Announcement 10/14/14 Information Technology Administrator

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATOR
REGULAR FULL TIME
REPORTS TO: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER
LOCATION: 122 CAROLINE STREET, ALBION, NY
DUTIES: ASSIST INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER IN THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE; ALSO SUPPORT END USERS WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE OPERATION OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE, EQUIPMENT AND PERIPHERALS.
QUALIFICATIONS:
 Required IT degree, 4-year preferred or equivalent, 2-year associates + 2 year experience, performing install and configuration of software/hardware, network administration and PC management. Must administer Microsoft AD, Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V, and Exchange 2010 and be familiar with LAN/WAN infrastructure and electronic security protections. VLANs, VoIP phones and web development a plus.
 MUST BE INDEPENDENT, ORGANIZED, CREATIVE, INSIGHTFUL, DETAIL ORIENTATED, PROBLEM SOLVER, WILLING TO WORK REQUIRED HOURS.  PERSON MUST BE ABLE TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH PEOPLE AT ALL ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELS.  VALID NYS LICENSE THAT MEETS AGENCY GUIDELINES IS REQUIRED AND ABLE TO LIFT UP TO 50 lbs. 
SALARY RANGE: GRADE 22 - $33,246-$39,936 Annual Base Rate
INTERESTED CANDIDATES SHOULD SUBMIT A RESUME BY:  10/21/14
TO:Carol Fox, Human Resources Manager
The Arc of Orleans County
122 Caroline Street
Albion, NY 14411
E-mail:  cfox@arcoforleans.org   Fax:  (585) 589-5669

The Arc Orleans County is an Equal Opportunity Employer Posted:  10/14/14

Are You Ready to Lose Weight? You're Invited to an Open House for Weight Watchers at Work

It's Back to YOU Season!

Feel great about the choices you make

Find out how at our next Weight Watchers Open House

 

Benefits include:

• At Work meetings offered at The Arc of Orleans County with private weigh-ins
• Support from an experienced Leader who has lost weight with Weight Watchers
• Free access to eTools, our Internet weight-loss companion
• Lots of inspiration, motivation, and group support

Registration will be available (most major credit cards and personal checks are accepted).

 

Our Next Weight Watchers Open House will be:

 

DATE:             Tuesday, October 14, 2014

TIME:              3:45 pm - 4:30 pm

LOCATION:  The Arc of Orleans County

                         122 Caroline Street, Albion, NY

CONTACT:    Darlene Golson at dgolson@arcoforleans.org    (please put "WW at Work" in subject line) or call at 585-589-5516 ext. 228.

*Open House does not include Program Materials or weigh-in.

 

*At Work Meeting Series: Available in participating areas only. Pre-payment required and further restrictions may apply.  Minimum enrollment and participation required to start and maintain At Work meeting.

 

*eTools available to those who have pre-purchased an At Work Meeting Series at the start of the meeting series. Such members will get a subscription for either 14 weeks or 19 weeks of free eTools; the length of free eTools subscription is dependent on the length of the At Work Meeting Series available at the company.  Free eTools subscription offer not available for local Weight Watchers meetings or online subscriptions.  Your eTools subscription will automatically renew each month at standard rate (currently $18.95, which is subject to change) per month, unless you cancel before the end of the 14 weeks or 19 weeks subscription to eTools.  Visit www.weightwatchers.com/cancel for instructions on how to cancel. Subscription is not transferable.

 

 

Day Habilitation Group Visits Corning Glass Center

On Thursday September 25^th 2014 the Day Habilitation Program went on a Day Trip to the Corning Glass Center.   The group did several fundraisers including a Duck Race sponsored by Wildwood Lake KOA campground in Medina.   They also received a donation from NYSCOPBA local sector Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion NY and NYSARC Trust Recreation Grant funds were utilized to ensure this trip took place. This was a great opportunity for the folks in the program.   They enjoyed a glass making class and all were able to make a glass flower to take home.   This opportunity will be remembered and talked about for years to come. 

 (Jim Kingdollar using tweezers to shape the glass into a flower.)

(Tyler Heuer making the stem on his flower.)

 

(Marion Wickham and Nicole Tuohey rolling the glass

to cool it down before adding color.)

 

(Jason McCoy and Dane Ritter crimping glass into a flower.)

    Group Photo of Finished Product

Everyone was so pleased and excited over their flowers…

(Photo of the duck race held at Wildwood Lake KOA)

 

 

 

 

                          

AT&T Supports Arc's Mission and Those Served by The Agency

(Kurt delivering for Meals on Wheels)

AT&T has been very supportive of The Arc of Orleans County for many years and 2014 marked the fifth year that the organization has received a generous contribution from the company to assist the organization in its mission of ensuring that people with disabilities and their families have the opportunity to pursue their desired quality of life.  Over the past five years AT&T has contributed $74,000.

In February of 2014, The Arc of Orleans County received $16,000 for the Family Support Transitioning program, marking the fourth year that we have received a contribution from AT&T to support this important program.  The purpose of the contribution is to support the Transitioning into Adulthood program that helps individuals with disabilities successfully transition from school to the workforce.  It has given the program the ability to purchase many resources that are used on a daily basis to assist the people we serve into a successful transition. 

The support for The Arc of Orleans County is part of AT&T Aspire, the company’s $350 million commitment to education. With more than 1 million students impacted since its launch in 2008, Aspire is one of the nation’s largest corporate commitments focused on helping more students graduate from high school ready for college and careers. 

Kurt Hoffman is one of the individuals we serve who has been helped immensely by this funding.  The resources provided by AT&T’s generous contribution assisted us in working with Kurt’s Circle of Support in the development of a comprehensive Person Centered Plan while he was in school.  This process led to obtaining a service plan designed specifically for Hoffman that would support him in addressing his needs and give him the opportunity to work on the outcomes him and his family desire for his life.

Hoffman has had many great outcomes over the last several years.  He successfully transitioned from school into the community and into the workforce.  He is making a difference in the community by volunteering his time at various organizations and businesses. Hoffman is also employed at Save-A-Lot.

Hoffman has been able to maintain existing relationships from school that are important to him as well as made new friendships in his community.  Hoffman has truly become a successful member of his community and has reached many of his desired outcomes. In April 2014, he received the 2013 Arc of Orleans Community Service Award in recognition of his outstanding volunteer participation and contributions to the community. 

Hoffman’s ability to overcome difficulties along with a willing spirit and positive attitude has enabled him to make valuable contributions to the community, foster community integration, and broader support from the community.  People with disabilities encounter many different forms of attitudinal barriers.  Hoffman is an Ambassador to show that those with differing abilities have valuable talents, skills, and enthusiasm to contribute to the betterment of their communities.  Hoffman’s helping hands; winning smile and warm nature have changed perceptions that people with differing abilities can be service providers, and are not just the recipients of service.

We are truly grateful to the AT&T for their continued support.  Hoffman is a glowing example of how their support has made an important impact on an individual and on a community.

 

(Kurt working at Save-A-Lot)

Vacancy Announcement 10/01/14 Transition Specialist/Trainer

ACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION: TRANSITION SPECIALIST/TRAINER – PART-TIME  II –  20 HRS./WK. 
REPORTS TO:EMPOWERING FAMILIES PROJECT COORDINATOR – IDA CALDWELL
LOCATION:FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES – ALBION, NY
DUTIES: PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, THEIR FAMILES, PRFOESSIONALS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN STUDENT TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO ADULTHOOD EXPERIENCES.  PLANNING, COORDINATING AND CONDUCTING TRAINING ON DISABILITY RELATED TOPICS IS ALSO REQUIRED.
QUALIFICATIONS: College level knowledge of services for people with disabilities, typically acquired through the attainment of an AAS in Human Services. Knowledge of Person Center Planning, program development, service delivery and training techniques. Three years experience working with individuals with disabilities.  Good oral and written communication skills.  Must possess a valid NYS Driver’s License.
STARTING WAGE:  GRADE 14 DC - $11.68/HR.
INTERESTED CANDIDATES SHOULD SUBMIT A RESUME TO HUMAN RESOURCES
BY:  10/07/14 TO:
Carol Fox, Human Resources Manager
The Arc of Orleans County
122 Caroline Street
Albion, NY  14411
EMAIL:  cfox@arcoforleans.org   FAX:  585-589-5669
The Arc of Orleans is an equal opportunity employer.
DATE POSTED:   9/30/14

Vacancy Announcement 10/01/14 Educational Advocate

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION:EDUCATIONAL ADVOCATE – PART-TIME  I –  30 HRS./WK. 
REPORTS TO: EMPOWERING FAMILIES PROJECT COORDINATOR – IDA CALDWELL
LOCATION: FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES – ALBION, NY
DUTIES: PROVIDE DIRECT ADVOCACY SERVICES AND INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES
QUALIFICATIONS: College level knowledge of services for people with disabilities and their families, typically acquired through an AAS in Human Services. Two years experience working with individuals with disabilities.  Good oral and written communication skills.  Must possess a valid NYS Driver’s License.
STARTING WAGE:  GRADE 9 DC - $9.96/HR.
INTERESTED CANDIDATES SHOULD SUBMIT A RESUME TO HUMAN RESOURCES
BY:  10/07/14 TO:
Carol Fox, Human Resources Manager
The Arc of Orleans County
122 Caroline Street
Albion, NY  14411
EMAIL:  cfox@arcoforleans.org   FAX:  585-589-5669
The Arc of Orleans is an equal opportunity employer.
DATE POSTED:   9/30/14