Our mission is to empower children and adults with developmental disabilities to achieve their potential based on personal choices, abilities and interests...
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Regina Moore
Marketing Manager
phone: (914) 428-8330,
ext. 3117
fax: (914) 997-2985
or (914) 428-0322
rmoore@westchesterarc.org
Westchester Arc
Herbert Katzenberg Center
121 Westmoreland Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606
(914) 949-9300
info@westchesterarc.org
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Press Release
Westchester Arc Opens Day Center in New Rochelle
Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Build Independence
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK--June 8, 2006--Westchester Arc has opened a day facility for adults with developmental disabilities at 136 Centre Avenue in New Rochelle. Services combine classroom learning with community-based activities that teach individuals how to be productive members of society. Westchester Arc is the largest family-focused agency in the county serving people of all ages who have disabilities such as autistic spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, mental retardation, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.
The new facility represents the heart of Westchester Arc’s mission—to empower individuals with developmental disabilities to achieve their potential based on personal choices, interests and abilities. Now, more than ever, these individuals want the option to live, work and socialize within the greater community.
Attendees at the new Westchester Arc facility will learn such daily living skills as shopping, traveling and making choices. Often the activities are fun and highly creative. In the past, for instance, a cooking contest, inspired by the Iron Chef TV show, taught participants how to prepare food, manage money and work as a team. Contestants collaborated with staff to research and prepare recipes based on a single theme—bananas. Contest judges were treated to banana crepes, banana smoothies, banana walnut bread and banana chimichangas.
” I feel like a cook in a restaurant,” said one contestant.
Similarly, a photography competition recently offered lessons in both aesthetics and technology. In the process of capturing winter scenes, 17 contestants, many of whom had never previously used a digital camera, learned to adjust flash controls, zoom in, delete photos and handle a tripod . They also learned how to use a computer to crop, resize and add special effects to their photos. The activity encouraged individuality and creative thinking and helped build self-esteem.
Volunteer work is another popular activity, and many attendees establish strong community ties through their activities at food pantries, animal shelters and other non-profit organizations.
“I don’t know what we would do without our volunteers from Westchester Arc,” comments Penny Pope, program director, Yonkers Community Action Program (YCAP). “They are hardworking, reliable, friendly and a real pleasure to be around. I would recommend their services to everyone.”
The New Rochelle new facility brings to six the number of such program sites operated by Westchester Arc. Similar facilities are located in Mount Kisco, Ossining, Peekskill, Port Chester and White Plains. Established over 55 years ago, Westchester Arc serves 1600 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The agency has long advocated community inclusion for individuals with disabilities, consistent with personal wishes and capabilities.
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