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Mellissa Lang
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phone: 914.949.9300,
ext. 4618
fax: 914.997.2985
or 914.428.0322
mlang@westchesterarc.org
Westchester Arc
The Gleeson-Israel Gateway Center
265 Saw Mill River Road
Hawthorne, NY 10532
914.949.9300
info@westchesterarc.org
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Ronald McDonald House Charities® of the NYTSA
Donates $10,000 to Westchester Arc
MARCH 7, 2009 – HAWTHORNE, NY – Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area (RMHC-NYTSA) has awarded $10,000 to Westchester Arc’s Children’s School for Early Development. The grant will be used to purchase classroom materials to create a stimulating learning environment for children on the autism spectrum at Little Friends Pre-School in Ossining. Little Friends is one of 11 community-based programs that collaborate with The Children’s School to offer inclusion classes, where children with disabilities learn alongside typically developing students, modeling their speech and behavior patterns. The benefit is two-way, with typically developing kids learning important life lessons concerning compassion, tolerance and the range of individual differences.
Funding from the RMHC-NYTSA will be used to enhance the learning space at Little Friends, which is a converted kitchen. The grant will fund painting, new furniture and physical renovations, as well as provide learning tools and toys, including tumbler sides and colorful blocks, to help children build gross motor strength and stimulate their senses. The class at Little Friends has proven successful for many of its students, as they have the opportunity to interact with their typically developing peers at various points of the day” comments Fran Porcaro, assistant executive director of special education. “However, due to space constrictions, the class has been moved six times in the last two years, disrupting classroom learning. This grant will help us build a permanent home for our students where we can provide motivating learning materials and a comfortable classroom setting—two things which are vital for these students to succeed.”
"Supporting Westchester ARC programs is a reflection of our mission," noted Margaret Berger, Executive Director of RMHC-NYTSA Chapter. "We are proud to partner with non-profit organizations serving the needs of children."
The Children’s School for Early Development provides innovative educational, social and support services to over 200 children with developmental disabilities. It was the first school in Westchester to offer specialized day classes specificially for children with autism.
Westchester Arc is the oldest and largest agency in the county serving children and adults with developmental disabilities such as autistic spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. The agency has long been committed to social inclusion because of the benefits to the entire community.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area is working to better the lives of children and their families in our communities, by creating and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children in the areas of health, education, the arts, and civic and social services. Since 1992, RMHC-NYTSA has provided more than $10 million dollars to local non-profit organizations whose programs improve the well-being of children and their families. For more information about RMHC eligibility, visit www.rmhcnewyorktri-state.org or call 973-287-1476.
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