Today I had the opportunity to visit The Arc of Rappahannock in the City of Fredericksburg. The Arc of Rappahannock serves the city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline. After a tour of The Arc of Rappahannock offices and dinner with Executive Director Jan Griffin and Board Member Becky Clark at the famous Sammy T’s, I joined the energetic board of The Arc of Rappahannock for a lively discussion about how this chapter is working towards “A Life Like Yours” and a talk about The Arc of Virginia’s recently released position paper out of The Arc of Rappahannock.On the tour, Jan shared with me how this chapter of The Arc is committed to serving people with developmental disabilities regardless of their diagnosis, Medicaid Waiver eligibility, or ability to pay. All programs are offered free of charge. . The Arc of Rappahannock currently supports 11 community-based programs that promote the range of supports and services needed to attain access to the community. The most famous of these is The Arc of Rappahannock’s dental program- using volunteer dentists, hygienists and dental hygienist students from nearby Germanna Community College, The Arc of Rappahannock provides dental care to over 120 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This year the Moss Free Clinic donated the use of their dental site for the chapter to hold free clinics to examine, clean, and x-ray patients, who were then sent into private dental practices for further treatment.

The newest addition to The Arc of Rappahannock’s programs is the facilitation of 1:1 cooking and nutrition programs. Jan shared with me that through their work at the dental clinic; the staff found that the many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities were relying on prepared food from local convenience stores or fast food restaurants. Through this prevention effort, individuals with ID/DD have the opportunity to learn how to prepare three meals a day-good food, proper storage, and the food pyramid. During the tour of the office, Jan also showed me the home-base for The Arc of Rappahannock’s Assistive Technology Program. This service provides a trained instructor, using specialized equipment and touch screen computers, to help children and adults communicate and relate to their world through technology.

Utilizing nearby Mary Washington College, The Arc of Rappahannock also promotes relationship-building through facilitation of the Best Buddies program. In the legacy of most gap-stop programs operated by local chapters of The Arc, The Arc of Rappahannock provides much-needed service facilitation for individuals who received supports under the EDCD Waiver (Elderly and Disabled with Consumer Direction Waiver). Last but certainly not least The Arc of Rappahannock acts as a resource for advocacy and support, continuing to move the system forward in their efforts-ensuring that individuals with ID/DD have access to the full spectrum of civil rights.

After learning so much during the tour and dinner, I joined the Board for their monthly meeting. This group is representative of the diversity and coalition of perspectives that make The Arc such a powerful voice. Members included parents, self-advocates, residential providers, speech therapists and teachers. The specific disabilities that affect the member’s lives vary as well-including Autism, PDD, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome. Finally, the longevity of each board member ensures that the rich history of The Arc is maintained while also bringing in the new generation of leadership-membership tenure varied from 1 day to over 42 years, with family members of both children and adults.

Board Members opened up the meeting with introductions of what it was that brought them to The Arc. Tammy shared that when her sister needed community-based services The Arc was one of the few place her family could go. Another board member, Jane said that the reason why she is a board member is that “I feel like I’m making a contribution for The Arc and for me”. Many of the Board Members joined The Arc as a result of talking with other parents about why advocacy efforts are essential for their family members to have “A Life Like Yours:”.

Newly appointed Board Member, Levi, shared his history of advocacy with me and the group. Levi, a self-advocate and long-time friend of The Arc of Rappahannock, recently engaged in a letter writing Campaign to members of the Fredericksburg City Council, the Mayor’s office, and the local newspaper, The Free Lance Star,-in an advocacy effort to sustain local funding for The Arc of Rappahannock’s dental program. Levi’s efforts paid off! The Arc of Rappahannock’s program was included in the City budget for the first time, as citizens recognized that dental services for individuals with developmental disabilities is a tremendous need that goes unmet in every community. “It’s good to see examples of how the system is working!” exclaimed President Tammy Patalona as she congratulated and thanked Levi for his advocacy efforts.

The Board also provided me with some suggestions on how local chapters of The Arc can rally in unison for “A Life Like Yours”. One board member encouraged us to maintain a positive perspective in our efforts-explaining what it is that services do and celebrating our victories along with way with legislators. “They also need names and faces to go with the numbers on the waiting list”, another said Board Member. Levi suggested we call Governor Kaine to ask for support for “A Life Like Yours”. Along with these advocacy efforts, others suggested that we continue to engage the general public about who The Arc is what it means when we say “A Life Like Yours”.

Many thanks to The Arc of Rappahannock for taking so much time to share with me what is special and unique to your chapter, while also brainstorming ways that all chapters can come together to rally for “A Life Like Yours”. I look forward to visiting you on August 10th to see your brand new space at the dental clinic!