Northeast Arc at 70 — Growth Across the Decades (Jerry McCarthy)
Manage episode 438502083 series 3392898
When Jerry McCarthy arrived at Northeast Arc in 1979, the organization was supporting just a couple of hundred individuals in 19 communities. By the time he retired 36 years later, the agency was supporting more than 10,000 people in 200 communities. In this interview, McCarthy reflects on that growth — highlighting what it took and the challenges along the way.
About Northeast Arc
Northeast Arc was founded in 1954 by parents of children with developmental disabilities who wanted to raise their sons and daughters as full members of the community. By having the courage to challenge professionals who told them their children could not be educated and would not live to become adults, these parents created the systems that enabled them to attend public schools, develop friendships, reside in the neighborhoods of their choice and to earn a paycheck. Over the years, our programs have expanded to support children and adults with a broader range of disabilities, including autism and physical disabilities. Today we serve thousands of people in nearly 200 cities and towns across Massachusetts. The goal of the Northeast Arc is to ensure that children and adults with disabilities are able to live, work, engage in civic life and play in the community. We work toward that goal by offering a wide variety of programs including Autism Services, Day Habilitation, Deaf Services, Early Intervention, Employment Services, Family Support, Personal Care Assistance, Recreation, Residential and Transition Services. Northeast Arc is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of individuals with disabilities, parents and siblings of people with disabilities, and business and community leaders.
Learn more at ne-arc.org.
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15 episodes