What difference did I make today? What one small act of kindness did I bestow on another?
Let's Be Smart...Together
Enroll in Smart911
The Arc is heavily invested in preparing people with disabilities for an emergency or
natural disaster. We had a very nice attendance at the training in March, comprised of
a county-wide, cross section of ages and disabilities. Several things came to light on
areas to consider or improve upon as a collective mass.
The Emergency Management Agency unveiled a new, very sophisticated system at
the training that the county commissioners approved and it is called Smart911. This
new system is for the entire community to register so that the 911 call center will
have as much information as possible to pass onto the first responders sent to your
home or business. That's right, businesses can also enroll in the Smart911 system
and include plans of the building to assist during fires or other emergencies.
The system does many things, including sending reminders every year to update your
information in case you move or your housemates change. The system allows you to
list if someone is living with you temporarily (think children at college or children who
share time between the mother and father's home). You can provide pertinent
information such as prone to eloping or fear of sirens.
The Arc will be hosting short one-hour introductions about the new Smart911 system,
conducted by authorities from the Emergency Management Agency. In the meantime,
The Arc is making a commitment to be available every Wednesday afternoon from
12:30 to 2:30 p.m. to register people to the system. You are certainly able to register
yourself. However, if you are uncertain or have difficulty navigating computers, The
Arc is available to assist.
For more information, or to schedule a time to enroll, contact The Arc at 946-1011.
Pictured below are photos from the Disaster Planning Seminar held at The Arc. The Arc cooking
students, led by Lois Hampton and Jim Parish, provided the breakfast and supplemented lunch.
The students did a great job and showcased their growth in the kitchen throughout the year. Many
thanks to Tina Lamborn, Emma Shaw, Steven Cline, and Sam Shaw. Participants were able to meet
First Responders, which is beneficial if a person has a fear of uniforms or sirens. A First Responder
sat at each table, listening to stories and individual situations. The exercise created awareness that
things may not go as planned and backup plans become necessary.
Money, money, money....MONEY
Spring Dance Date Set
Last call to learn about saving money,
earning money, bank visits, and a whole
lot more! Join us for a special series on
money independence.
Are you ready to moonwalk or do the cabbage
patch? We will recreate iconic dances of the 80's at
our Spring Bash set for Friday, May 12, from 6:30
pm to 9:00 p.m.
Participants will learn the basics about
money, budgets, balancing a checkbook
and saving money. Participants will receive
cash with the expectation that change will
be returned at the next class. We will go
on one class field trip to two stores.
It has been a long time since The Arc has held a
dance in the spring. The theme will be 80's so get
your hairspray out to tease your hair high, find some
t-shirts that hang from one shoulder, and get ready
to dance to a lot of songs from the 80's.
If we are going to have more people in the
community, as mandated by the federal
government, we need to be sure that we
have educated people to remain safe including from financial fraud. We need to
be sure that everyone understands the
basic concept of money to avoid being
'snookered'.
The initial class will run for 3 weeks. You
must attend all 3 classes if you register
because the class is designed as
progressive teaching - instruction is built
upon the previous class. Classes take place
on Monday's - May 15th, May 22nd and
June 5th from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Please
register by calling The Arc at 946-1011.
Class size will be limited for more personal
instruction.
Light snacks will be provided and we will offer a
raffle of gift baskets once again. Anyone wearing
anything neon (big in the 80's), Big Hair, or a flower
piece of jewelry (representing spring), receives a
free ticket for the basket raffle. Otherwise the tickets
will cost .25 cents per raffle ticket with a limit of 10
raffle tickets per person.
The cost to attend the dance is free for Arc members
and $5 for non members.
Tell your friends and let's have a party!
Did you know MTV started in the
80's? The 1980's also brought us:
Rubik's Cube, Swatch Watches, the
Simpson's and Microsoft Windows was
introduced.
Ryan Buxton, with The Pennsylvania State Treasurer's Office, made a visit to The Arc of Blair County to
inform families about The ABLE Act. The ABLE Act stands for Achieving a Better Life Experience and is
part of the nation-wide federal tax free savings options. Very valuable information was shared on
investments and savings that are tax deferred for individuals with disabilities. Please contact The Arc if
you are interested in more information or would like brochures.
Line Dancing has taken off! It is such a popular program, we are almost out of
space! One of the reasons for the popularity is that music from all decades and
genres is played. Another reason is that people can 'chair' dance and clap to
the music if they are uncomfortable being in the line. Probably the best reason
line dancing on Wednesday's at The Arc is popular is because of the
instructors. Lead instructor, Joyce Veckov, along with Katherine Ziegler and
Sandy and Jack Servello, are so welcoming to the group. Everyone feels like
family at line
dancing. Come
see for yourself
why everyone is boot
scootin'!
HELP!
PROGRAMS BEING CONSIDERED
Please call in and vote on which activity you would like
to see at The Arc (946-1011). You can select as many
as interest you. Depending on the response received,
The Arc will add a few more 'specialty' classes on a
short-term basis only.
As with all Arc programs, you do not need to have any
experience. The point of the class is to teach and
expand your experiences.
1. Flower Arranging - create beautiful vases and baskets
2. Jewelry Making - Designing items made from metal
3. Football - Playing a small season of non contact
football with the assistance of the Altoona High Boys
Football team. No risk of injury with the low impact way
we would play.
4. Photography - Understanding how to capture nice
photos from your camera or cell phone
The Arc is searching for people
willing to donate a couple of hours on two
projects.
The first is to help do a spring clean
up of the grounds of the yard. We will be
planting some flowers and laying mulch.
Please call The Arc if this is something you
would find relaxing.
The second area to volunteer is
'making and baking'. As part of the
festivities being planned for the Spring
Dance on May 12, we are going to
recognize some of our outstanding
volunteers at The Arc.
We need people to help create some
special items either Wednesday morning,
May 10, or Thursday afternoon, May 11.
Both days would only be a couple of
hours.
If you are willing to offer some time
to thank the people who provide so much
to The Arc, please call and let us know.
You can come either day that suits you, or
come both if you have the time to spare!
More will be shared once you call
The Arc. We don't want to spoil any
surprises by someone being recognized
reading the newsletter!
The Arc of Blair County
www.thearcblair.org
431 Jackson Ave
Altoona, PA 16602
814-946-1011
Non Profit Org
U.S. PSTAGE
PAID
Altoona, PA
Permit # 218
Return Service Requested
CLASS SCHEDULE for May 2017
Stay connected for the latest changes by visiting The Arc’s homepage at www.thearcblair.org. If there is a change it
is listed on the blog on the home page, in rectangle box to the right. Otherwise, it means the class is still on.
Spring Dance - See inside the newsletter for details of the dance.
Money and Banking Class - Monday's. See inside the newsletter for details.
Craft Class – 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 8. Limited to 20 people. Must call and reserve.
Acting Troupe - Tuesday's at 6:30 p.m. Bring a water bottle. NO CLASS MAY 16 - VOTING PRIMARY at Arc.
Line Dancing – 6:30 pm Wed. nights. Water bottle needed.
Square Dancing – 6:15 p.m. Thursday nights. Bring water.
All are welcome to any activity but must pay $5 per class if not an Arc member.
This includes dance classes. Check us out on Facebook or Twitter for updates.