Dear Arc Supporters,
Thanks to You, When there is no place else, there is the Arc ……
“I had reached out to our family, friends, our church and the school and had been rejected by them all” said Laura, mother of 8 year-old Anna. “I was at the end of the road, there was no place else to turn.”
Laura and her Everett paramedic husband, Tim had made the decision to withdraw from all social activities. Laura felt judged for Anna’s meltdowns. Anna’s tantrums were becoming more frequent and severe resulting in weekly suspensions from her second grade classroom. The isolation hit Wilbur, Anna’s 9-year old brother the hardest. He wanted to have kids over to play. He wanted to be like other kids.
Laura was desperate. She had to find a place where Anna wouldn’t be judged, Wilbur could play and she wouldn’t be blamed.
She took a risk and tried the Arc’s Lego Club. “There was a place I could go where there were kids like mine” Laura said. The Arc’s Mother’s Network is a group of mothers who support one another while raising children with developmental disabilities. Childcare is provided during the network meetings. According to Laura, “Childcare had never worked in the past for Anna and taking the step to attend was taking a big chance”.
“If it didn’t work there, it was the end of the road. There was no place else. If they didn’t understand, nobody ever would” said Laura.
Laura took the step and went to the Mother’s Network meeting and Anna went to childcare. At the meeting, according to Laura, the mothers were telling her story, they were living her life. She wasn’t alone anymore.
Because of you and your generosity
Laura doesn’t know if Anna had a meltdown in childcare or not, if she did it was ok, and that is the point, Anna is ok and so is Laura.
Wilbur is ok too, he is just a kid, and that is what he always wanted to be. They are all ok, thanks to you for making these programs possible.
Please make a contribution today
Your donations allowed us to support hundreds of families like Laura’s with our education, advocacy and programs this year.
Please continue to support the Arc of Snohomish County with your donations this year to support families like Laura’s.
Sincerely,
Shayne Nagel
Executive Director
Arc of Snohomish County
BE A PART OF THE ARC OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY
You can make a difference. Whether you join as a member or join and give an additional contribution to the Arc, you’re the reason that we’re able to advocate at the state and national level, offer education, and provide programming and events to our community.
SUPPORT THE ARC WITH YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
Your contribution of any amount supports virtually every area of the Arc’s activity and is vital to the Arc’s mission. It ensures our ability to promote and protect the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively support their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.
$25 is your yearly membership, anything beyond that amount supports programs like Lego Club, Mother’s Network and Sibling support groups.
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