History

A Parent's Vision... An Agency's Journey

Founded as the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens in 1953 by a small group of parents, The Arc has grown in the past 50 years to become one of the most prominent and well respected human service organizations specializing in services for persons with developmental disabilities within Centre County! Families remain at the heart of The Arc's services as much today as they were then.

It was in the sixties that the youngest, most impressionable of those served began learning in our preschool. The name changed over the decades - Carousel Preschool, Rainbow Preschool, Imagination Station - but the mission was steadfast. These children and their families found support at a time when there was little offered. Since then much has changed and our legislative lobbying and grass roots efforts have been rewarded. While The Arc no longer provides specific preschool services, the agency remains active in advocating for the educational rights of those with disabilities in ways that time has sculpted as progressive and most appropriate. In cooperation with the State College Area School District our LifeLink program educates students through a nationally recognized innovative method of learning. Our presence is felt at IEP meetings, parent training programs and school to work transition forums to maintain a forward progression on that front. Beyond education we took our services into actual homes.

It was in 1972 that the doors of our first twenty-four hour supervision group home opened. Now, fifty years later, we are providing state of the art residential programs in licensed as well as private settings all across Centre County. Most recently in 1998 uncharted territory was yet again embarked upon as the agencey established the first group home with licensed nursing personnel in all of Centre County! Today, three of our licensed homes have medical personnel on staff and the initiative remains one of our most successful and most necessary.

As we moved forward to 1980 we soon saw growth in our employment services. From its inception in 1982 forward our employment department has pushed for real work for real wages. The 1990's saw not only a name change for the department - now Nittany Employment Services (NES), but also the exciting birth of the ONE program (Opportunity Network for Employment) at The Pennsylvania State University. An initiative devoted to employing persons with disabilities at Penn State, this would mean the realization of real jobs and real pay at one of the area's largest employers for those served by NES.

As in the beginning, the family remains unforgettable as the milestones are reached. Our Family Suport Program began in the 80's, expanded in the 90's and is empowering families in the new millenium still. Summer camps, medical equipment, therapy, structural adaptations and other supports are being provided and enabling loved ones to persevere and to discover. They are discovering the abilities that surpass any disability, the frame of mind and positive thinking under which obstacles crumble and the power of knowledge through which the milestones are quickly surpassed and new ones envisioned. To those who took the journey but are no longer here, we are forever in your debt. For you that are here today to continue their work we say remember the power of one... one parent in 1953 joined with another who joined with another and worked hard to create The Arc of Centre County.

Milestones

1954 - Day Care Training Class Started
1957 - Sheltered Workshop Established (Became Skills, Inc. in 1960)
1961 - Carousel Preschool Opened
1965 - Rainbow Preschool
1965 - Home Visitor Referral Service
1966 - Centre County Chapter, PARC Receiver of Benjamin Rush Award
1972 - Gateway Preschool
1972 - First Centre County PARC Administrator - Delbert McEwen
1972 - Woodruff House Opened
1973 - Centre County PARC Office Established
1976 - College Avenue House Opened
1976 - First Centre County PARC Activities Director
1978 - First Recreation/Friendship Director
1979 - CETA Summer Work Program Started
1980 - University Drive Apartment Program
1981 - PARC became ARC
1983 - ARC Received $22,644.58 from Phi Kappa Psi to start the Job Support Program
1984 - PROGRESS Grant Awarded
1986 - Bob Mochan Became Executive Director
1986 - Rainbow moved to Heritage Oaks
1986 - Woodruff House Sold, ARC Purchased: Fairwood Lane, Forest Edge
1987 - Bellefonte and State College School Districts Contributed Money to the Adult Vocational Program
1987 - First Bellefonte Day Camp
1988 - Family Support Services Began
1988 - K.I.D.S. Proposal Funded for 3 Years
1989 - Laurelton/ARC Monitoring Program Began
1989 - North Allen House opened
1990 - Rainbow Preschool Integrated and Peer Support Network Founded
1991 - Bob Mochan Resigned as Executive Director
1991 - Laurelton and ARC Job Support Grant Funded
1991 - Peer Support Network Became Speak-Out
1992 - Effie Jenks became Executive Director
1992 - ARC office Relocated, Burrowes Street Office Sold
1992 - Family Support Program Expanded
1992 - Family Living Program Expanded
1992 - Easter Seal Society & ARC Co-Sponsor Summer Camp Program
1992 - Rainbow Preschool Moved to New Location
1993 - Development Disability Planning Council Grant Funded
1993 - Department of Community Affairs Grant Funded
1993 - Early Intervention Program Redesigned
1993 - Five People Move from CLA's Into Their own Home
1993 - ARC Votes to Change It's Name
1993 - The Arc Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary
1995 - Purchase of Current Office on North Atherton Street
1997 - Strouse Avenue House Opened
1998 - Walker Meadows A & B opened-24 hour supervision homes included RN/LPNs on duty
2000 - First annual Poker Run (sponsored by The Law Dogs of PA) established to raise money for the Family Support Program
2004 - Two annual fund raisers added to benefit The Arc; The Corn Maze held every fall and a Basket Bingo held every December
2006 - Restructured the Administrative Department of The Arc
As we have moved into the 21st century we continue to strive to provide the best service we possibly can.