New Job Brings New Experiences

Let me first tell you a little bit about what I do here at United Way. I recently moved from the resource development department to the Community Investment division as Program Officer. So essentially, my job is to work with some of the agencies that fall under the “Strengthening People and Families” area.

As a way to become more familiar with my new responsibilities, I’ve been visiting the different agencies– to get a sense of how the programs we support work. One of the first programs I went to was the ARC of Monroe County, Arc Works Program. This is a sheltered work program - and although I knew what a sheltered work program was - I have never visited one. For those of you who don’t know, a sheltered work program is a place where someone who has a disability who wishes to work can go receive training and employment.

As I pulled into the large parking lot of Arc Works on Lyell Avenue, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I first met with Kathy, the Sr. Administrator of Transition Services to learn more about the program. She explained that the ARC Works Program provides specialized employment for adults with developmental disabilities. People who participate in the program receive paid work opportunities, support, as well as paid holiday and vacation time.

Next I got to tour the facility. I originally thought this program would be done in several office rooms throughout the building – but, to my surprise, it was a huge warehouse filled with people working diligently at their task at hand. At the different work areas, I learned about the jobs people were doing – like sorting, packaging, counting, moving, and testing various objects for different companies.

It was incredible to see how certain machines were adapted so that people with various abilities could use them. For example, one person was using a machine – making a certain part for an automobile - by folding levers over. Another person was making the exact same part by pressing a button. In another area, I saw someone putting 6 objects into a bag, then into a package. I noticed the worker was first placing the objects over a sheet that was taped to the table - with the outline of the object - and then began bagging them. When I asked about this process, Kathy explained that the sheet served as an aid for the person who had difficulty counting - to be sure that they were putting the right amount of objects in the bag.

It was really great to see first hand how the Arc Works Program worked, and to see a United Way supported program in action – helping people who otherwise may have been overlooked, work to their full potential. If you want to learn more about Arc Works, visit http://www.arcmonroe.org.