By Robert Altizer
The Arc Dearborn, which serves metro Detroiters with intellectual and developmental disabilities, celebrated the grand opening of its new Dearborn offices on Aug. 24. Located at 22450 Park St. in west Dearborn, the new building will serve as a resource for families of people with disabilities to learn about advocacy, community gatherings and more.
The Arc Dearborn was established in 1954 by eight families whose children had developmental impairments. The organization has evolved over the years and has spent the last 10 years in Dearborn Heights. As president of its Board of Directors, I believe that the move back to west Dearborn will be very beneficial for the organization. The office is in a great location in the heart of the community. We are excited to reach out to the city and let them know what we have to offer families with loved ones who have disabilities.
The organization offers programs for both children and adults and focuses on keeping people with disabilities active in the community. The Arc organizes various activities for program members, including crafts, bowling outings and several volunteer opportunities, including at the Dearborn Animal Shelter. My sister, Lori, is a participant at the day program, so I am able to see firsthand the benefits that are derived from these types of activities.
In light of recent mental health budget cuts, we are currently in the midst of a couple of fundraising campaigns. Dedication bricks were unveiled and made available for purchase at The Arc Dearborn’s open house. The bricks will be placed on the back patio at the new facility. We are also preparing for our annual golf outing, to be held at Western Golf and Country Club in Redford on Sept 30. These are both great opportunities to help out one of the hidden gems in our community.
The Arc Dearborn is a local chapter of The Arc Michigan. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities with The Arc Dearborn, go to www.thearcdearborn.org.
(Robert Altizer is a contributing columnist, as well as a Board Member at the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce. He is a wealth management specialist with Raymond James & Associates in Dearborn. For further information on this article, please contact Bob at 313-240-5099, or via email at [email protected])