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Inside Arc of Onondaga: 75 Years Of Inclusion And Community Impact

• Skip Clark

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SPEAKER_00:

At the beginning of this album. Okay. Okay. On check two. Check two. Check two. I think we're good. Okay. All right. Hello. Hi. Here we go. Coming to you in three, two, one. Hey, everybody. All right. Three, two, one. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the inner harbor cast from the beautiful Inner Harbor Media Studios. My name is Skip Clark, your host of the Inner Harbor Cast. And we're always talking about the community. We're proud to be hometown. Uh, and today we're uh shining the spotlight. It's an incredible organization, changing lives, right here in central New York. Joining me this morning is Joanna Jewett. She is the Chief Communications Officer for the Ark of Anadaga. Uh, Joanna and her team work uh every single day to empower people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. I have a son that kind of goes with that as well, and uh helping them live, work, and thrive as active members of our community. Joanna, good morning. It's so good to see you.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, it's wonderful. God, we go way back. Way back.

SPEAKER_00:

Let's not talk about how far we're just talking about age and we're we're just talking about how time flies.

SPEAKER_02:

Time flies, it really does.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, we had the opportunity of working together and getting things done in the past, and I know you're very good at what you do, and it's great to see you at an organization like Ark of Onadaga. But um, for those who might not be familiar, uh, what is the Ark of Onadoga and what's the heart behind what you do?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, Ark of Onadaga, we're actually heading into 75 years of providing I know, I know, of providing supports and services to people uh with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And we uh, you know, just as we're heading into our 75th year, you know, we started in a very grassroots way. And you can probably relate to this. Okay. Um, we started with parents who just wanted their children with disabilities to have the same access opportunities as non-disabled children. So from there, 75 years ago, over the years, we have changed, we've added, we've um, you know, tried to be tried to be as inclusive to um provide opportunities in all aspects of life. So um we have a variety of services that we provide. We operate uh residences, group homes, as some people would call them, um, throughout the county, throughout Onondaga County. We offer a lot of community supports to day habilitation, community habitation. And I would guess that you know some of your listeners have seen our staff out with people that they support, you know, just at the mall or at the fair or wherever. We we we strive to um help people support people so they can live meaningful lives in this beautiful community of ours.

SPEAKER_00:

I love this. What inspired you, Joanna, to get involved?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you know, I um I definitely have a heart for nonprofit organizations.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

And I and I'm sure you can relate to this too. I think, you know, I think it's our responsibility to help those who are more vulnerable than we. And um, you know, unless you have a connection, a personal connection, a family member, a family friend, most people may not know what an intellectual or developmental disability looks like. You know, after we graduate from high school, where we're, you know, where we, you know, see kids who benefit from special education, we might not have a lot of experience. So um when I heard about the position, I thought, oh, that's a great organization. And when I learned more about the kinds of supports and the people and what ARC does, I thought, yeah, I need to be part of that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

And you're blessed.

SPEAKER_02:

I am, I am.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, what are some of the biggest biggest misconceptions of uh, you know, that the public still has about people uh with developmental disabilities? Some of those, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I think you know, history, if you go back, you know, 50, 60, even 25 years, you know, I think the thought for a very long time was people with IDD, I'm abbreviating, intellectual and developmental disabilities, you know, that they had to be sheltered, they had to be protected, they had to be kind of, you know, kept away, kept safe. That's not really, you know, where we live anymore. You know, people with develop uh developmental, physical, any kind of disability, they just want to be part of the community, right? They want to work, they want to live, they want to enjoy all the things that everybody does. So I think that's probably the biggest myth. And, you know, what we see so often, one of the one of the services that we offer is uh an employment uh program.

SPEAKER_01:

Love it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's and and again, you know, uh, I'm sure you can relate. Um, you know, adults want to work. Work, making making income, you know, being able to support yourself, live in as independently as possible, those mean a lot to the to an adult.

SPEAKER_00:

It never used to be that way.

SPEAKER_02:

Correct.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, if we go way back, I mean, for example, I have a son that's 24, he's down syndrome, and Zach, I mean, if we were to go back 70, 50 or 75 years, chances are he would have been somewhere in an institution.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, that is thank God it's the past.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely, absolutely. And you know, the employers that we work with locally, the companies that, you know, um, the like the VA and Wegmans and Topps and Price Chopper, and you name it, we we have people that we support working in a lot of businesses. In fact, October is uh developmental employment ability. I'm sorry, I'm gonna say that again.

SPEAKER_00:

It's that long.

SPEAKER_02:

It is a long one. It is. It's Disability Employment Awareness Month. Yes. Which basically all we're trying to do is let prospective employers know that people with IDD want to work. They're loyal, they they will come, they have a work ethic.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm behind that 100% because I see it every day.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, you do. Yes, you do, and I think a lot of people do. Um, so we're really just trying to find the right opportunities for people um because that's our role. We just want to support them to be all that they want to be.

SPEAKER_00:

And I get so proud. I have those proud moments when I go to a ball game and I know my son Zach is working in the press box. Yes, yes, you know, I mean, as one of their PA announcers as well. That's what I do. Um, but even when I'm working and I see the notes that are in front of me, those are notes from my son.

SPEAKER_01:

Which is awesome. Which is awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you know, he's telling me what's going on, how the announcements should be read, so on and so forth. I love it. So nobody should underestimate any of these individuals and organizations like Arkabana Jaga, uh, they reinforce that. And they get the individuals out in the work, the workforce itself.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, you know, we'll we can place the people, we can provide the support, literally one-on-one support. Where um, you know, if if uh somebody we support requires a little bit longer training or more in-depth training than a business can provide, we can provide the staff to get that person moving ahead, learning what they need to learn, being productive, you know, matching their abilities to the task at hand.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, today we're talking to Joanna Jewitt, who is the chief communication officer for ARK of Onadoga. Uh, Joanna, can you share a story that really captures the impact of ARC, of the uh ARC that it's had on someone's life or family?

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. It's gotta be some of those things. Oh, absolutely. Well, I'll share this, Skiff. So every uh March we host an achievement awards dinner. And really the pinnacle of that event is uh the naming of the person of the year. It's somebody we support, somebody we provide supports and services to, who's writing his or her own success story. We're helping, we're there, but they're really doing it on their own. So I'll share the story of this year's uh young man. Yeah, a young man named Anthony, okay. Um, who um, you know, I think early on, uh, you know, I think the family heard a lot of no's, what wasn't possible for him.

SPEAKER_00:

Which is not uncommon, by the way.

SPEAKER_02:

I I can imagine, I'm sure, I'm sure, you know, uh, well, this won't really work. Well, he doesn't have the right skill set. Well, well, well, well, well. And um, you know, you can imagine how discouraging that would be for a family who loves and believes in the abilities of their son. So um, after kind of hitting a lot of brick walls, they found their way, the family found its way to Ark of Onondaga. And now Anthony is gainfully employed at Okra. He works at the recovery center and he does it with pride, he does it with humor. His family, I mean, talk about pride and joy. Um, the whole family came to our event and you know, they were grinning ear to ear. We created a video that that really told Anthony's story from start to finish, and it was wonderful to see them celebrating how far he has come. And, you know, the sky is the limit for him.

SPEAKER_00:

That's how you measure success.

SPEAKER_02:

It is. It's really one person at a time, you know. And again, I'm sure you can relate to that.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, 100%.

SPEAKER_02:

Sometimes, you know, sometimes it's the big victories and sometimes it's the little wins, and we celebrate all of them.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, Joanna, can you tell us about some of your key programs from employment, which we've been talking about, to residential services, uh, day-to-day uh programs. What makes each one unique?

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Um, well, again, they're all inclusive, they all strive to promote community inclusion. Nobody needs to be separated, nobody needs to be prejudged. People just want to live their lives, right? So our residential program is exactly what it sounds like. It's houses that are in neighborhoods. You, I'm sure everyone has driven by an arc house, but you wouldn't know it's an arc house because it's just a house in a neighborhood where people live, period. We provide support 24-7. You know, the people we support um have varying degrees of ability and disability. So some people need a lot of support, some are medically frail, some are very, very independent, you know, and we we support across that, across that spectrum. Um we, you know, we prov we provide supports to get people to their medical appointments or anything that comes up just in daily life, like everybody else, grocery shopping and you know, all that recreational opportunities and fun stuff in the community. Um, our community supports program, um, we provide uh supports in in group settings that are very social and very fun. Um, a lot of the people, and I'm sure you've seen them, a lot of people we support really want to give back to the community. So they're out volunteering at Meals on Wheels, you name it. And again, you've seen them. Um, we also operate an Article 16 clinic that provides a variety of um behavioral, physical, uh, you know, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, behavioral. Um, we provide autism testing. So there's also the clinical side of things. Um, you know, I mentioned the the employment program is is really big for us. Yes. And and increasingly what we hear from families is, you know, they want more opportunities for their school age kids. And sometimes, and maybe you can relate to this too, family need families need a little break, right? To catch up on, you know, I thought with the holidays coming, thinking about, you know, getting ready for the holidays. So we do provide some respite programs. Nice. Yeah, where people can, you know, teenagers and up can come, they can enjoy um, you know, an art creation project or love it. Um, yeah, yeah. There's some really cool stuff. We we a few years ago, we uh embarked on a big renovation project um at our our main location, which is right down from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. And now we have an art studio and we hired an arts coordinator, and the art that is being produced out of that studio is I mean, no disrespect to arts and crafts. This is art. This is real art. I mean, this is painting and sculpture, and it's really it is something really special.

SPEAKER_00:

That's that's just a that's awesome. Yeah, yeah. I'm trying to think of the right word to say awesome is the right word. Yeah, um, how does Arkabanodelga partner with let's say local schools, the businesses, community organizations? So how do you guys do that?

SPEAKER_02:

We're really fortunate. We enjoy a lot of really great partnerships, and one that always comes to the top of the mind is the Red House Art Center. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we've been working with them for I think 10, I think it's 10 years. And every spring, people we support are involved in a production. Um, Big Fish was this year's, next year it's Pippin. And the neat thing has been to see kind of the evolution. Um, when this partnership production came up, people we support were, you know, they had small roles, they were part of the groups, but now they have, you know, they have kind of starring roles. They sing, they dance, they, they uh act, and they do it in partnership in tandem with professional actors and you know, and singers and choreographers. And it's really, I mean, you can imagine the, you know, the benefits from a program like that, how it benefits how you move, how you carry yourself, your self-confidence, getting to know one another, making friends. I don't know if your son ever experiences this. I've seen I know how gregarious he is. Um, but you know, sometimes people with developmental and intellectual disabilities have uh just don't have the exposure to meet new people.

SPEAKER_00:

He loves it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, yeah. And once, for example, Zach loves to meet people.

SPEAKER_01:

I bet.

SPEAKER_00:

And you know, whether it's a hug or whether they're shaking hands, yeah, once he meets you, yeah, he will never forget you. Uh it may be a couple of years before you see each other again. And it's like, hey, he knows you. Yeah, yeah. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

So that's those are important, those are important connections. Yeah. And the partnership with the Red House makes all of that happen. And then we get to go enjoy live theater that features single week support. You know, it's a win-win across the board.

SPEAKER_00:

All the way across the book. What kind of uh Joanna Jewett, uh, the chief communications officer for the Arkabanadaga? Thanks again for being here. But uh what kind of training or support uh do staff and volunteers receive?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you know, as you can imagine, um Arkabonadaga and agencies like ours that work with the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, there's a lot of training required. Um, and you know, it's kind of like that hard skills and soft skills, right? So, you know, they have to learn things like CPR and you know, because they are working with people who are vulnerable and working in houses where people live, and things come up, right? Emergencies come up. But there are also the other, you know, there's the other training, right? Because not only do we want to support people in challenging times, but just day to day, right? So how to um, you know, how to help them foster relationships, how to help them um make those connections, how to function and really enjoy their community to the fullest. Um, I feel like we're always training, you know, the training is probably all the time.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, it's just every day is different. Every day you learn something and you get trained on something, it just constantly just nonstop.

SPEAKER_02:

And and uh just like a lot of different industries, you know, we when we hire people, especially people in support, you know, who work in direct care, what as we call it, um, we want to keep them, you know, because we the people, you know, imagine you have somebody working in your home all the time. You want to know them, you want them to know you. There has to be some familiarity there, some trust, right? Yeah. So 100%. When we when we bring on new staff, we really strive to provide a great experience so they'll stay and stay in people's lives. That's good. Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_00:

And for those working there, they have a heart for what they do. Oh, you know what I mean? It's not just somebody going in and uh, you know, punching the clock and going to work and absolutely not at 3:30, it's time to go home. No, no, no. They're there because of this.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. I mean, um, I'll tell you that during COVID, you know, uh just like every other uh organization, you know, we had some times when we really needed to beef up our our you know, our staff. Sure. And I in the communications and you know fundraising department worked one day in one of our homes. And I I knew before, but after my seven-hour shift, uh-huh, I really had such a deepened respect and appreciation for the city.

SPEAKER_00:

You always did, but maybe even just oh, so much more so.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and and you know, sadly, nobody is going to get rich doing this work. Yeah, they're just it's like any funding just doesn't work. It it has to, and it's so lovely to see people who are working really challenging jobs, you know, but they do it strictly because they love it. And and inevitably, you know, there are a lot of people who sometimes people leave for other opportunities and they come back. And we actually started a campaign earlier this year called Back to Arc, where we ask people what brought you back, and it's a one-word answer. People, the people brought them back. They missed oh my gosh, they missed the interaction, they missed, you know. I can't tell you how many people say, you know, I walk into work and everybody's happy to see me. Like, how often do you walk into your work and everybody's happy to see you? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00:

So no, totally, yeah. And I was happy to see you this morning when you walked through the door. So it's been a little bit. But uh how has Ark of Anadaga adapted to the new challenges that are out there? There's a lot going on, whether it's funding, technology, changing uh community needs. We see that every day.

SPEAKER_02:

We do, we do. You know, we we do try to adapt. And I think just the nature of the the support that we provide, we have to adapt. Uh, you know, I mean, somebody may be having a good day or a not so good day. And our staff is just, we're trained for that. We know the day could go great, the day might not go as great, but we're ready and we're quick on our feet. Um, and I think because of the community partnerships that we enjoy, um, opportunities like this where we get to, you know, hopefully educate the public, you know, we we count on a lot of support from the from our community, which is really wonderful. Um, you know, part of my my role is fundraising. Um, you know, we host a couple of events every year. And all the money that we raise through the Ark of Onadaga Foundation goes right back to the people we support through grants. Yeah. We just we just funded one um the other day, a$10,000 grant. Um so it all ultimately it's all about the people that we support.

SPEAKER_00:

Tell me about some of the events.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I know you have those going on. You just mentioned a couple.

SPEAKER_02:

We do. Well, in September we hosted the 31st annual ARC race, uh, which is uh, you know, um presented by the Ark of Anadaga Foundation, which is a separate 501c3. I work for both the agency and the foundation. And, you know, we offered a 5K, a 3K walk, a one mile kids fun run. If you want to see something adorable, line up a bunch of kids on a starting line and say go and watch them run. It's wonderful. Um, every March we host uh our achievement awards dinner. We have that coming up, and you know, we've got a big event coming up in March uh because we are celebrating our 30th, our 30th Achievement Awards dinner, but the 75th anniversary of Arkhamana Daga. It is huge.

SPEAKER_00:

It is huge. If somebody wanted to go to that, can they go to that like a website? Yeah, absolutely. Buy tickets.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, we haven't opened the ticket buying window yet, but yes, we do have information. Yeah. So if they go to archon arc-o-n dot org, that's where they'll find everything. All the information, all the events from all of our events, all of our programs. If they, you know, we do want to be a resource to families. If you know how to get started, if if you have a loved one who could, you know, use some support, all of that information is right on our website.

SPEAKER_00:

What makes you smile? Oh my gosh. Um what really would put a smile on your face?

SPEAKER_02:

Honestly, I gratitude is the key to everything for me. I I, you know, that's purely the end.

SPEAKER_00:

And uh, you know, what uh if you could tell somebody here in central New York one thing about Ark of Anadaga, what would it be?

SPEAKER_02:

I I think it would be a message of inclusion, really. Just trying to make our community even more inclusive and accepting of people who might look a little bit different or act a little bit different, but are still members of the community who are just living life like we are, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, I'm gonna throw a question at you. Yeah, and you're gonna go, this is a tough one. No, but um so um if Ark of On a Dog ahead of theme, because I'm into music.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So if Ark of Anadog had a theme song, what would it be?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00:

Told you. It's gonna make you think a little bit.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, it's funny. A few years ago, we created a video and uh we brainstormed what song uh, you know, and we involved the people that we support and staff, and there's and the song was respect by Aretha Franklin, because you know, that's really what we're aiming for. Then people of all abilities will be respected, invited, included.

SPEAKER_00:

Perfect. Perfect answer. Uh, and a perfect song for it. It's a great song. It is. We've been chatting with Joanna Jewett, she is the chief communications officer for the Ark of Anagaga this morning, and hopefully you had some uh you got some great information from this interview. Uh, just here it is. It's another great organization right here in our own backyard. I know it personally, uh, for those that know me, and of course, we talked about it earlier, you know, raising a son uh with Down syndrome. Never a dull moment.

SPEAKER_02:

Never a dull moment.

SPEAKER_00:

There's always laughing and smiling and hugging going on in the house. He's got a job, which, you know, if it wasn't for the people like at Arc and those that are guiding these individuals along the way, I don't know where we would be.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, luckily, luckily were they don't have to think about it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so awesome. Uh Joanna, thank you so much for coming in this morning. It's a pleasure to see you.

SPEAKER_01:

Great to see you.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a pleasure to chat with you and thank you for watching and thank you for listening. It's been the Inner Harbor Cast with our four radio stations here, right at the Inner Harbor Media Studios. If you look out the window, you see the Inner Harbor right over there. It's absolutely beautiful. So uh thank you for watching. Thank you for listening, everybody, and thank you, Joanna, for being here. Yay.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. Good, good. Yeah, I think so.

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