The Arc of Palm Beach County raised a net $35,000 from its 2015 Arc in the Dark campaign during the month of October.
To keep children safe during the season of trick-or-treating and outside fall celebrations, the Arc sold and distributed safety glow-band bracelets through its community partners at events such as Boo at the Zoo, Spookyville and the Wellington Fall Festival.
“We met a lot of great people through the several community events we participated in, and we owe a tremendous debt of sincere gratitude to our partners and sponsors, who made the campaign a success,” Arc Community Relations Manager Catherine Blomeke said.
Sponsors were the Gehring Group, Cigna, BenTek, the Office Depot Foundation, Pratt & Whitney, the South Florida Fair, Duffy’s Sports Grill, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Beach County Justice Association, SunTrust Bank, Park Avenue BBQ and Valley National Bank.
Proceeds from the sale of the glow-bands directly support programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.
The Arc Pantry Project is in progress now. The Arc is collecting shelf-stable foods and powdered beverages for food-insecure families with children who have developmental disabilities. The Arc Pantry Project invites the community to help its neighbors by donating food for people and pets, along with toiletries, gift cards and baby products, to its main location or by shopping at https://smile.amazon.com and having the items shipped to the Arc.
Donations will be collected through Dec. 16. Donated items will be organized into reusable tote bags that staff members will deliver directly to agency families in need for Thanksgiving on Nov. 24 and for the holidays on Dec. 18. Donations can be dropped off at the Courim Center (1201 N. Australian Ave., Riviera Beach) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. For more info., contact Blomeke at (561) 842-3213, ext. 128, or cblomeke@arcpbc.org.
The Arc of Palm Beach County has been improving the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families through services, education and advocacy since 1958. The Arc supports programs throughout Palm Beach County that touch more than 2,300 families each year. To learn more, visit www.arcpbc.org.
ABOVE: Adult Arc clients packaged the glow-bands for sale as part of an employment program.
