Around The Arc Summer 2025 - Corrected

It continues to be an incredible privilege and honor to lead such a talented group of professionals and to know that the work we do every day with and for individuals with disabilities and their families is making a real difference in their lives and futures. It is the dedication and outpouring of love and support from everyone connected to The Arc that helped carry us through another successful year. I am excited to share just some of the amazing highlights from the 2024-2025 year:

The year began with optimism for all those we support in our five main programs: Children’s Early Learning Services & Programs, Family Support Services, Comprehensive Employment Services, Agency with Choice and Advocacy and we are pleased to report that in the year previous we touched the lives of more than 5,275 people with direct services, volunteer opportunities, education, resources and support.
92.5% of every dollar that came through the door at The Arc went directly to services and programs.
In early August, we held our annual Preschool Graduation and celebrated all the accomplishments of our students.
In the fall, we dedicated a new outdoor playground for our kiddos thanks to the 70th Anniversary Campaign and the special fundraising efforts of CTDI, and the Keenan and Parson’s families.
Through the fall season, we happily maintained our partnership events with the Chester County Down Syndrome Interest Group’s Buddy Walk, the West Chester Chili Cookoff, the Upper Mainline Rotary and attended lots of resource and job fairs, and as well as other agency partner events.
In November, we kicked off our annual Holiday Giving Program that raised over $3,000 to support more than 100 individuals and families during the holidays.
We ushered in the winter by holding our annual Holiday Fun Fest in December and hosted over 150 families and volunteers.
By the end of December, we completed the first year of The Arc’s Five-year Strategic Plan and accomplished most of the goals and tactics set for year one.
At the turn of the New Year, we completed our annual Satisfaction Survey and are happy to report that 97% of the participants and families that responded said that the services they received from The Arc enhanced the quality of their lives.
Throughout the year, a strong focus was placed on increasing our social media presence and as a result we have enjoyed much growth. Many articles were published in Vista Today and other local news outlets, and we consistently issued our quarterly Around The Arc Newsletter.
As winter continued and spring approached, we held our annual Food Drive and collected an entire van of food for the West Chester Area Senior Center to help restock their food cupboard supporting our participants and many seniors living in our community needing help with financial and food insecurity.
In late winter, we were excited to learn that The Arc was selected as the nonprofit beneficiary of the Vista NextGen annual event allowing us the opportunity to partner with American Community Journal (Vista) and Penn State to raise awareness about our mission and the human rights movement for individuals that continues to this day.
During the month of March, two Dine & Donate events were held to raise awareness about The Arc, our services and to raise funds to benefit The Arc’s participants and families.
In April, we formed a new partnership with Partners in Outreach, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve the lives of children through connecting communities through compassion, and we held our first Operation Easter Basket event.
As spring fully bloomed, we jumped into action planning our Annual Bubble Walk & Fun Day which was a huge success. Over 330 people attended with the help of our sponsors, team crowd fundraising, individual donations and a surprise $10,000 donation facilitated by ACJ’s VISTA Today’s NextGen Superstars Event and Citadel. The Arc raised over $140,000 which helps to bridge the gap in government funding for some of our programs and services.
In late May, The Arc partnered again with Greystone Elementary’s 5th grade students who held their own mini walk for The Arc.
Throughout winter and spring, The Arc’s Advocacy Team and many self-advocates visited with local, state, and federal legislators to advocate for services, funding and legislative action that will protect the rights of people with disabilities and their families.
The Arc successfully hit or exceeded its development goals by raising $585,262 dollars with the help of 682 donors and loyal partners.
In addition to the playground project, several facility improvements were performed this year keeping the building safe, clean and welcoming, which included fencing, lighting, a security gate, security upgrades, back patio upgrades and new carpets just to name a few.
And most importantly, all year long, we honored every person and family that we had the privilege to support and celebrated their many accomplishments.

As we turn our focus to another year, please know that we appreciate the love and support of our Arc Family and look forward to continuing to honor the legacy of our founders. We remain steadfast and humbled by them and those who have led before us. Their unwavering advocacy continues to be our guiding star.

Thank YOU for your commitment to The Arc of Chester County and for all your support during the past year. Have a safe and wonderful summer!

The Arc Celebrates Outstanding Partners at 2025 Annual Meeting & Awards Celebration

At its annual Celebration & Awards Dinner, The Arc of Chester County recognized several remarkable individuals and organizations whose contributions have advanced its mission of inclusion and advocacy.

Among this year’s honorees:

Partner of the Year: American Community Journals (ACJ)

ACJ, publisher of VISTA Today and other regional platforms, was celebrated for five years of powerful storytelling and meaningful support—most recently with a surprise $10,000 donation during its NexGen Superstars event.

President’s Award: Diane Speroff

Speech-language pathologist Diane Speroff was honored for her extraordinary 40-year career at The Arc, where she has helped generations overcome communication barriers and reach their full potential.

These honorees represent just a few of the many partners and champions recognized this year who embody The Arc’s mission and values.

Standing Up for What Matters: The Arc of Chester County’s Advocacy Efforts Inspire Action and Hope for Individuals with Disabilities and their Families

The Arc of Chester County remains at the forefront of advocacy for the rights, inclusion, and empowerment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than 72 years of dedicated service, the organization intensified its efforts in 2025, focusing on urgent legislative priorities at the federal, state, and local levels, and raising critical awareness about the needs of people with disabilities and developmental delays.

The Arc of Chester County has been unwavering in its advocay of essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP for individuals with disabilities. On April 9th, the organization led a group of advocates and self-advocates to Washington, D.C., to participate in Hill Day during the 2025 Disability Policy Seminar. Partnering with other Arc Chapters, they attended a powerful rally on Capitol Hill, where chants of “I am Medicaid! Don’t cut me!” echoed as a clear message protect Medicaid for individuals with disabilities. Following the rally, the group met with staff from Representatives Chrissy Houlahan, Mary Gay Scanlon, and Madeleine Dean to share personal stories and emphasize how vital Medicaid is in supporting individuals with disabilities to live fully and inclusively within their communities.

The Arc of Chester County also joined The Arc of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg on May 6th for their annual Advocacy Day—an event dedicated to championing the rights and needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A), as well as strengthening Early Intervention (EI) services. The day was marked by purposeful collaboration, powerful storytelling, and a unified call for action.

Following a press conference, advocates and self-advocates met with several lawmakers and their staff, including Representative Dan Williams, Paul Friel, and Amen Brown, as well as Senators Katie Muth and Carolyn Comitta, including the latter’s Chief of Staff, Michael Hartman. They urged legislators to protect the $175 million in the governor’s budget for critical ID/A services and to protect the $10 million designated for EI birth to three service rates.

These services are vital lifelines for thousands across Pennsylvania. Continued funding is essential to reduce growing waitlists and to support Early Interventionists and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), whose work is foundational to providing care. The ongoing staffing shortage isn’t just a staffing crisis—it’s a human rights issue. Without stable, quality support, individuals with ID/A face a loss of independence and opportunity and children needing early intervention risk prolonged delays and greater disability.

Advocates also pushed for long-overdue policy changes, such as removing restrictive hourly caps on family members providing billable care. This adjustment would not only ease staffing shortages but also empower families and reduce dependence on public assistance.

Jessica Smith has worked over 20 years in CELSP with extreme dedication and compassion as a Physical Therapist. She has supported the program in various aspects including the B.3 program, The Arc Preschool and DCIU services. During the past year, Jessica has gone above and beyond by providing services as the only fulltime Physical Therapist. Her dedication, compassion and expertise has been truly outstanding and recognized by the nominations of her Arc peers.

The Arc of Chester County is honored to present the 2025 Employee of the Year Award to Jessica Smith!

July, August and September

Our 22nd Annual Bubble Walk & Fun Day was a huge success and raised over $140,000 for individuals with disabilities and their families supported by The Arc. More than 350 attendees and 70 volunteers came out on Sunday, May 18 to West Goshen Community Park to enjoy the beautiful day full of carnival games, face painting, BINGO, a DJ, dancing, Balloon Animals and of course BUBBLES! Thank you to West Pharmacueticals and CTDi and ALL of your sponsors for their leadership and support for this annual event. To read more about this amazing day, click HERE.

Save the Date for the 2026 Annual Bubble Walk & Fun Day - Sunday, May 17

Donors have many options when it comes to making gifts. The method of giving depends on both your financial situation and your philanthropic goals. There are many ways to make a difference for the The Arc of Chester County. Click the button below to learn more about it.

The mission of The Arc of Chester County is to advocate, educate and provide services to empower individuals with disabilities and their families to enhance the quality of their lives. The official registration and financial information of The Arc of Chester County may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. The Arc of Chester County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization-contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Arc of Chester County is affiliated with The Arc of Pennsylvania.