Educate
The Arc of New River Valley works to inform and educate the community about issues facing people with developmental disabilities and their families. In 2020, we went virtual and hosted a number of free educational Zoom webinars. We plan to host more in the coming year.
EFFORT Day
EFFORT Day, which stands for Enabling Friends For Our First Response Teams, is an event sponsored by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office in conjunction with County Fire and Rescue departments and is held annually during the summer. This field day style event is often held at the Christiansburg High School track. In 2022, it was held at the Motor Mile Park. Its purpose is to educate, create awareness, and facilitate relationships between the disability community and our first responders. From its conception, the Arc of the NRV has supported this event and has had a resource table there each year.
Candidate Forums
During every Virginia Senate and House of Delegates election cycle, The Arc of the New River Valley holds a candidate forum. Candidates running for elected office address issues which affect people with developmental disabilities living in Virginia.
The Arc of Virginia 2021 Candidate Forum was held over Zoom with the 7th, 8th, and 12th District Candidates.
2021 Fall Webinar Series
The Arc of Northern Virginia’s Lucy Beadnell taught us about Supported Decision Making (SDM). Download the slides. Then, Attorney Ann Green of nationally-ranked Anderson, Desimone & Green taught us about guardianships, estate planning, and transitional issues for special needs. Download the slides.
Medicaid Waiver Webinars
In 2020, we produced our first free Zoom educational webinars. The Arc of Virginia loaned us the gracious and knowledgeable Lucy Cantrell, their Director of Information and Referral, who created and presented: “Medicaid Waivers: Introduction to DD and CCC Plus Waivers,” and “What to Do While You Wait for A Medicaid Waiver.”
Download the pdf flyers for the Medicaid Waiver Introduction and What to Do While You Wait events.
Housing Webinars
The Arc of the New River Valley hosted two Housing Webinars: “Preparing to Move Into Independent Housing” and “Rental Assistance and Housing Resources” in Fall 2020.
If you know of anyone who could use rental assistance, please contact Anna Bowman, Southwest Region Housing Coordinator with DBHDS, at 804-839-0476 or anna.bowman@dbhds.virginia.gov.
Resource Links:
- Housing Resources in Southwest Virginia – Download flyer
- Shared Living Toolkit – Download booklet
- DBHDS Housing Resources – Visit site
- “My Own Home” Handbook – Download handbook
- Creative Housing Approaches Guidebook – Download guidebook
- Household Spending Plan – Download worksheet
MCPS Transition Fair
Each spring the Special Education Department of Montgomery County Public Schools sponsors a Transition Fair. Designed to help students with disabilities who are transitioning out of high school and going on either to college or to life and work in the community. Various agencies and support organizations participate to share information about the services they provide, including educational, health and home/community services.
Film Presentations
In the Fall of 2017, The Arc staffed a table at a screening of the film Deej at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, Virginia. The film tells the story of DJ Savares, a boy with autism, abandoned at birth who finds a loving family and communication through a text-to-voice synthesizer. Visit the official movie site. Download the press kit.
In March 2019, The Arc sponsored a screening of the film Intelligent Lives at the Floyd County High School. The film stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Visit the official movie site.