Celebrating Albert at Fireside Grill & Sports Bar for NDEAM

Stories Of People We Support

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and showcase supportive, inclusive employers. For The Arc of Monroe’s Job Path program, though, they celebrate inclusion in the workforce by making job connections every day. In 2022, they matched more than 300 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with employers around Rochester and Monroe County. Albert Colaiaco works at Fireside Grill & Sports Bar in Henrietta as a dishwasher. He obtained the position through Job Path, a division of The Arc of Monroe. “It’s a lot of fun being around Tami, …

Henrietta Chick-fil-A Highlights NDEAM Values

Stories Of People We Support

Observed annually in October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. In recognition of the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce, the theme for NDEAM 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.” In the Rochester area, we are fortunate to have hundreds of businesses and organizations who prioritize cultivating inclusive workplaces. The Arc of Monroe’s Job Path team has worked first-hand with these businesses to help them find the right employees for their unique …

Benjamin Doan Awarded Employee of the Month at Mission BBQ

Stories Of People We Support

Ben Doan grew up learning the value of hard work on his family’s bee farm. His drive and dedication to do good work spilled over into his search for a job outside of his beekeeping duties. After recruiting the help of an Employment Specialist from Job Path, Ben successfully started a new job as a dishwasher at Mission BBQ in Henrietta. Ally Levy, an Employment Specialist at Job Path, will be the first to sing Ben’s praises. She’s had the pleasure of working alongside Ben since the beginning of his time with Job Path. From the first day they talked …

Community Connections to Project SEARCH: Cedric Burton’s Transition

Stories Of People We Support

Empowering people to achieve their goals and thrive in their communities is The Arc of Monroe’s primary mission. It’s always incredibly rewarding for staff to watch people they support work hard and see their dreams come to fruition. Cedric Burton is one of those people. Cedric knew that he wanted a job someday. As he explored job readiness services, he started attending Community Connections, a program at The Arc of Monroe that allowed him to volunteer with his peers, as well as receive classroom instruction centered on gaining various job skills. “We do a mixture of volunteering and core room. …

Understanding The Intersection of Black & Disability History

Advocacy, Stories Of People We Support

For decades, civil rights advocates have led the way in creating meaningful change in American society for many diverse groups of people. As the Civil Rights Movement picked up momentum across the United States in the mid-1900’s, the Disability Rights Movement mirrored many of the same efforts, creating an overlap in advocacy for both populations. Generations of Black people and people with disabilities were treated in horrific ways throughout our nation’s history. In order to help create a more welcoming, kind community, self-advocates and supporting staff of Arc Alliance – a self-advocacy group organized by The Arc of Monroe – …