Grant to aid Arc of Madison Cortland

ONEIDA » The Arc of Madison Cortland, a non-profit organization that provides supports and programs for people with developmental disabilities, was awarded a NYSARC Trust Services Grant for guardianship and recreation programs.

The guardianship program has made life-long commitments to people with developmental disabilities who have no one else to advocate on their behalf.

NYSARC Trust Services administers supplemental needs trusts that can make dramatic improvements to the lives of people with disabilities while enabling them to maintain eligibility for public benefit programs such as Medicaid and SSI. NYSARC Trust Services fulfills its commitment to enhancing the lives of people with developmental disabilities by awarding a total of $2,793,500 in grants to NYSARC Chapters statewide.

The 2017 recreation grant provided admission, transportation and supervision to 118 people from Madison and Cortland counties throughout the year. Day long activities included trips on an Old Forge train ride, hiking trips and picnics at Chittenango Falls State Park, the rodeo and Frog Fest at Utica Rome Speedway, and the Zac Brown Band at the Lakeview Amphitheater.

For more information on NYSARC Trust Services and Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) accounts call (518) 439-8323 or visit www.nysarctrustservices. org. For information about The Arc of Madison Cortland, call (315) 363-3389 or visit www.arcofmc.org.

The Arc of Madison Cortland is a chapter of Arc New York which began support 51 years ago in Cortland County and 49 years ago in Madison County to serve people with autism, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury and other developmental disabilities.

Today The Arc is CQL certified and continues to advocate for more than 1000 people with developmental disabilities and provide a wide range of services: Medicaid service coordination, self- direction brokerage, residential, respite, family support, employment programs, day habilitation programs, clinical services, guardianship, nursing, nutritional counseling, behavioral counseling, physical and occupational therapy and transportation.