Honor Arc of Onondaga Anniversary

Senate Resolution No. 1665 BY: Senator DEFRANCISCO COMMEMORATING the 66th Anniversary of Arc of Onondaga WHEREAS, It is the custom of the Legislative Body to recognize those established organizations within our communities that, year after year, diligently work to improve the quality of life for its citizenry; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 66th Anniversary of Arc of Onondaga to be celebrated at its 2017 Achievement Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 8, 2017, at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown; and WHEREAS, Arc of Onondaga, a Chapter of NYSARC, Inc., is the largest not-for-profit in New York State dedicated to serving individuals with developmental and other disabilities and their families; and WHEREAS, The 48 operating Chapters comprising NYSARC, Inc., such as Arc of Onondaga, support and serve people of all ages with developmental disabilities, including those with Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, and neurological impairments; NYSARC, Inc. supports approximately 60,000 individuals and employs close to 30,000 people statewide; and WHEREAS, NYSARC, Inc. was founded in 1951, when a group of parents with children with intellectual or other developmental disabilities were determined to change society's traditional disregard for the needs of their children, so they banded together to fight for the recognition of their children's special needs; and WHEREAS, For more than six decades, NYSARC and its Chapters have been working to support people with developmental and other disabilities; and WHEREAS, Under the able leadership of Executive Director Ms. Ellen Gutmaker, Arc of Onondaga is one of the largest providers of services to people with developmental disabilities in Onondaga County, serving thousands of individuals and their families, and employing more than 500 dedicated and caring individuals; and WHEREAS, With nearly 40 different sites throughout Central New York, Arc of Onondaga provides a wide array of services including residential and day services, employment and clinical opportunities, and recreational programs; and WHEREAS, Arc of Onondaga also operates two major subsidiaries: Parkside Children's Center, an inclusive preschool, and Monarch, which is a vocational program and outsourcing company with corporate partners throughout the region; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 66th Anniversary of Arc of Onondaga; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Ellen Gutmaker, Executive Director, Arc of Onondaga.