ARC Community Services Kicks Off Its Capital Campaign

ARC Community Services officially kicked off its “$4,000,000 — Building for Community” Capital Campaign on May 11th at its 564 Main Street facility in downtown Fitchburg.

The old Sears & Roebuck building that ARC purchased in 1974 is in desperate need of renovation in order to comply with today’s building and accessibility codes and provide a better working environment for our clients.

Terry Kennedy, President/CEO and the Capital Campaign Committee have been working diligently behind the scenes since 2002 with the architect, builder and major donors in preparation for this renovation project.

Renovations are slated to start in the fall of 2006 and should take about a year and a half to complete. Once renovated the building will provide jobs and day programs for another 45 clients and 15 new staff, making it one of the largest employers in downtown Fitchburg.

The Capital Campaign Committee Co-Chairs Marty Connors and Dick Flannagan announced that $1,750,000 has already been pledged.

Many thanks to the leadership contributors — Mr. & Mrs. Leo LaChance, Mr. Ronald M. Ansin, Mr. & Mrs. James Garrison, Sterilite Corporation, Nypro Foundation, The Douglas & Isabelle Crocker Foundation, Fitchburg Savings Bank, Mr. Peter Bovenzi, The George R. Wallace Foundation, Ms. Louise Doyle, I-C Federal Credit Union, Leominster Credit Union, Workers’ Credit Union, Mr. & Mrs. Ron Hurd, Family Federal Savings, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flannagan, Mr. & Mrs. Paul Boisseau and Atty. Paul Dauphinee.

Message from the President/CEO,
Terry William Kennedy

By now I am sure that you have heard that we have embarked on a capital campaign to raise $4,000,000 to renovate and modernize our very old building located at 554-564 Main Street in Fitchburg. You may be wondering, “Why is it so critical that ARC renovate this building?” The answer is quite simple:

The heating, electrical, plumbing, health and safety systems are all antiquated and in some cases not fully functional. The cost to maintain this old building is overwhelming and within the next few years we will have to replace the heating system. Modernizing all these systems will eliminate costly repairs, bring us into compliance with today’s building codes and reduce our operating costs.

Continuing to run programs in this old building limits the quality and quantity of services ARC can provide. One prime example of this kind of limitation is the inability of any program participant with physical challenges from accessing the basement or second floor because we do not have a passenger elevator.

A modern work environment will create new opportunities for our constituents by expanding both the service options available and the number of people served.

A modern facility that is both operationally functional as well as pleasing to the eye will motivate people to seek services at our facility. As noted above expanding the kinds of service options and numbers of individuals participating in our programs creates long-term financial and programmatic sustainability.

Lastly, the individuals we support at ARC face a great many more challenges than most people do in their daily lives. Working in a disabled building should not have to be one of them.

We know that it will cost us $4,000,000 to complete the necessary renovations. This seems like a large number but when you consider the size of the building and the scope of the work to be done it becomes much more reasonable. To date we are nearing the half way mark as our current pledges equal $1,750,000. We have submitted a grant to the Kresge Foundation for $500,000. We are confident that we meet all their criteria and will be successful in procuring these funds.

Between now and December 2007 we need to raise the last $1,750,000. We will be seeking this support from a variety of sources such as: individuals, corporations, families, friends and grants.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

If you believe the services we provide are important and make our community a better place to live then PLEASE MAKE A PERSONAL COMMITMENT to the completion of this project. There are several ways of doing so. The first and foremost is by making as generous a pledge as possible (it can be a multiyear pledge); the second is by introducing our project to your family, friends and colleagues and solicit their financial support; and lastly by joining the dedicated group of volunteers on our capital campaign committee.

If you are interested in making a pledge, getting some promotional materials to share with your family, friends, coworkers, or becoming a member of our volunteer support team please give Rose Wuoti or myself a call at 978-343-6662.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, staff, Capital Campaign Committee and most importantly our clients, I thank you for your support in this most crucial endeavor.

ARC Volunteer Karin Thibaudeau honored as a 2006 New England Patriots Community MVP

Each year the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and the Kraft family honor volunteers in the community who do outstanding volunteer work. This year ARC Community Services nominated Karin Thibaudeau, who was selected as a finalist.

Karin has been involved with ARC for more than 13 years as a swimming coach, assistant coach for Challenger Little League, coach for the Giants softball team and started the ARC SibShop program. Karin’s own health issues a few years ago did not stop her from coaching.

Karin has given endless hours of her time year round to make the lives of children and adults with disabilities better. Everything about Karin epitomizes true volunteerism.