Our Blog
Nick Stars in Shrek the Musical
For one production, Nick will be transformed three times. He’ll first become one of the Three Pigs, then a guard protecting Lord Farquaad, then a knight imprisoned after failing to rescue Princess Fiona. Nick, 20, loved performing in musicals at Woodlan High School. Now he has extended his drama career to community theater. He plays... Read more »
Small Garden Yields Big Bounty for Housemates
As autumn turned chilly, housemates Barry, Matt and Steve harvested some of the last food from the garden they started in May 2022. Throughout spring and summer, Easterseals Arc staff member Kennard Taylor has been guiding the gardening of these men he supports at their home in northeast Fort Wayne. They started small, with just... Read more »
Easterseals, Project 216 Partner to Pack Meals for Ukraine
Volunteers from across northeast Indiana teamed up Wednesday morning, Oct. 19, at Easterseals Arc’s Projects Drive building to package meals for the people of Ukraine. By the time they finished, they had packed more than a half-ton of food for shipment to Ukraine. The meal-packing event with Project 216 aimed to pack as much nutritional... Read more »
Success at Silver Birch ERA Prompts Request for More Help
Since last year, Employment Readiness Academy, or ERA, teams from Easterseals Arc have worked at Silver Birch of Fort Wayne, a senior living and assisted living community on Hanna Street. In eight-week sessions, participants in the program have helped with kitchen, dining room and housekeeping tasks. They’ve performed so well that staff with Silver Birch... Read more »
Transitions Academy Offered 8 Weeks of Lessons in Independence
Four young people spent eight weeks living, learning, working and relaxing together in the Easterseals Transitions Academy (ETA) from the beginning of June through the end of July. AAliyah, Marissa, Thaddaus and Trey shared a four-bedroom unit in Purdue University Fort Wayne student housing for the summer, with support and supervision from Easterseals Arc staff.... Read more »
Holiday Inn Experience Benefits Participants and Hotel
Every weekday, for eight weeks at a time, a team of four or five Easterseals Arc Employment Readiness Academy participants arrive at the Holiday Inn Purdue – Fort Wayne and set to work. Throughout their five-hour daily shifts, they help employees in the housekeeping and laundry departments accomplish more and get real experience that could... Read more »
Hospitality Lab Offers Taste of Restaurant Career
Every Monday for several weeks, veteran restaurant manager Mike Ringley has come to Easterseals Arc and given participants a taste of the restaurant business. The five young people in this first group to use the new Hospitality Learning Lab pack a lot into their Mondays. They’re divided into two groups. One group begins the day... Read more »
Partnership Aids Both Covington Box, Easterseals Participants
Like so many area businesses, Covington Box & Packaging can’t find enough workers to keep pace with demand from its customers. What it has found is a new source of help: two teams of workers from Easterseals Arc and Easterseals RISE. Since September 2021, these teams have helped the Waterloo company keep pace with an... Read more »
Case Management Changes Ahead for Waiver Services
As part of the Medicaid Waiver redesign, the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) is prioritizing improvement in case management services to support individuals and families. Case Management Companies All case management companies were invited to submit proposals for delivering quality case management services. Based on those proposals, six companies have been selected to... Read more »
Meet Chauntesse: Helping Others Reach Milestones
Chauntesse Philpot loves to learn, and she works two jobs helping other people learn and overcome obstacles, too.
Meet Christina: Embracing Versatility at the Creative Learning Center
Each day, about 45 people with disabilities arrive at the Easterseals Passages Creative Learning Center for a day of activities, learning and fun. Christina Sipe rolls with it all.
Meet Jorge: Doing the Work He Loves
Jorge Ruiz has worked many jobs in his 43 years, but he’s come back to being a Direct Support Professional, or DSP.
Meet Kathy: Putting Smiles on Faces
Kathy Simons has spent more than half her life working with people who have disabilities. The work still brings her satisfaction every day.
Multimatic and Easterseals Arc Consumers Are a Good Fit
Workers from Easterseals Arc’s Projects Drive Group helped put General Motors pickup trucks on the road.
Pre-Employment Transition Services at Carroll High School
Carroll High School student Makayla got a semester-long introduction to what it’s like to work in the preschool at Hickory Center Elementary School.
Pre-Employment Transition Services at Homestead High School
Several of the 13 students in the Pre-ETS program at Homestead High School worked in retail stores during the 2018-2019 school year. They saw firsthand the behind-the-scenes effort that keeps the stores running.
Pre-Employment Transition Services at Wayne High School
Students at Wayne High School are working in area businesses, thanks to a collaboration with Easterseals Arc.
Retirees Stay Busy After Leaving Work Behind
Easterseals Arc consumers are much like other workers when it comes to deciding to retire: Some take it easier, while others like the idea of more leisure time.
Music Therapy Helps Develop Social Skills
Music therapy can look like a party, but there are serious goals behind the fun.
Pre-Manufacturing Academy Creates Path to Jobs in Steuben County
Class sizes at the Pre-Manufacturing Academy at Easterseals RISE may be small, but the goal is not. These classes could become a path to jobs in manufacturing for people with disabilities.
Projects Drive Group Team Fills Need for Pillow Packers at Arden
An enclave of Easterseals Arc participants has been at work in a Fort Wayne factory since April, helping to brighten outdoor furniture in the United States and Canada.
Easterseals RISE Team Lessens Mastercraft Labor Shortage
Easterseals RISE participants joined the workforce at Mastercraft Inc. during a national emergency, as companies turned their machinery and expertise to making supplies for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Career Connections Uses Virtual Visits for Exploration
Easterseals Arc has reshaped many programs to reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19. The career exploration activities run by the employment services team are no exception.