Since losing his ability to walk twenty years ago, Andy has been in a wheelchair.  While he was progressing with his abilities through physical therapy, he was unable to maintain his physical therapy services from Medicaid beyond age 22 because he was no longer classified as a “child.”

When Andy comes to the Arc of Volusia, he always arrives with a smile on his face, ready to go. Of all the activities provided at the Arc, Andy looks forward to his swimming lessons at Daytona State College the most.   Getting out of his wheelchair and into the water is a special moment for Andy each and every time. Through his lessons he has accomplished so much. He has learned how to kick his feet, float on his back, and move his arm in the water.  But his best accomplishment to date comes when Andy is able to stand up in the pool by himself.

Aside from swimming, Andy also enjoys socializing and working with the staff and students at the Arc.  We’re so proud of him for all the ways in which he continues to grow and push himself through new adventures and accomplishments. Keep up the great work Andy!

Many of our consumers at the Arc of Volusia enjoy the self-sufficiency that comes along with gainful employment. Mr. Billy Howson is no different. Unfortunately, due to the poor state of our current economy, Mr. Howson’s job at Taco Bell was recently cut from four days a week down to one. But Mr. Howson was not deterred. He immediately started looking for job. Even though competition for jobs was high as many others were seeking summer employment,Mr. Howson’s persistence in his job search ultimately paid off when he took a new position as a Wendy’s team member. Because he takes so much pride in his work, Mr. Howson has become a valuable asset to his employer. He says working makes him feel like a part of the community and that it “is the most important thing in my life.”

One gentleman, Andy, here at the Arc of Volusia is learning how to access the kitchen and run errands independently.  Through his own hard work and dedication he has learned how to steer his wheelchair to the kitchen in order to get access to the ice machine.  Every morning, Andy gets a pitcher and goes to the kitchen where someone from the staff can help him fill the pitcher with ice.  He then goes to the sink where he has learned to turn the water on and off,  then fills the pitcher up.  His task is complete when he has returned the fresh pitcher of ice water to the room where everyone can enjoy it.  This gentleman is so proud of his accomplishments that he is always eager to share his newfound abilities with the staff and other consumers. Andy has a duty to fulfill and it gives him pleasure to see that it is done each and every day as his contribution to the Arc of Volusia community.

Steve Heyman enrolled in the Arc of Volusia’s Vocational Training Program at our Deland facility in July of 2008. Up until then, Steve had not worked or participated in any kind of organized program for many years. Eager to get out and gain some new experiences, Steve worked very closely with the Arc staff to learn about the different jobs that were available to him. Steve has taken a particular interest in contract work and has learned two separate job functions within the contracting category: the Go-Bolts job and the Spartans Straps.  In the Go-Bolts job,  Steve puts the nut on the rod of a bolt and passes it to the next person in the assembly line. With the  Spartans Straps, Steve will dip one end of each strap into a tub of alcohol and then push it into a plastic sleeve until it is securely in place. With his new occupational knowledge, Steve is now earning a paycheck. He’s very proud of his accomplishments and loves to share the fruits of his labor with everyone else.

Daphne is a success story for the Arc of Volusia because of the way she handled a recent situation with her former apartment complex. After moving out of her residence and leaving it in top condition, Daphne received a certified letter from her apartment complex stating that they had withheld $120.00 from her security deposit to cover damages.  Right away, Daphne knew that this had to be incorrect and that she had been wronged.

Together with a staff member from the Arc, Daphne called three different apartment complexes to ask what their base charges were for cleaning carpets and units prior to another resident moving in.  Of the three, the charges ranged from $35.00 – $55.00.  Armed with this information, Daphne asked her former apartment complex if she could see the actual invoices showing who did the cleaning and what charges were applied for which individual services.  The manager would not comply and stated that every apartment complex assessed different fees for “redecorating.”

With assistance from the Arc’s supportive staff,  Daphne wrote a letter to the apartments headquarters in Miami, Fla. explaining her concern.  She also forwarded a copy of this letter to the Landlord Tenant Association in Daytona Beach, Fla.,  and furnished a copy to the manager of her old apartment building.  A few days later, Daphne was cordially invited to visit the apartment complex’s business office to solve this matter.  The manager explained that she had gotten Daphne confused with another resident who had actually left an apartment in need of repairs. Daphne had been mistakenly charged, but the apartment complex admitted fault and awarded Daphne the full amount of her security deposit.

Everyone at the Arc of Volusia was so proud of Daphne for standing up to injustice and persisting until someone provided her with the answers she was seeking.  A mistake was made, an apology was issued, and now Daphne will receive the remaining balance of her security deposit, which she says she’s going to spend on a new washing machine (“A real nice one!”). Way to go Daphne!

Since joining the instructional classes offered by Arc staff member Julie, Brittany has made some major improvements in her behavior.  Now when her supervisor, Clara, tells the students to get ready for class,  Brittany jumps with a big smile and says, “Hooray! We’re going to class! I love my class!”  Julie says that Brittany is very engaged in learning and participates very well in their scheduled activities. Brittany’s computer skills have gotten so good that Julie even assigns her special projects to do during class. Through her positive attitude, Brittany continues to build on  her skills and learn more each and every day.

Chris is a dedicated family man from Deland, Fla. who works hard to earn a living and provide for his wife and son. Recently, Chris celebrated a major milestone when he reached 15 years of employment at Taco Bell. Five to seven days a week, Chris and one of the managers open up the Taco Bell in North Deland for business and prepare for the lunch rush. Chris enjoys his job grilling up the taco shells to be used through lunchtime of any given day and his supervisors report that he consistently does a great job, even in the chaos of the lunch rush. But the best part of his day is when Chris leaves work in the early afternoon so he can get home in time to meet his son at the bus stop when he comes home from school. Chris receives employment support from his Arc job coach Mike Gussman and independent living support from his Arc coach Kathy Benton.

Starting about a year ago, we noticed that Mike had developed some medical difficulties that none of doctors could diagnose. Most days, Mike would cry–sometimes for five minutes and sometimes for an hour or more.  He then began to develop some problem behaviors where he would hit others, storm out the door and push people around. Mike also indicated that he did not want his mother to leave him at the center. Eventually, his crying episodes became almost non-stop and we were forced to reduce his time at the center until finally he was discharged.

Our staff kept in touch with Mike’s family who said that the behaviors were getting worse.  He was hospitalized for awhile, and when he got out he was placed in a nursing facility. Finally, the doctors felt he was suffering from depression due to a previous trauma that was caused by a variety of medical tests he received to diagnose some reoccurring stomach pain. The doctors said it would just take some time for him to come back around to his old self.

About seven months after he’d been discharged from the Arc, Mike’s mother called and asked if he could come to the center for a visit. In the beginning, he would come for about 15 minutes and then ask to leave. But he did keep returning and the staff encouraged him to stay longer and longer. Now, Mike has worked up to staying for six hours a day, five days a week .  All of his previous behavior problems are gone, Mike is back to his old self as he zips around the classroom. Mike works hard and enjoys his day.

Helen is a survivor in more ways than one. In 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent surgery and subsequent treatment, but with a positive attitude and a bright smile she beat the terrible disease. After her ordeal, Helen’s only son decided to move out of her home, leaving Helen to manage her household on her own.

Things were going well up until last summer when Helen’s air conditioning unit bit the dust. With help from some of the staff at the Arc of Volusia, Helen applied for a grant with the USDA Rural Housing Service (who holds the mortgage on her house) so that she could get a new A/C unit. Brenda Bryant, an associate with the USDA, visited Helen for an interview. Unfortunately, Helen was one year shy of the age requirement for the grant, but she was eligible to take out a loan to have her home repaired. Helen thought that this solution sounded very appealing.

We assisted Helen in submitting an estimate for all of the repairs she needed for her house, including labor. After interviewing contractors and collecting information, Helen made her own decisions about the repairs and improvements that she wanted to make. Her loan was approved, the contract was signed, and work began on Helen’s house.  With each day that passed, Helen’s excitement and anticipation for her newly renovated house grew more and more. Just a  few days before the work was completed, Helen received her stimulus check and decided to go shopping for curtains, rugs and furniture for her new home.

Helen’s house now has a fresh coat of paint as well as new floor tiles, ceiling fans and doors. She especially loves the new screen door on the front of her house, which gives her the chance to sit in her living room and watch the world go by outside. Helen is so proud of her home that she held an open house to share the fruits of her labor with friends and family. But more that her beautiful house, the guests and Helen’s party were most impressed by the warm smile beaming on the face of this brave survivor.

Hal Nelson is a participant in the basic education instructional classes offered at the Arc of Volusia.  These classes serve to educate our Arc consumers about the various roles of public figures in the community and how they can help assist us when we are in need. Through this program, Hal has learned to recognize doctors, firemen and policemen.  He understands the important roles of these community figures and how to contact them if needed.  Now every time Hal sees a fireman’s picture, he knows that the fireman can fight fires and rescue people. This is an important step in Hal’s safety and independence, because he knows who to contact, how to contact them, and what to say in the event of an emergency.