Three Ways to Raise Money for The Arc – Without Costing You a Dime!

January 27th, 2012 by

There are three ways that everyone can help raise money for The Arc of Indiana and it won’t cost you a dime! I promise!

There is an organization called GoodSearch which helps non-profits raise money. The Arc is now one of the approved charities that people can select. What this means is that you can go to www.goodsearch.com and help The Arc in the following three ways

GoodSearch.com – The search engine with a unique social mission. It’s powered by Yahoo!, so you get great search results, and each time you search, GoodSearch donates about a penny to your cause!

GoodShop.com- The online marketplace that donates a percentage of each purchase to your organization. You can choose from more than 2,500 popular merchants, find more than 100,000 coupons and deals, and the experience of shopping through GoodShop is exactly the same as going to the retailer’s websites directly.

GoodDining.com – The first 365 day a year Dine for Charity program. Dine in or take out at over 10,000 participating restaurants nationwide. Up to 6% of your total check including tax and tip will be donated to Arc of Indiana.

It really is that simple. If you set www.goodsearch.com as your search engine and choose The Arc of Indiana, every time that you search for something, we get a penny. And every penny adds up!

The GoodShop.com option is just as easy. I recently needed to rent a car. I went to www.goodsearch.com and choose the shopping link. From there I had access to several major rental car companies and coupons for each one. I picked the best deal and rented a car. The Arc will get 2.5% of my purchase.

Sometimes if it seems too good to be true it is so I also went directly to the rental car sites and through Travelocity.com. I wanted to make sure that I was getting a good price. My fear was that they would be giving money to charity because their prices were higher. But they weren’t. The daily rate that I received was cheaper than anywhere else.

One of the participating companies is Staples. This is where we order our office supplies. By going through the GoodSearch website we will be getting money back on every purchase.

The third way to help is through their Good Dining.com program. If you registered your credit card, every time you eat at a participating restaurant The Arc will receive a portion of your total bill. You don’t have to ask for it or do anything extra at all.

I am very excited to be a part of this program. I hope that you will check it out and help support The Arc. If you have any questions or need any help, please let me know at jvaught@arcind.org.

Jill Vaught is The Arc’s Director of Organizational Advancement



Thank You for Supporting The Arc

December 19th, 2011 by

It’s that time of year – time to bake, shop, wrap, celebrate, send cards … the list seems to go on and on.

For me, this time of year is also the time to reflect on the past and think about all of the things that I have to be grateful for.

This year one of the things that I’m grateful for is each and every one of you that supports the important work of The Arc. Whether you played poker in February, played golf in June, shopped in November or made a contribution, thank you! It made a difference.

I had never heard of The Arc prior to 1997. I don’t have a family member with a disability and to be honest I had never thought much about what organizations are out there. One day, my supervisor asked me if I would be interested in helping a small Arc chapter 7 – 10 hours per week. I had no idea how saying “yes” would change my life.

It’s humbling to see people who work harder to get to work than most people will work all day and are so positive and grateful to have job. Or, to see parents cry when their child takes a step or says a word or picks up a cracker.

I never realized how much I took for granted until I began working with The Arc. There is a commercial for St. Jude that says if you have healthy children in your life to say thank you. Through The Arc I have learned to say thank you for everyone in your life – whether they are healthy or not. Everyone has a gift and touches lives.

I am so lucky to be able to work for this organization. Every day lives are touched. Every day individuals with disabilities and their families are supported. Every day lives are improved. And we couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you so very much for supporting The Arc. May you and your family have a safe and happy holiday season.

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s  Director of Organizational Advancement



Holiday Shopping with The Arc – Online Auction Open!

November 18th, 2011 by

If you have holiday shopping to do, or if you just want to treat yourself, I have the perfect solution – Shopping With The Arc. Our online auction went live on Wednesday and will run until 8:00 pm on November 30.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, please go to www.biddingforgood.com/arcind.  We have a great  selection of items this year.

For the sports fan on your list we have several footballs signed by different players from the Indianapolis Colts.   We have basketballs signed by Gene Keady and Matt
Painter from Purdue and Brad Stevens from Butler.   And we have a baseball signed by New York Yankee hall of  famer Tino Martinez.

If you are looking for something for the Colts fan that has everything – we have a Colts blue Speedo signed by Pat McAfee. This is sure to get a chuckle when it’s unwrapped. We’ve sure been laughing around the office.

For a romantic holiday present, we have an evening in Indianapolis package complete with a carriage ride and gift certificate to St. Elmo’s. We also have several pieces of jewelry.

There are restaurant gift certificates, bird feeders and birdhouses, spa treatments, a hunter’s basket, artwork, travel vouchers and so much more. We truly do have something for everyone!

And new this year, you can purchase items to directly support individuals with disabilities and The Arc. Please check out the options under the Support The Arc tab. If you want to purchase one of these items instead of a gift for someone on your list, we will send that person a handwritten card with information about your thoughtfulness.

I always love watching the wonderful donations come in and getting the auction ready to go but it’s so much more than just a way to complete your holiday shopping. All of the money raised by the auction will be used to help individuals with disabilities and their families. This is truly a win/win. You get to sleep in the day after Thanksgiving and individuals with disabilities get a chance to live, work and play in their communities.

Thank you for supporting The Arc and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organizational Advancement



A Busy Week Planning for A Great Conference – Join Us on November 1!

October 28th, 2011 by

We are getting ready for The Arc’s state conference on Tuesday, November 1 and it’s been a busy one week!


If you haven’t registered yet, please do. This is going to be a great day. We are releasing our Blueprint For Change. This is a roadmap to provide transformational change in the system that serves individuals with disabilities.

Everything is built around five guiding principles:

 

1. Building Career Pathways for All

2. Discovering and Realizing Individual Gifts

3. Supporting Resourcefulness of Individuals, Families and Communities

4. Using What You Need

5. Shifting the Power to What Works

On Tuesday, we will start the day by introducing the Blueprint. Concepts and ideas from the plan will be laid out along with what the next steps are.

Following the plenary session, individual workshops on each of the five guiding principles will be held. I’m not sure what I will do because I want to go to all five!

In Building Career Pathways for All we have a provider and four self-advocates who will talk about all of the exciting employment opportunities that are available. This provider even found a job for a woman who said she was looking for something that she could do from home in her pajamas.

We will have brothers who sing and play the keyboard along with two artists in Discovering and Realizing Individual Gifts. There will even be a young man who discovered his gift with animals who is in college and will make that his career.

Two men from DADS, Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome, will provide a wealth of information during Supporting Resourcefulness of Individuals, Families and Communities. And three moms will be discussing how they have been creative in providing for their children during Using What You Need.

The fifth workshop will feature a parent, a self-advocate and two providers. They will be discussing what we could do to shift from doing what doesn’t work to doing what does.

Following the workshops we will be recognizing special individuals at our awards luncheon. And we will wrap up the conference with a Call to Action by Tim Shriver, President and CEO of Special Olympics. He will be joined by four passionate individuals from around Indiana. After the conference we will have our Annual Meeting followed by a Board of Directors Meeting.

It is going to be a busy but wonderful day full of great ideas, information and inspiration. I encourage everyone to join us on November 1.

If you have any questions please call us at 317-977-2375 or visit our website at www.arcind.org.

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organizational Advancement



The Arc – Fighting for Lou Ann and for You

October 15th, 2011 by

Have you ever had something happen that you just can’t seem to shake? I watched a video of a father fighting for his daughter with a disability last week and I can’t get his image out of my mind.

If you haven’t done so yet, please watch “One Families Fight for Help. ”

Lou Ann and Her Father

Lou Ann has cerebral palsy. Her parents could have followed the advice of doctors fifty years ago and sent her to an institution but instead they cared for her at home. Now at 89, her father is very ill and needs to move into an assisted living facility. But, neither the Division of Aging or the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services will approve an A&D waiver or a DD waiver so that Lou Ann can move into a home with two other women.

It makes me so mad. If Lou Ann had lived in an institution it would have cost the state of Indiana millions of dollars. But her family took care of her. Now when they need and deserve a little help, the state won’t help. The really frustrating part is that moving her into this new home would actually save the state money.

The image that has stuck with me for almost a week now is how tired her father looks. His doctor has ordered him to go into assisted living but he won’t leave his daughter. This fight to get residential services has gone on for months and I’m sure it’s affecting his health.

At The Arc we are working very hard to try and help this family. We have gone to the state. We have helped with appeals. We have promised that we will continue to fight until this issue gets resolved.

I can’t imagine how hard it is on Lou Ann’s father. But I’m really glad that The Arc is here to help.

If you would like to support the work of The Arc so that we can continue to help families in Indiana, please visit us at www.arcind.org.

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organizational Advancement



A Great Time of Year & A Great Time at The Arc

October 1st, 2011 by

The leaves are starting to turn and there is a nip in the air. I have always loved the fall. Football season, pumpkins, Halloween, Thanksgiving – it’s a great time of the year.

It’s a great time to work at The Arc of Indiana too. There is so much going on and so much to be excited about.

We are gearing up for our Legislative Breakfast on October 6. This year we will be presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Senator Vaneta Becker and the Public Policy Award to Representative Tim Brown.

For 30 years Senator Becker has committed her time and energy to improve the lives of all Hoosiers, but specifically the lives of women and children, and the vulnerable populations of the elderly, the poor and those with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

As a practicing physician, Representative Brown has a vast understanding of health issues facing Hoosiers. In his leadership positions as Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore and Chairman of the House Public Health Committee, he has played a key role in advancing important public policy to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

The next event is our state conference on November 1. This year’s conference is going to be very important as we roll out the Blueprint for Change. This transformational plan will provide a pathway to redesign the current system into one that gives people with disabilities what they need and want in a cost effective manner.

A self-advocate recently told me that he received his budget for the year and they more than doubled his staff time. He didn’t want or need more staff time. What he really needed was a pair of custom shoes which of course he couldn’t get. Why are we trying to spend thousands of dollars when all he needed was $150.00? It doesn’t make sense and the Blueprint addresses issues like this.

Our Appreciation Luncheon is the same day as the conference. We will be celebrating individuals, businesses and organizations who make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities and their families every day. We will wrap up the day with a call to action by Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Special Olympics.

And we aren’t done yet. On November 16 our online auction opens. We have an incredible list of items to bid on. You will find everything from gift certificates to restaurants to autographed sports memorabilia to tickets to Disney World to vacation packages. There truly is something for everyone.

The best part is that you can sit in the comfort of your home and finish all of your holiday shopping while you are supporting individuals with disabilities. It’s definitely what I call a win-win.

If you would like to donate something for our auction, please let me know at either 317-977-2375 or jvaught@arcind.org.

Details about everything coming up this fall can be found by visiting us at www.arcind.org.

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organizational Advancement.



Because of The Arc … Speaking from My Heart

September 16th, 2011 by

One of my newest job responsibilities is blogging.  Anyone who knows me would tell you that I’m never at a loss for words so blogging should be pretty easy.  But, I’ve found it to be a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. 

While I stare at a blank page every week I’ve been asking myself why this is so hard.  Today I think I figured it out.  Ten years ago I had never heard of The Arc.  One day I was approached by my supervisor and asked if I would be willing to spend 10 hours a week helping a small advocacy only chapter. 

I was impressed from the very beginning and now 10 years later this organization has come to mean so very much to me.   I think that’s why it’s so hard for me to blog.  I want others to know The Arc that I know.  I want others to understand just how important The Arc is and why we all need to support it.  That’s a lot of pressure.

So instead of trying to come up with great words, I’ve decided to speak from my heart.

Because of The Arc I saw a woman move from a state institution into her own apartment.  This was a woman who had been diagnosed as having a severe and profound disability.  Staff at the institution commented that we were wasting money moving her into an apartment because she wouldn’t know if she was in a closet. 

As we showed her around her new home, we went out back onto her deck.  I watched her raise her face to the sun and close her eyes as the breeze blew her hair.  She absolutely knew she wasn’t in a closet!

Because of The Arc, I watched a man literally jump up and down with excitement when he was handed his very first paycheck.  This man had been told he could never work but that day he was planning his trip to McDonald’s for lunch with his own money.

Because of The Arc, I’ve watched children learn to use communication devices and take their first steps. 

Because of The Arc, so much is accomplished each and every day. 

Please support this important work. 

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organzational Advancement



On Gratitude and Attitude

August 11th, 2011 by

OK, I will be honest.  I have been feeling a little sorry for myself lately.  My roof is leaking, the transmission on my car is going out, a tree was hit by lighting and fell down in my backyard.  There is nothing really big going on and definitely nothing worth getting upset over.  But, instead of looking at all of the things that I have to be thankful for, I’ve been concentrating on all of the unexpected things that I have to deal with.

This morning I became ashamed of myself. 

I spent several hours at the first day of the Self-Advocates of Indiana Conference.  I listened as individuals with disabilities from around the state shared their goals, their dreams, and their hopes for the future.  Not one time did I hear anyone complain, grumble or feel sorry for themselves.

It wasn’t very long ago that most of the people in attendance would have been living in state institutions.  They would not have been able to work and they most certainly wouldn’t have been able to plan and run their own conference. 

The workshops were on topics like voting, employment and leadership.  One of my favorites was “Paying it Forward”.  While I was thinking poor me, they were not only taking control of their own lives, but they were talking about how they could help others. 

I am humbled every day by the incredible individuals that I am fortunate enough to be able to work with.  And, today was no exception.   Self-Advocates of Indiana is an amazing group of individuals.  Thank you for being the strong, courageous, determined individuals that you are.    You reminded me today just how important attitude is.  

I was also reminded how important the work of The Arc is.  Our communities would be missing an incredible blessing if the institutions were still open.  For me personally, I would be missing several friends.

No matter what may be going on in your lives, please join me in supporting The Arc of Indiana.  Gifts can be made on-line at www.arcind.org or by mail at 107 N. Pennsylvania Street, Suite 800, Indianapolis, IN  46204.

My roof may be leaking and my transmission going out but my attitude has definitely been adjusted.  In fact, I’m heading back to the conference.  Tonight is pizza and a dance!

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organizational Advancement



We may be a secret to many, but The Arc is here for families and people with disabilities

July 29th, 2011 by

People always ask me where I work.  When I tell them The Arc, the next questions is always, “What’s that?”  Until I answered an ad in the newspaper 15 years ago I would have asked the same thing.  The Arc has to be the most amazing organization that no one has ever heard of. 

I guess that’s not entirely true.   People with disabilities and their families know who we are.  Several times a day the phone rings and it’s a family who is desperately seeking a straight answer.  They have been bounced from place to place and they still don’t know what to do or where to go for help.   Thank goodness we are here to help a family walk through the disability maize or to answer a question.  Sometimes we are here just to listen.

Other times the phone call is from a self advocate.  They know what they want but no one seems to be listening.  Fortunately we have 44 chapters located all around the state ready to help with employment or housing or life skills.  We can also connect people to Self Advocates of Indiana.   We all need someone on our side to listen and help us grow.

Legislators also know who we are.  John Dickerson and Kim Dodson do a wonderful job at the state house explaining our issues and why key legislation is so important.   The Arc is known as a leader in public policy on issues impacting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.  The decisions that are made at the state house aren’t just about numbers on a piece of paper, they affect real people.  The self advocates and families who come to Indianapolis to share their story or call their local legislators also play a key role. 

The Arc of Indiana LogoOne way The Arc is working to increase our visibility is by adopting and utilizing a common logo.  The Arc of Indiana adopted the new logo, created after a thoughtful process by The Arc of the United States, in March.  Several of our local chapters have also adopted the logo and updated the names of their organizations.  Arc Rehab Services is now known as The Arc of Greater Boone County, and Arc BRIDGES recently changeThe Arc of Greater Boone Countyd their name to The Arc of The Arc of Northwest IndianaNorthwest Indiana.   

 

 

A co-worker recently shared with me that while she was on vacation, her daughter spotted someone at a rest stop in Tennessee wearing an Arc shirt.  Her daughter recognized the new logo on the woman’s shirt and immediately knew she was connected to The Arc. 

If you would like to help spread the word about The Arc we now have an online store where you can purchase items with The Arc logo representing any chapter, including The Arc of Indiana, that has adapted the new logo.

Hopefully overtime this effort will help the general public be more aware of The Arc.  But for now, while they may not always know who we are, some very important people do.   And that’s the most important thing.  As long as self advocates and families know who and where we are, we’re doing ok.

As a fund raiser, it’s important to me that individuals and businesses know about The Arc so that they can support us financially.  But as a person, if I had to choose between businesses and people with disabilities and their families, I’d choose the self advocates and families every time.



Large or Small, There are Many Ways to Give

July 8th, 2011 by

I received a post card today in the mail from a couple apologizing because they can’t donate any more.  They are living on Social Security and the cost of living has gone up until they just can’t pay their bills.

As a development person, situations like this are a dilemma.  My job is to raise money for The Arc.  It doesn’t matter what shape the economy is in or what the struggles are.   But, I could never accept a donation from someone knowing that because they made a donation, they aren’t able to buy groceries or put gas in the car.

I think the secret for getting through these difficult days is to work together.  For our part, we are watching every penny and cutting costs whenever we can – making sure that we can still help the self advocates and families who turn to us. 

For your part, please don’t think that if you can’t send a large gift that you shouldn’t send anything because it won’t make a difference.   If every member of The Arc would send in $1.00 we would raise over $10,000!  That would truly make a difference. 

There are also other things that you can do to help.  We have volunteer opportunities throughout the year.  You can share information about The Arc with people you know.   You can support our legislative efforts by contacting your local representatives.

Another option would be a planned gift to the George Rowlas Endowment Fund.   Our goal is to raise $2 million to ensure the future of The Arc.  The principle will never be touched and will instead provide income for The Arc every year.   Gifts can be made through life insurance or estate planning and I would love to talk to you about it.  Feel free to contact me anytime at jvaught@arcind.org or 317-977-2375.

We are living in very difficult times and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.   But I’m reminded of a story that John Dickerson, our Executive Director, tells.  He was talking to one of the women who founded The Arc talking about hard things were.  Her response to him was “John when was it ever easy.”

It might not be easy but working together we can figure out a way.  Working together we can make a true difference in the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities here in Indiana.

Jill Vaught is The Arc of Indiana’s Director of Organizational Advancement



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