Ellen Gutmaker

In 1951, a group of concerned parents got together to ensure that their children received the best educational and social services possible. Since then, Arc of Onondaga has been providing quality programs for people with developmental disabilities of all ages. Arc of Onondaga is one of 35 local Chapters of The Arc New York, the largest provider of supports and services for people intellectual and developmental disabilities in New York state. In addition to the programs, chapters of The Arc New York collectively support more than 60,000 people with disabilities and their families in every county of the state, and employ more than 30,000 people in our shared mission to provide people with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities the ordinary and extraordinary opportunities of life. Arc of Onondaga is one of the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities in Onondaga County serving thousands of individuals and their families and employing 500 people. With nearly 40 different sites throughout Central New York, Arc provides a wide array of services including residential, day, employment and clinical services and recreation programs. In addition to these supports and services Arc operates two major subsidiaries: Parkside Children’s Center, an early intervention preschool and Monarch, a vocational program and outsourcing company with corporate partners throughout the region. A true community-based organization, Arc thrives on community involvement and inclusion, as well as relying on community membership to build its base of support. Its program participants volunteer hundreds of hours in the community each year in support of a wide variety of organizations and causes.