Mar 8, 2013 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – As part of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Month, Greene Arc Inc. will hold an open house Friday at its vocational training center in Ruff Creek. The event is to promote public awareness of programs and services the organization offers citizens with disabilities.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to tour the work areas, training stations and classrooms and talk to staff. Information booths will be in the banquet hall and light refreshments will be served.

Greene Arc was founded in 1967 by a group of local people who were interested in finding a way to provide support and inclusion in the community for family members who have disabilities, said Cynthia Dias, executive director.

“Our mission is to provide services to disabled individuals in Greene and surrounding counties and to promote their employment and independence,” she said.

The nonprofit corporation provides residential, vocational, day support, job opportunities, advocacy, and mental health and recovery services to citizens with disabilities. It now serves about 110 individuals. Its programs include:

•The adult day training program provides mobility and therapeutic activities to people and assists them with daily living skills including self-care, communications, community participation and socialization.

•The pre-vocational program provides individuals with job training through activities involving document destruction and food service. The vocational program also provides job training and on the job experience at the agency’s on-site recycling center. The agency operates the recycling program for Greene County.

•The job coach and job development program works to provide those with disabilities with skills needed to find and hold employment, and includes resume writing, job interview skills and job retention support.

•The home and community habilitation program provides support for individuals living independently in the community, assisting them with budgeting, finances, medical appointments, shopping, personal hygiene and maintaining a clean and safe home environment.

Greene Arc also has a residential services program that include community living, family living and independent living. It has four licensed group homes that provide around the clock supervision. As part of its life sharing program, people in the community open their doors and become a host families for those with disabilities.

In addition to offering programs to serve those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Greene Arc offers mental health recovery programs that include the Drop Off Center in Waynesburg, peer specialists and assistance with personal finances.

For more information about the organization and its services, call Greene Arc at 724-627-5511.