Funds from dissolved agency will continue to help adults with developmental disabilities
When the Salem ARC dissolved as an agency in early 2017, its board of directors wanted to pay it forward to ensure their work of serving people in NH with developmental disabilities could continue. After a thoughtful review of agencies with similar missions, the Salem ARC decided to distribute their remaining assets to Community Crossroads, Kimi Nichols Center, as well as $113,575 to Easterseals NH.
The contribution to Easterseals will be used to support Community Based Services. The program currently assists more than 275 adults with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries as they live, learn, work and play in their communities by providing residential and vocational support through offices in Gilford, Bow, Manchester, and Stratham. Additionally, Community Based Services provides community inclusion activities in order to reduce social isolation of this population in need.
The Salem ARC was established in 1975 by a handful of dedicated families that sought educational alternatives for their children with developmental disabilities. The organization served individuals in different capacities such as; sheltered workshops, guidance and counseling, skill development, and job placement. Since the Salem ARC was established, several other area agencies such as Kimi Nichols Center and Community Crossroads were also established to provide additional services such as full-time care providers for those individuals with greater needs. Over time, the need for the services which the Salem ARC provided diminished. After much careful consideration the Board of Directors concluded that the Salem ARC fulfilled its mission to the greater Salem community and the individuals it served.
“We are extremely grateful to the Salem ARC for this gift that will benefit our New Hampshire clients and will support the most unique and challenging needs of all individuals in community based settings,” said Easterseals NH President and CEO Larry Gammon. “We are honored that our friends at the Salem ARC have entrusted us with these funds that will leave a living legacy of their decades of work and support for people with developmental disabilities.”
Specifically, Easterseals Community Based Services will use the funds to set up The Salem ARC Endowment Fund, which will support clients, in perpetuity, for years to come. Additionally, in honor of this gift, Easterseals NH will name its Community Based Services Suite at 555 Auburn Street in Manchester in honor of the founders of the Salem ARC.
“Together, these three organizations have provided much needed services to the developmentally disabled population for almost 100 years. Further, we are confident these organizations will continue their necessary work for many more years to come,” said Salem ARC’s Kathy Corey Fox.
For more information about Easterseals NH’s Community Based Services program, please visit eastersealsnh.org.
About Easterseals New Hampshire
For more than 80 years, Easterseals NH has provided exceptional services to ensure we change the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day. Our 12 core programs and services include Child Development Centers and Family Resource Center, Early Supports and Services, Autism Services, Residential & Educational Services, Special Transit Services, Camps and Recreation, Community Based Services, Workforce Development, Military & Veterans Services, Senior Services, Substance Abuse Treatment, and Oral Health Services. As a leader in social services for individuals with disabilities and special needs, Easterseals NH employs more than 1,400 individuals who serve more than 26,900 children, adults and seniors. To learn more about Easterseals NH, visit eastersealsnh.org.
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