The Arc San Francisco Kicks Off The Client Holiday Gift Card Drive December 1st

The Arc San Francisco invites you to join the holiday "Season of Promise" spirit by #GIVINGTUESDAY by purchasing Holiday Gift Cards for Arc Clients.

This campaign will run through December 17th. Gifts of $25 or more will purchase a Gift Card to Safeway, Target, Walgreen’s or Ross, and will be given to more than 200 clienst who might not otherwise receive a gift this holiday season. 

We invite supporters to donate by December 17th so gift cards can be distributed before the 25th. Clients will be shopping with their cards on December 18-24.

Click here to make an Arc Client's holiday wishes come true!

The Arc San Francisco Raises $270,000 at "Beyond Expectations" Arc Angel Breakfast Event

PR/Web 

San Francisco, California (November 9, 2015) -- More than 270 guests attended the 14th annual Arc Angel Breakfast on October 15th to highlight the achievements of Arc clients and the community that supports their success. The event raised over $270,000 and garnered more than 90 new donors who made gifts and multi-year pledges to help sustain and grow The Arc SF’s continuing education, employment, health care and independent living services.

Keynote speaker and Deloitte partner Rob Massey set the tone for the “Beyond Expectations” theme, highlighting the benefits of hiring Arc clients with developmental disabilities who ‘...consistently go above and beyond what’s expected of them in the workforce.’”

The program also debuted a powerful video, “Beyond Expectations,” featuring Arc clients’ personal stories of struggle and success.

“I’m so proud of our clients and grateful to our supporters who play a vital role in the success of our mission,” said Dr. Glenn Motola, CEO, The Arc San Francisco. “Together we are raising the bar on new opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. Learning and growth should last a lifetime, and that’s what our adult education, internships, career preparation and health advocacy programs are designed to do, evolving as the needs and goals of our clients change.”

Event guests included a broad spectrum of supporters including California State Senator Mark Leno, San Francisco Supervisors Jane Kim and Scott Wiener, San Francisco City College Board Chair Rafael Mandelman and business leaders from Union Bank, AT&T, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Kaiser Permanente and the California Academy of Sciences.

The inspiring morning was part of a month-long spotlight on The Arc through fundraising and educational events and an awareness campaign featured on public transit throughout San Francisco.

 

ABOUT THE ARC SAN FRANCISCO
The Arc San Francisco is a learning and achievement center for over 750 individuals with developmental disabilities in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties. For over 60 years, The Arc has been recognized for its innovation in education and career programs as well as independent living services, health advocacy and a broad range of arts and recreation opportunities. The Arc supports individuals with autism, Down syndrome and other disabilities to meet the challenges of adulthood while achieving personal goals and lifelong success. Our affiliations with over 120 business, education and health partners enable us to provide successful internships and employment opportunities while offering a more diverse, enriching life experience for those we serve.

For more information, visit http://www.thearcsf.org

Fall 2015 Friends of The Arc E-Newsletter

Be sure to check out the Fall Friends of The Arc E-Newsletter!

Get all the latest information, including links to the Annual Report, our latest video, Beyond Expectations, photos of the Arc Angel Breakfast, SFO Ready Set Fly Training and more!

Work Begins On New Housing For The Disabled At Page & Masonic

Work Begins on New Housing for the Disabled at Page & Masonic 
Hoodline by Camden Avery

Nearly two years after we reported that the property at 1500 Page St. was going through city permitting to become a housing development for the developmentally disabled, work is finally ready to begin.

According to city permit records, the work—a $3.3 million conversion of the Page & Masonic building into 17 apartment units for disabled adults—was actually approved last summer. Long vacant, the building was formerly a 38-room residential hotel.

The new project is a joint undertaking by Mercy Housing and The ARC to provide low-income affordable housing for adults with developmental disabilities. The origins of this specific project dates back four years, to when it was awarded an initial capital funding grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As of October 27th, a start-work inspection was logged with the city to allow work to commence. Tim Dunn, a senior project manager for Mercy Housing, said that the work is expected to take a year, wrapping up sometime in October of 2016.

As to what the building will shape up to include, Dunn said, "there's going to be a big community room with a community kitchen, so that's going to be the primary focus of the activity programming."
He said the renovation would also include a garden on the west side of the property, and offices for the property and services managers.

Mercy Housing already has properties in the area: it's the existing operator of Mercy Terrace, the former Southern Pacific Hospital at 333 Baker St., and a Hayes Valley affordable housing development is also on the way.

Although 1500 Page St. (aka 1099 Masonic Ave.) isn't yet listed on Mercy's property registry, there does exist a rudimentary website with renderings of what the corner might look like post-construction. (Update, 3:45: this is apparently an outdated site—we'll update the story with current renderings when we have them.)

Signs on the building indicate that asbestos abatement is underway; contractor parking permits are valid for the next four months.

Thanks to Dave W. for the tip.
Hoodline san francisco neighborhood news