Greater Richmond ARC’s afterschool program for school-age children with disabilities is a lifesaver for parents like Rose, whose teenage daughter Nafeesah attends ARC @Saunders weekdays for fun and activities like food preparation, where she is learning valuable skills that may someday lead to employment.
And for Cymondria, a single working mother of 15-year-old Jamon, ARC @Camp Baker is a place where her son plays basketball, uses computers, and socializes with peers. Without Camp Baker, “I truly don’t know what I’d do,” she says.
Greater Richmond ARC’s afterschool program for youngsters ages five to 21 enrolled in school is held weekdays at 3600 Saunders Avenue in Richmond and 7600 Beach Road in Chesterfield from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on school holidays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $12.67 an hour or the equivalent in Medicaid waivers.
This year, ARC @Saunders participants can participate in woodworking, where they learn how to measure, add, and subtract, while making key chains, personalized plaques, and cell phone holders. At ARC @Camp Baker, arts and crafts recently took center stage when afterschool participants created their own tie-dye T-shirts. “In so many ways, (ARC) has made a huge difference for Jamon,” his mother explained, saying the organization has “improved his quality of life. Camp Baker is truly a blessing.”
For more information about ARC’s afterschool programs, visit www.richmondarc.org or call (804) 358-1874.
About Greater Richmond ARC
In partnership with families, the Greater Richmond ARC creates life-fulfilling opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Founded in 1954, we are an organization created by families, for families; an organization that has grown to provide a continuum of programs and services for individuals with disabilities across the lifespan
