A Message from Lisa Poteat

What an incredible year this has been. We’ve fought for more Innovations Waiver slots, provided Tailored Care Management and other home and community-based services across the state, connected people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to employment opportunities, created new educational resources about Medicaid and other services, and so much more. We were planning our outreach efforts for the rest of the year and looking ahead to 2025.

And then….

Everything changed at the end of September when Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina. It is safe to say that the past few months have been incredibly devastating for those living in western North Carolina. Our staff, individuals we serve, and their families in that area continue to rebuild their lives from the ground up. We have been awed, grateful, and humbled at the response and support we’ve received from people across the country. Our own Biltmore Village office which serves as the hub for our entire service area in WNC, was a total loss and we will start 2025 from scratch, but we never missed a day with supporting families and our own staff who have needed us.

In 2025, our staff will advocate for funding and support for those living in Western NC. But we will also meet with legislators at the state and federal levels to advocate for Medicaid, Tailored Care Management, Innovations Waiver slots, and other issues that affect people with I/DD and their families. The Arc of North Carolina remains on the front lines to fight for the needs of our community.

We recognize that at this time of year, everyone is being asked to support a variety of organizations. If you are thinking about end-of-year giving, please consider giving a monetary gift to The Arc of North Carolina. Your generosity will help give our team the ability to support our ongoing policy efforts, outreach, and continue our fight in Raleigh and in Washington, DC for the people we support, expand outreach activities in each of our regions, and support families across the state. You can go to https://www.arcnc.org/support-the-arc/make-a-donation and click the button to make a donation.

We appreciate your support for The Arc of North Carolina. We wish you a happy holiday season.

Lisa Poteat, Interim Executive Director