Skip to main content

Donor Stories

Donor Stories

Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.

  • Ron's Journey: From Supporting His Family to Supporting The Arc
    Ron Brown's involvement with The Arc started by asking for help. Ron's daughter, Felicia, was two and a half years old when diagnosed...
    More
  • The Arc is why I am in Special Education
    A lifelong advocate for special education, Ken Oakes credits the start of his journey with The Arc at age 17 when he was a member of The Youth Arc in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Youth...
    More
  • Leaving A Legacy For The Future - Special Needs Trust
    Through the establishment of a Special Needs Trust, Quincy and Zelia Abbot are ensuring that their daughter Becky...
    More
  • Committed to the Cause
    When Jim Wilson was a child, he shared a strong bond with his brother Lowell, who had Down syndrome.
    More
  • Empowering Families into the Future
    Forty eight years ago Theresa and Harvey Varnet gave birth to their daughter Jennifer, who was born with a disability. Confronted with the challenges of raising a newborn with unique needs, they joined a local chapter of The Arc in Massachusetts.
    More
  • Giving in Return
    Robert (Bob) Beggin is a proud father of six children and a loving grandfather to ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Bob is especially proud of his youngest son Rory, who has a successful career at a local hospital...
    More
  • The Ties That Bind - The Power of Family
    Nancy Cummings Webster's commitment to The Arc began as a little girl in the Chicago suburbs...
    More
  • A Journey of Joy and Independence in the Community
    A common sentiment from mothers who have a child with an intellectual or developmental disability is that it makes them stronger, more self-reliant parents. Pat Hornbecker has four children, and her oldest her oldest (and only son) Joseph...
  • (Kathy McGinley) A Lifetime of Service and Hope for the Future
    Kathy McGinley has dedicated her life to working relentlessly to make the country a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as well as their families.
  • (Karen Wolf-Branigin) A Lifetime of Service and Hope for the Future
    Karen Wolf-Branigin has spent over four decades battling for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She has done this in a variety of roles in her career: as a high school volunteer, therapist, public policy advocate, and nonprofit executive
  • A Plan you Can Trust
    Through the establishment of a Special Needs Trust, Quincy and Zelia Abbot are ensuring that their daughter Becky can always maintain her quality of life. Whether she needs a new stove or just wants to visit with her sisters...
  • Big Dreams of Inclusion and a Secure Future
    Brenda Doss believes you should dream big and never give up. Brenda's dream to become national president of The Arc was realized — and she wants her daughter Robin to reach for her dreams with the same determination.
  • Do You Have a Plan for the Future?
    Have you planned for your future and for the future of those who depend upon you? It's hard to believe, but almost half of all adults in America have not created a will or any estate plans. That leaves the state of residence to decide how an estate will be settled.
  • From Passion to Action: Leaving a Better World Through a Planned Gift
    In our lives, we often find causes that compel us to act and take steps to leave a legacy for a better and more equitable world after we're gone. Such is the case for John Lewis...
  • Investing in the Future.
    Secure: Investing in the Future is a new publication that is intended to address two separate, but very important issues. First, security is important to all of us in a variety of different ways.
  • Making a Gift in your Will, or Revocable Living Trust
    Setting up your estate plan can be a daunting task. The steps seem very steep but they need not be. You can provide for the future of family and your favorite charity very easily.
  • Sustaining Momentum for the Advocacy to Come
    Randy Patrick doesn't have a family member with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). But for as long as he has been able, he has been focused on enhancing the quality of life for people in his hometown of Aurora through volunteer work.
  • The Journey From Local Advocacy To Stewardship For A National Mission
    Jenna is the second of Mickey and Candace's three children. While her pregnancy and delivery were normal, it didn't take long for Candace to notice something about Jenna was different.
  • A Strong Foundation: Critical to Families and the Future of The Arc's Work
    "'The Arc? What's that?' It amazes me now that I was asking those questions just a few years ago," reflects Carol Wheeler as she thinks about the changes in her life since she first met Peter Berns, The Arc's CEO.
scriptsknown