The Arc Connection June 2025

June 2025

The Arc Connection

A Word From Our Executive Director

Dear Community Members, Friends, and Supporters,

We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family of Oscar Wong upon his passing. Oscar meant the world to The Arc of Buncombe County and devoted many years to serving our special population. Before his time in Asheville, he was affiliated with The Arc of Mecklenburg, further demonstrating his commitment to helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While in Charlotte he was instrumental in starting the UMAR group homes and was their Board Chair for many years. As our Board Chair, he guided us with unwavering dedication, humor, and genuine goodwill. Oscar's presence will be deeply missed, and his legacy of service will continue to inspire us all.

We had requests about memorials - here is the link if you are interested in making a donation in Oscar’s name. Oscar’s family has shared that Highland brewing will host a celebration of life and legacy for Oscar on June 29th at noon. This will be at The Meadow at Highland Brewing, 12 Old Charlotte Highway.

THANK YOU to our many sponsors and attendees at Spring Fling. We had a wonderful time celebrating together and we are grateful for your continued support of our summer camp scholarships. Special thanks to Jon Blalock and Sheila Whitted for telling us a little more about why specialized camps are so important for the I/DD community. Your donations have helped to make summer camp a reality for many children.

Our Annual Meeting is fast approaching, and I hope to see you on June 18th! Tickets are available using the linked button below. We have several special awards this year and are excited to show our appreciation to those serving in our community.

With heartfelt thanks,

Linda McDaniel

Oscar Wong, The Arc of Buncombe County, Annual Meeting, June 2024

ANNUAL MEETING TICKETS

OUR WHY…..

We’re often asked what it really means to serve individuals in the I/DD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) community. At The Arc of Buncombe County, it means being present in moments of need, especially during times of crisis.

Crisis, by definition, is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. That’s why we accept crisis assistance applications year-round and respond to a variety of needs - needs which create intense difficulty for our clients. Recently, we had the privilege of supporting a young mother in urgent need of child care assistance. Helping ensure children are in safe, enriching environments not only benefits the child, but also empowers parents to maintain steady employment and stability.

It was our honor to provide the support she needed, because that’s what community is all about.

At The Arc of Buncombe County, we believe that every family deserves stability, dignity, and support.

Recently, the staff at The Arc of Buncombe County connected with a new client who had just relocated to the area with assistance from several agencies in Henderson County. A mother of three, including one child with autism, she was working hard to get resettled. However, her car was no longer running, and the financial strain of moving and being out of work had left her with several overdue bills.

The Arc stepped in to help. We covered her past-due electricity bill, arranged for her car to be towed, and paid for extensive repairs to get it back on the road. Additionally, we provided access to a summer camp program, ensuring her children were safe and cared for during the day so she could return to work over the summer months.

Her heartfelt gratitude and positive feedback meant the world to us. Knowing we played a part in helping her build a stable life in Asheville and support her family is exactly why we do what we do.

Words of Gratitude

We’ve received so many wonderful compliments about this year’s Spring Fling—thank you! It takes a team of special helpers to make an event like this come together, and we’re so thankful for everyone who pitched in. The Arc of Buncombe County is truly grateful for all the support, time, and energy that made it such a success! Here are a few of our volunteers we would like to highlight this month.

A big thank you to 3’s Company for their amazing help with Spring Fling! They always show up with helping hands—whether it’s decorating, serving food, or keeping everything running smoothly. We’re so grateful for their continued support and energy!

Shout-out to Dee Holmes, Barb Pettigrew, and Heather Davis for making the Silent Auction a great success! Their hard work in gathering items and setting up such a beautiful display made a huge difference. Thanks to their efforts, we had a fantastic selection and raised strong support for The Arc!

A heartfelt thank you to our longtime special event volunteers, Ann Hensley and Faye Reynolds!
Ann and Faye are always behind the scenes lending a hand with food service, desserts, set-up, and so much more. Their dedication and helping spirit make a big difference—we truly couldn’t do it without them!

Getting everything from our office to Highland Brewing is no small task—it's a true team effort! From loading up a convoy of vehicles to setting up the space just right, it takes coordination and muscle. A huge thank you to Ricky Gunter for making it all happen—we appreciate his hard work and dedication!

HAPPENING IN JUNE

JUNE IS:
- ALZHEIMER’S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH
- NATIONAL EMPLOYEE WELLNESS MONTH
JUNE 2 LOVE CONQUERS ALL DAY
JUNE 14 NATIONAL FLAG DAY
JUNE 15 FATHER’S DAY
JUNE 19 JUNETEENTH
JUNE 21 LONGEST DAY (ALZHEIMER’S AWARENESS)
JUNE 20-26 - LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK
JUNE 27 NATIONAL PTSD AWARENESS DAY

In Their Own Words: What Matters Most (from our Board)

Board Treasurer, Dorinda Bennett. Years ago, my grandparents helped to start up an Arc in another County due to my uncle having an intellectual and developmental disability. My mother served on the board for that same Arc for years. It is special for me to be able to continue the legacy of my family by serving on the board for the Arc of Buncombe County. It’s particularly meaningful to me that the Arc of Buncombe County can be of assistance to I/DD individuals and families in our community in times of crisis. With Hurricane Helene those times of crisis for our clients increased exponentially and continue to exist. I am most proud of our organization for the heart, dedication, and determination to help those that often cannot help themselves.

The Arc of Buncombe County
Board Members

OFFICERS
Board President, Oscar Wong
Board Vice President, Melissa Gunter
Secretary, Diane Mance
Treasurer, Dorinda Bennett

DIRECTORS
Jeffrey Baker
Jason Gast
Jacqueline Smith
Marlene Sternberg
Kelli Tinsley
Jill Watson
John Watson
Richard Welch

REMINDER - check out our new website and social media pages (Facebook and Instagram). Follow, like, and share so we can increase our audience.

DONATIONS TO SUPPORT THE ARC