Senate Resolution No. 1665

BY: Senator DEFRANCISCO

COMMEMORATING the 66th Anniversary of Arc of
Onondaga

WHEREAS, It is the custom of the Legislative Body to recognize those
established organizations within our communities that, year after year,
diligently work to improve the quality of life for its citizenry; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 66th Anniversary of Arc of Onondaga to be celebrated at
its 2017 Achievement Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 8, 2017, at the
Marriott Syracuse Downtown; and

WHEREAS, Arc of Onondaga, a Chapter of NYSARC, Inc., is the largest
not-for-profit in New York State dedicated to serving individuals with
developmental and other disabilities and their families; and

WHEREAS, The 48 operating Chapters comprising NYSARC, Inc., such as
Arc of Onondaga, support and serve people of all ages with developmental
disabilities, including those with Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy,
autism, and neurological impairments; NYSARC, Inc. supports
approximately 60,000 individuals and employs close to 30,000 people
statewide; and

WHEREAS, NYSARC, Inc. was founded in 1951, when a group of parents
with children with intellectual or other developmental disabilities were
determined to change society's traditional disregard for the needs of
their children, so they banded together to fight for the recognition of
their children's special needs; and

WHEREAS, For more than six decades, NYSARC and its Chapters have
been working to support people with developmental and other
disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Under the able leadership of Executive Director Ms. Ellen
Gutmaker, Arc of Onondaga is one of the largest providers of services to
people with developmental disabilities in Onondaga County, serving
thousands of individuals and their families, and employing more than 500
dedicated and caring individuals; and

WHEREAS, With nearly 40 different sites throughout Central New York,
Arc of Onondaga provides a wide array of services including residential
and day services, employment and clinical opportunities, and
recreational programs; and

WHEREAS, Arc of Onondaga also operates two major subsidiaries:
Parkside Children's Center, an inclusive preschool, and Monarch, which
is a vocational program and outsourcing company with corporate partners
throughout the region; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our

attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 66th Anniversary of Arc of Onondaga; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Ellen Gutmaker, Executive Director, Arc of Onondaga.