Jay Raksin

The Arc of Howard County

"Achieving full community life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — one person at a time" is the mission of The Arc of Howard County. Full community life means allowing people to express their choices and have confidence that others will honor those choices; ensuring that those we support are able to choose how and with whom they spend their time, and are able to work at a challenging and rewarding job. The Arc of Howard County began in 1961 as a volunteer parent support group; it is the oldest and largest non-profit organization in Howard County that provides services to over 400 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. From our experienced professional staff to our skilled job coaches and dedicated residential counselors, The Arc is people helping people in the most fundamental ways. Since its inception over 50 years ago, The Arc has grown from a small group of parents to one of the county's largest employers, with more than 300 staff members and hundreds of volunteers. As we've grown, there's one thing that hasn't changed -- we continue to provide individual services, from one person to another.