County to Help Arc Expand

Historian and Civil War reenactor Bill Gent was explaining Civil War era medical treatment at the Arc of Greater Prince William when Tamyra Penn asked a question. “What did they do with special needs people back then?” she asked.

When Gent answered that they would either be sedated or locked away, Penn had a simple response: “They didn’t know what to do with people like us.”

Gent’s presentation was one of the many programs that the Arc provides to the developmentally disabled in Prince William County, allowing them opportunities they would not otherwise have.

On Tuesday, the Board of County Supervisors directed County Executive Melissa Peacor to work with the Arc to see if the county could find a way to donate about $200,000 toward a renovation project that would update and expand the Arc’s aging facilities.

Neabsco District Supervisor John Jenkins, who pushed for the directive, said it’s important that the county do its part to help the most vulnerable members of the community. “It’s something that’s badly needed,” Jenkins said. “We just have to help them help themselves.”

In June, the Arc to raise funds for the expansion and renovation of the Muriel Humphrey Center on Hillendale Drive. The Arc is planning to build a three-story addition to house medical and therapeutic facilities and family support services.

The Arc’s executive director, Karen Smith, said the expansion would allow the Arc to serve the needs of a growing special needs population, particularly those with complex medical cases.

Smith also said the existing facilities, built in 1988, would be retrofitted to be more accessible. “Twenty-two years ago, the building was accessible, not as much anymore,” Smith said.

The Arc provides a variety of services, from childcare centers to group homes for mentally disabled adults, and hosts learning activities and vocational training. Smith said the expansion would allow the Arc to offer more life skills training. “When our children and teens fail the most, it’s because socially they don’t have the skills necessary to blend into society,” she said. “We want to give them those life skills and social skills so they can be accepted into society.”

Partnering with the Lake Ridge and Dale City Lions Clubs, the Arc hosts the —one of only a few Lions International clubs in the world specifically for those with developmental disabilities. Having their own Lions Club helps the people served by the Arc to feel that not only can they be accepted in society, but they have something to give to serve the community.

Jenkins said he had expected the county to include a donation to the Arc as part of its annual budget carryover, but county staff had opted not to include it. As a result, Jenkins requested that the board issue the directive to County Executive Melissa Peacor to work with the Arc to find funds. Jenkins said he expects to see a recommendation from Peacor at a board meeting in September or October.