Old Fashioned Christmas – Holiday Spirit The Arc would like to create an old fashioned Christmas feeling. The kind of magic where we fondly remember the smell of homemade cookies, caroling, trees that glow, and friends and family joining in laughter. Bring your presents that need wrapped and join The Arc family on Thursday, December 19, from 6 pm to 8 pm. We will bake cookies and sing songs around the piano. While we wait for our cookies to

bake, we will learn how to decorate gifts, led by Janice Moist, that say ‘wow’ instead of ‘ho-hum’. This social will definitely put the spirit into your hearts. Everyone will go home with wrapped gifts (bring your gifts and wrapping paper) and a tin of cookies ready to share as company stops to visit. Since we must prepare for the holidays anyway, why not do it together in a fun and festive manner? Note: The Arc is not holding a dance in December

? because of the busy schedules at this time of year and attendance is not as high as other dances. It is a lot of work and resources to prepare for Arc dances and we want as many people to participate as possible. Instead, The Arc is going to have back-to-back dances in January and February. January’s dance will be a Snowflake Ball that gets us out of the house in the quiet days following the holiday season and February’ theme will be a Valentine’s Dance. Be on the look-out in future editions of The Arc Action newsletter for details.

Register Early for Arts at The Arc The very popular ‘Arts at The Arc’ is returning for the winter session. Spaces quickly fill for this professional art program. Classes begin in early January and run through the end of February. The goal of the art program is to engage students who have never had the opportunity to experience art techniques and art mediums. Preference will be given to people who have not participated in the class in the past. Former students who wish to participate again will be placed on a waiting list until it is determined that spots are available. This creative program will run every Monday, beginning January 7 through February 10, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is not a craft class but a professional art class. Students must commit to attending all of the classes. Members of The Arc do not need to pay anything to participate except for $25 to have artwork framed. Anyone not a member of The Arc must pay the art framing cost of $25 plus an additional $25 registration fee ($5 per class). It pays to become a member of The Arc where you do not pay for programs and where you show support of an agency who has advocated for disabilities for sixty years! Artist Lynn Heverly will be teaching artwork using recycled materials, exploring Van Gogh’s style and methods, discovering and reproducing the colors found deep inside natures floral, and studying the abstract methods of Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky. Lynn is on the Board of Directors of Art in Common and has had her artwork displayed in over 80 exhibitions. She has won awards in photography, painting and digital art work. Students take home at least 6 pieces of art at the end of the program. Each student has one piece framed and hung at art shows and in the Becky Sheetz Building for one year. The framed piece is viewed by the public throughout the year. You must register for this class by calling Colleen Montrella at 695-5994 or The Arc of Blair County at 946-1011. Volunteers are needed to help with this program! The Arc of Blair County is able to offer this class through the support of the Wolf-Kuhn foundation and the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts. PPA is the regional arts funding partnership of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency. PPA is administered in this region by the Pennsylvania Rural Arts

December 2013 Calendar

Sun Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4

Line Dance 5 Square Dance

6 7

8

9 Craft Class

10 11 Line Dance

12 Square Dance

13 14

15

16

17 Last day to drop off and pick up gifts to be wrapped

18 Line Dance

19 Old Fashioned Christmas

20

21

22

23

24 25

26 27 28

29 30

31 1 WELCOME 2014

DON’T WASTE TIME GIFT WRAPPING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON There is enough to do during the holiday season without adding to what seems like a never ending list. Janice Moist, Arc member and floral designer extraordinaire, has offered to wrap gifts as a fundraiser for The Arc of Blair County. Janice’s gifts are so beautiful that it almost makes one feel guilty for opening the package. She truly creates pieces of art through her gift decorating talent. Packages can be brought to The Arc on Monday’s, Thursday’s and Friday’s from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The Arc will even be open on Black Friday to receive all of the bargains you snagged and beautifully decorate them as a second gift of giving! The last day to drop off gifts is December 17. The cost is $1.00 for small gifts, $3.00 for medium size gifts, and $5.00 for large gifts. The photo does not do justice to the stunning presentation created by Janice. Accessories (bows, theme toppers, etc) are included in the price. Remove one more stress from your holiday ‘to do’ list and let The Arc do the work for you! Remember, all proceeds from the Gift Wrapping Extravaganza will come back to The Arc to support programs conducted throughout the year. Support The Arc, receive gifts of charm, and have more quality time to spend with loved ones this season!

In the photo above is Sara Wilt, who generously donated her time, talent, and supplies and who drove from out of town to teach us how to make such creative cards. Thank you, Sara.

Arc members learned how to make layered cards with a holiday theme for a homemade, personal one-of a-kind ‘stamp’. Each person went home with 3 or 4 cards and ideas using different styles, backgrounds, materials and tools to continue their creative journey.

No dance in December because of hectic holiday schedules. A snowflake ball will occur in January and a Valentine’s dance in February.

Arc Staff – Maria, Rosemary and Hope – along with uninvited ‘guests’, enjoy the costume themed party!

FAREWELL FRIEND… The elementary party for children with disabilities has been going on for over 20 years. The leader of it all was none other than Steve ‘The Frogman’ Kelsey from Forever Broadcasting. Each year Forever Broadcasting donates the candy (huge treat bags) and pizza. It was Steve who took charge of planning the entire party. The joy on the children’s faces when ‘Froggy’ steps into the room remain fondly locked in one’s heart. Sadly, the Halloween party this year, just a short few weeks ago, was the last time that Steve will ever ‘physically’ plan the Halloween fun. He unexpectedly passed away, far too soon, and our hearts are broken. We know he will always remain with the party in spirit since it truly belongs to him. It was Steve who remained steadfast in organizing the celebration, through staff changes over the years at The Arc and at Forever Broadcasting. There was a very special place in Steve’s heart to plan a trick-or-treat experience for children who often times do not get to experience Halloween. There will always be a special place in our hearts to you, Steve, for what you gave to the children and to The Arc. Thank you for bringing laughter to so many children. We have lost one of the good ones. Let us all try to example Steve’s legacy of giving selflessly to others and honor him by helping our community whenever possible. Side note: A special thank you is also extended to Steve’s family who helped pack the 100 or more treat bags each year.

Children from Tyrone Elementary School and Juniata Elementary School in Altoona swarmed Froggy for hugs and hi-five’s as he danced and shot hoops with them at the trick-or-treat party. Most of the children had never had an opportunity to enjoy The Arc’s game room. This year, additional games and a bouncer were set up in the back yard to give the kids a carnival feel. Everyone, especially the chaperones, ended the day feeling exhilarated yet exhausted! Thank you Hope Neff, Emma Danbeck and Carol Montgomery for helping all day with the party. You kept it together for us!

The Arc of Blair County Non Profit Org www.thearcblair.org U.S. PSTAGE 431 Jackson Ave PAID Altoona, PA 16602 Permit # 218 814-946-1011 Current Resident or

As only they could… The square dancing Halloween party had two surprise visitors – Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton – from the 50’s television show ‘The Honeymooners’. Dance leaders, Tom Miller and Cory Geishauser, never disappoint with their costumes and carry off a theme as only those two silly birds could!

This month’s happenings at… The Arc OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS - Wrapping presents, singing carols and baking cookies to take home. Thursday, December 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring your gifts to wrap. Take home a tin of cookies on The Arc. Craft Class – 6:30 p.m. Call early to reserve a spot in the class as registration closes after 20 people sign up. Choir – On break through December for the holidays. See you again January 7. Line Dancing – 6 p.m. Bring water bottle. No class on December 25 or January 1. The fun resumes on January 8. Square Dancing –6:15 p.m. Bring water bottle. No class on December 19, 26 or January 2. We’ll kick up our heels again on January 9. SNOWFLAKE BALL – Saturday, January 11, from 6 pm to 9 pm. More dance details in next month’s newsletter. Remember, all cancellation or changes will be posted to The Arc website at www.thearcblair.org only if a last minute cancellation occurs. If a program was changed, BUT, listed in the newsletter with advance notice, it will not be posted on the website. Read all of the pages of the newsletter or run the risk of wasting an unnecessary trip.