The Arc Erie County New York

08/21/2026

What’s the BUZZ?! ⁉️

Weeds! 🍃

This week at Black Water Acres, our Day Habilitation Without Walls (WOW) and Community Based Prevocational (CPV) programs learned all about weeds—and that not all weeds are bad! Some can help pollinators, some improve the soil, and some even support the ecosystem. 🐝

We identified which weeds can stay, which need to go, and how a little weeding helps give our plants room to grow! 💚

08/20/2026

Why are I/DD services essential?

I/DD services do far more than just meet immediate needs. They also foster longstanding, trusted relationships by connecting people to healthcare, behavioral health support, medication assistance, therapies, and care coordination.

Ensuring services are stable across the entire system is crucial to helping the I/DD community stay healthy, safe, and supported.

08/19/2026

Something is coming...👑

08/18/2026

In case you were wondering… 🤔

Our bees are happy, healthy, and buzzing away! And now that our cameras are up and running, we can keep an eye on all the action happening around the hives! 📹🐝

Stay tuned for more bee-hind-the-scenes updates at Black Water Acres! 🧡

08/18/2026

Sip, sample & support a great cause at The Arc Erie County’s 6th Annual Ale Trail! 🍺🍷

Join us September 24th for an evening packed with craft beverages, food trucks, live music, yard games, vendors & more! 🧡

Sample the regions best local craft beer, wine, cider, mead, and spirits while walking on our lighted paved trail in the woods! 🪵

Grab your presale tickets before they’re gone and help support children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities! 🎟️

*This event is 21+ only

For tickets:
https://secure.givelively.org/event/nysarc-inc-buffalo-ny/ale-trail-2026-tickets/6th-annual-ale-trail-2026-sept-24th-2026-4-30-9pm

08/14/2026

What’s the BUZZ?! ⁉️

Seeds! 🌱

Seeds and seedlings are in at the farm. We’ve got sunflowers, beets, lettuce, cabbage, swiss chard, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and more! 🥦

We can already see the beans and radishes coming up! We are anxiously waiting for the spinach and carrots to grow. 🥕

Soon the people we support will learn all about weeding! 🧑🏻‍🌾

08/13/2026

Our CPV group from Grace in Community Church spent some time lending a hand with farm beautification and grounds care at Black Water Acres! We are grateful for their hard work, teamwork, and pride in helping care for our growing farm! 🧡

08/12/2026

🌱 Meet Tracy Marchiano, our incredible Horticultural Training Specialist at The Arc Erie County New York!

Tracy brings growth, learning, and joy to our WOW, Day Hab, CPV, and Summer Camp programs. She leads our individuals in planting, nurturing, and harvesting a vibrant, rotating on-site garden filled with fresh herbs, vegetables, and beautiful flowers.

The best part? Tracy always shares the fruits of their labor. Whenever the garden yields a new harvest, she stocks the office garden cart for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you, Tracy, for making our community greener, healthier, and brighter every single day! 🌻🫑🍅

08/12/2026

Congratulations to our CEO Doug DiGesare! 🧡

Today we were thrilled to honor extraordinary people connected to our mission at Person Centered Services! Our All-Star Luncheon at Wanakah Country Club in Hamburg, NY recognized the accomplishments of members receiving services, community providers and partners, and family members and caregivers.

Award Winners:
⭐ Trailblazer Award – Skyler Sackett
⭐ Growth and Resilience Award – Jeffrey Smith-Marsh
⭐ Person Centered Champion Award – Naomi Brickel
⭐ Community Collaborator Award – Kristen Babbitt
⭐ Advocacy Impact Award – Shelley Morgan
⭐ Empowered Voices Award – Tiffany Northey

We also celebrated the retirement of Douglas DiGesare, CEO of The Arc Erie County and Chair of the Person Centered Services Board, reflecting on his lifetime of exemplary service, leadership, and commitment to our community.

Congratulations to all of our 2026 All-Stars! Stay tuned for more photos and videos from this special event!

08/11/2026

Thank You, Bonadio Group!

The Bonadio Group Annual Purpose Day is a firm-wide day of service where all office locations close. Hundreds of employees donate their time to support over 35 non-profit and community organizations across major regional footprints like Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and the Capital Region.

Event Overview

Purpose: To give back, build community partnerships, and live out the firm's core values of being generous and giving.

Activities: Outdoor landscaping, cleaning, painting, organizing donations, meal packing, and resident engagement at local facilities.

Participation: Close to 800 employees step away from regular accounting and consulting tasks to volunteer at various local charities and regional hubs.

The Buffalo Team came out to Black Water Acres for raised garden bed building and our 30 Wilson Road office to build walking trail trellises, help with trail clearing, and vehicle detailing.