Pictured left to right: Joan McGrath, CEO, PLAN of MA & RI, Jo Ann Simons, President and CEO, Northeast Arc, Lisa May, Trust Officer, PLAN of MA & RI
Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Inc. (PLAN of MA & RI) has made a $100,000 gift to Northeast Arc. The gift is PLAN’s fifth donation to NeArc, representing the organization’s commitment to inclusion for people with disabilities and autism.
PLAN of MA & RI is a nonprofit organization proudly serving people with disabilities — helping them to preserve their assets, protect their benefits, and to live well.
Joan McGrath, PLAN of MA & RI CEO, presented a check to Jo Ann Simons, Northeast Arc president and CEO, during a visit to Coastal Collective, a store in Swampscott that sells items made by local artists, including participants in Northeast Arc’s Steps to Create art program.
In 2021, PLAN of MA & RI was named the exclusive special needs planning partner of Northeast Arc. This partnership is meant to assist people with disabilities in securing their financial freedom so they can live independent and inclusive lives while choosing for themselves how to live, learn, work, socialize, and play.
Money donated by PLAN will support a variety of NeArc initiatives, including a project to renovate the playground at Northeast Arc’s The Learning Center, which is designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum.
“The need for autism services is growing rapidly, and PLAN’s latest gift ensures that children supported by Northeast Arc will have access to a playground that nurtures their emotional, cognitive and physical development,” said Simons.
PLAN has now committed a total of $475,000 to support Northeast Arc programs and services.
“We at PLAN of MA & RI are so proud to support Northeast Arc in its 70 + year commitment to creating and promoting inclusion to people with different abilities and the people who support them,” said McGrath. “As an organization founded more than 50 years ago, by parents of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the core mission of PLAN of MA & RI is closely aligned with Northeast Arc and together we can make a meaningful impact for our shared constituents.”