The Arc Southern Maryland

The Arc Southern Maryland

Mission & Vision

 

MISSION STATEMENT
THE REMARKABLE DIFFERENCE WE AIM TO MAKE IN THE WORLD

Create opportunities for independence and personal success for people with different abilities in inclusive communities.

10-YEAR 2025 VISION STATEMENT
MEANINGFUL RESULTS THE ARC IS COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING IN A DECADE

Our 2025 vision for the Southern Maryland region is that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are widely welcomed, accepted and included with excellent quality supports in communities where they live and work. We will be able to proudly share many inspiring examples of advancing our mission and the positive economic impact this makes.

Our vision for our organization:

  • We are mobile electronically and with a vehicle fleet that facilitates work and recreation across Southern Maryland for the people we support.
  • We are a cohesive, collaborative, communicative, and high energy community of staff, volunteers and community partners.
  • We enjoy a high level of visibility and partnership in every county where we work.
  • We celebrate diverse resource and economic development that brings in greater than $1 million in new contributions and new contracts annually to Southern Maryland and to our organization.

 

CORE OPERATING VALUES
IDEALS THAT GUIDE OUR ACTIONS

Our organization is guided by these values, to the fullest extent possible, in everything that we do. We use these values as a filter to assess options and make choices that are in the best interest of our mission:

Acceptance. We appreciate all people with all different abilities. We inspire all sectors of the community to include all people with different abilities in the fabric of their lives.

Fulfillment. We help every person find meaning and fulfillment in their lives through independent living and decision-making to the extent possible.

Worth. We value every person regardless of the barriers that they may face every day. We inspire every person to believe they are important and valuable and we help them to find their courage to be the best version of themselves that they can be.

Respect. We model respect in the way we communicate with each other, in the way we treat each other, in the way we offer choices to each other, and in the way we consider perspectives of others that are different from our own.

Joy. We celebrate every part of life and accomplishments of hard work to create joy – accomplishing personal and professional milestones and goals, celebrating birthdays, changing seasons, and all types of holidays.

CORE BELIEFS
CONCEPTS THAT EXPRESS OUR SENSE ABOUT HOW CHANGE HAPPENS

The approach of The Arc Southern Maryland is rooted in underlying beliefs about civil rights and self-determination. These beliefs guide our work:

  • We believe everyone deserves a good quality of life and that everyone has a right to choose how they live all aspects of their life.
  • We believe everyone has a right to pursue their potential and that all things are possible with many chances.
  • We believe small steps to independence is empowering for each person and their families.
  • We believe living an independent life is an on-going, dynamic process that always has to be adjusted; we must always continue to understand what each person needs and wants to respond in ways that matter to them.
  • We believe opportunities just don’t happen, they have to be created and can be when we creatively use our resources, our networks and many diverse partners.
  • We believe in keeping a positive outlook through teamwork, being open to learning new and better approaches, and by driving out fear and blame.
  • We believe in trying new things and using objective data and information to inform and make choices.
  • We believe in continuously improving our processes and systems to be consistent and efficient, as well as agile and flexible.