Edward and Mary Lord Foundation supports The Arc New London County’s Employment Initiative

The Edward and Mary Lord Foundation, a longtime supporter of providing employment training to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in southeastern Connecticut, has awarded The Arc New London County’s lawn and landscaping micro-enterprise $1,267. The grant will augment the equipment donated by the Lord Foundation in 2016 and 2017, which has allowed the business to double in size and take on a variety of additional large and small commercial landscape jobs. The Arc NLC’s vocational initiatives include four micro-enterprises in a variety of fields, and utilize a real-world economic platform designed to provide critical skills and jobs for people with IDD paying minimum wage or higher with community businesses in New London County. The supervised lawn and landscape crew is trained in all aspects of landscape maintenance including mowing, pruning, mulching, spring and fall cleanup, and plant care. With the addition of a rollup cover for their dump trailer and a commercial multi-tool brush cutter purchased from the Lord Foundation’s grant, the crew will be able to extend its season into the winter months and offer garage and attic cleanouts as well.
 
Local employers and residents are encouraged to inquire about hiring crew members as part-time employees or to engage the crew for residential and/or commercial landscaping/cleanout services. For more information, please contact Denise Tift at dtift@thearcnlc.org or (860) 889-4436 x 116.