Loudoun, Leesburg, Purcellville, State Honor The Arc of Loudoun
The Loudoun Board of Supervisors presented a ceremonial resolution honoring disabilities services nonprofit The Arc of Loudoun on Wednesday, Oct. 16, recognizing “the significant achievement and critical importance of The Arc of Loudoun in the community and the larger region” and thanking its staff, board and volunteers.County supervisors and The Arc of Loudoun leadership were joined at the presentation by Alina Arias, grandmother of a client at The Arc’s Aurora Behavior Clinic. Arias said her granddaughter Coco arrived at The Arc unable to communicate, spending hours each day frustrated and crying.
“Their perseverance and respectful care helped Coco do things that most of us take for granted such as playing with a toy, appropriately expressing a need or preference, or even knowing how to behave in a group of people,” Arias said. She said with the help of The Arc of Loudoun’s staff, “Coco’s life has changed completely.”
“She has fun with her siblings and friends. She can be silly and playful. She can ask for a walk or a cookie. She can tell you when she’s tired or hungry. She is no longer a silent prisoner. She is a teenage girl full of sass and spunk,” she said.
The resolution follows similar recognition from the Town of Leesburg, the Town of Purcellville, and the Virginia General Assembly, all of which have passed resolutions recently honoring The Arc of Loudoun. The General Assembly passed a resolution during its 2024 session, and the Leesburg and Purcellville town councils both passed resolutions Sept. 10, 2024. The Arc of Loudoun was founded in Purcellville in 1967, and today it is the largest private employer in Leesburg’s Historic District, serving more than 5,000 people a year from West Virginia to Washington, DC.
“Earlier this year, we issued a call to the community for support, and the outpouring from our community has been one of the most inspiring, uplifting moments in The Arc’s long history,” The Arc of Loudoun CEO Lisa Max said. “We are privileged to do the work we do, to get a chance to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve, to meet the families who come through our doors, and to be a vibrant, indispensable part of the region. Our work is not possible without the support of our community, and our neighbors have made it clear they want The Arc of Loudoun to keep growing and doing this work right here for a long time to come.”
For more information about The Arc of Loudoun, visit thearcofloudoun.org.