Founded in 1952, CCARC, Inc. has a longstanding history of service to individuals with intellectual disabilities such as Down Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other developmental and physical conditions.  Our Vision is to “provide personalized services to people with disabilities” and our Mission is to “Make Dreams Happen.”

Headquartered in New Britain, CCARC’s Mission and Vision are applied every day through the array of both residential and day services we offer individuals and their families. The funding CCARC received through Round 1 of the Nonprofit Grant Program has had a tremendous impact, in particular, upon our Individual and Family Support (Day) Services.

Our Day Services focus on providing a range of opportunities for socialization, acquiring and refining skills, participating in community activities, volunteering and securing paid employment. More than 160 men and women are transported to our main facility on a daily basis from their family homes, group homes operated by CCARC and other private providers, and various residential settings.

Thanks to the NGP awards, CCARC was able to significantly enhance the daily experiences and safety of our Day Services participants. CCARC is very grateful to receive funding to purchase and install a generator with the capacity to light and heat our entire 22,000 square foot headquarters. Not only does this generator provide peace of mind during inclement weather but throughout the year. We know that in the event of an emergency, we now have the capacity to continue our day services programming and offer a safe haven for those we serve.

Replacing several of our high mileage, high maintenance older vans with five used, but newer vehicles made a world of difference for both our day and residential services. This also translated into reduced repairs and gasoline expenses for the agency. More reliable transportation allowed staff to transport our individuals with greater confidence and less fear of mechanical issues. These newer vans also allowed our staff and individuals to travel greater distances to events that they longed to attend. In the process, we were able to accomplish our Mission to “Make Dreams Happen” for certain individuals.

Another award allowed CCARC to install a water booster system which continues to make a dramatic, much needed improvement in our capacity to flush toilets at our main facility. Providing care to 160 people, many of whom need assistance using the restrooms, occupies a considerable amount of staff time. Previously needing to additionally throw buckets of water into the toilet system to assist in the flushing process was frustrating and time consuming.  We are very pleased to report that the system now operates smoothly and effectively.