50 | VIPDestinMagazine.com
T
he Emerald Coast is a truly special
place. It is home to some of the
world’s most beautiful pure white
sandy beaches and crystal clear
waters. You can see dolphins playing as you
walk along the shores in the mornings and
can view breathtaking sunsets every night.
However, our home has so much more to
offer than natural beauty, the people that
make up our community are exceptional.
These people are giving, they are selfless
and they make up incredible organizations
like The Arc of the Emerald Coast; a non-
profit organization serving men, women and
children with intellectual and developmental
disabilities in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa
Rosa Counties. They offer programs to over
450 people including Adult Day Training, five
group homes with 24/7 care, assisted living,
job training, placement and transportation,
a Children’s Center and more. Their
supportive, caring staff and amazing Board
of Directors make the seemingly impossible
become a reality. Their Children’s Center
serves over 120 local children, both with and
without disabilities, providing day care, after
school care and Pre-K. They provide their
adult clients with Supported Employment,
making it possible for them to work
in the community on a daily basis.
Additionally, their community
involvement is extensive with production
of and involvement in many events
each year, including Burning Up The
Beaches, the Murder Mystery Dinner,
the Blueberry Bash, The Emerald
Coast Foundation Poker Run each
August, Destin Charity Wine Auction
Foundation and United Way. Their
community development department
is out and about all the time, actively
participating in all three area chambers
and making sure the public knows about
The Arc and the amazing work they do.
The Arc of the Emerald Coast is constantly
growing and evolving and recently broke
ground on the Impact 100 Aquatic Center
and Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation
Early Intervention and Education Center.
“This is the realization of a vision we have long
had. It will be the only pool built exclusively
for the use of people with disabilities. The
Early Intervention/Education Center will
be a unique, safe and comfortable facility to
provide year round therapeutic exercise and
socialization, along with educating families
on the best methods of dealing early on with
their disabled child. Truly exciting stuff for
the entire community!” described John Roper,
CEO. The Arc of the Emerald Coast touches
countless individuals each and every day and
is near and dear to Roper’s heart. As a parent
of a child with disabilities, Roper describes,
“I not only want to ensure she gets all the
opportunities available, but all individuals
with disabilities. There is no greater feeling at
the end of the day than knowing you made a
difference to someone along the way.” From
being a law enforcement officer to having
served as ED of a counseling agency, to being a
parent-advocate to a daughter with disabilities,
it has always been a life long passion of his to
serve others and he is living out this dream at
The Arc of the Emerald Coast.
story by
Courtney Murray
|
photos provided by
The Arc of the Emerald Coast
The Arc of the Emerald Coast
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