National Disability Employment Awareness Month: The Arc of Loudoun
Thank you to Lisa Kimball, Chief Executive Officer at The Arc of Loudoun, for answering our questions!
When was your organization founded, and what is its primary mission?
Founded in 1967 by a group of concerned, committed Loudoun County parents, The Arc of Loudoun’s mission is to advocate for, educate, serve, and support people with disabilities and their families. Our purpose is to bring about a just, equitable world for people with disabilities.
How can the community support your organization?
Become a Member: When you become a member, you become part of a local, state, and national network of individuals, families, advocates, and professionals who create opportunities and offer hope each and every day for people with disabilities and their families.
Become a Volunteer: Shocktober, our annual haunted house fundraiser, runs on Volunteer Power – and we need you! Learn more and signup at https://shocktober.org/volunteer/.
Become a Donor: Monetary donations play a critical role in helping The Arc of Loudoun provide direct services and opportunities for people with disabilities. When you give to The Arc of Loudoun you invest in thousands of families who need champions like you to support them.
What is the best part of your job and why?
My job is to understand what’s necessary for the staff to succeed – and then to ensure that each staff member has whatever they need to advocate for, educate, serve, and support their students and clients. The very best part of my job? Having a ring-side seat to the miracles that happen day-in and day-out here at The Arc. A toddler’s first smile, a school student’s first words, a client with a spinal cord injury taking their first steps, an adult making strides toward independent living – marvelous moments abound on our campus every, single day.
What is it like operating your organization in Northern Virginia/Loudoun?
We serve people who live throughout the DMV, so being in Loudoun means that we can touch people from as far away as DC and Shenandoah County on a daily basis. Our leased campus in Leesburg is a precious commodity; one that we hope to have for decades to come.
What does National Disability Employment Awareness Month mean to you?
When it comes to work, it’s what people CAN do that matters. National Disability Employment Awareness Month challenges common misconceptions about disability employment and encourages employers and others to recognize the value and talent that people with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy.
What are some favorite things you like to do when you’re not working?
I’m a rabid reader and an avid gardener. I’m also a foodie who loves to cook, and I rarely turn down a good Scotch with a nice cigar!
Learn more about The Arc of Loudoun on their website.