Our mission is to empower children and adults with developmental disabilities to achieve their potential based on personal choices, abilities and interests...

For more information please contact:

Mellissa Lang
Director of Marketing and Public Affairs
phone: 914.949.9300,
ext. 4618
fax: 914.997.2985
or 914.428.0322
mlang@westchesterarc.org

Westchester Arc
The Gleeson-Israel Gateway Center
265 Saw Mill River Road
Hawthorne, NY 10532
914.949.9300
info@westchesterarc.org

24-hour
Crisis Intervention:
914.949.8200

Información en EspañolInformación en Español


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Nicole W. is an avid sports fan. “I love watching the Yankees,” she says. And in 1995, she moved from the sidelines to a starting position when she became involved with Special Olympics New York. “I had a lot of free time, so I chose to play sports.”

Going for the Gold

Today, Nicole is one of the Special Olympics' top athletes, winning over 30 medals in track and field, basketball and volleyball. She represents the Hudson Valley in competitions held throughout the country and even went to Japan for the 2004 Special Olympics World Winter Games. There, Nicole got a firsthand glimpse of Japanese culture and took home a gold medal as part of the Northeast Knights floor hockey team. "I liked learning about different customs. But my favorite part of the trip was winning the gold. People cheered for me like they do the Yankees!"

More than just an athlete, Nicole is a valued employee at Westchester Arc's Ann Manzi Center in Mount Kisco, where she answers the telephone, greets visitors, organizes mailings and makes copies. "In the four years Nicole has worked here, she's required little direction and has performed to the best of her capabilities," comments Dianne Altman, prevocational employment specialist.

Nicole is also a self-advocate, secretary of the Mount Kisco consumer council and a member of the agency's board-level customer services council. "I like being a part of the council. I get to express what is important to me, like earning money and making my own choices."