In 2018, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region’s Board of Directors strengthened our commitment to Anne Arundel County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore through a robust strategic plan. In the last two years, we have seen an increase in the number of people served on both the Western and Eastern Shores. Specifically, on the Eastern Shore, we increased the number of people we serve by more than 30% by reopening a shuttered group home in Easton and opening a new group home in Preston. We launched new initiatives and continue to run outreach activities all across the Eastern Shore, including the Lower Shore.
COVID-19 has affected us all and has changed the way we conduct our business operations. Following guidance from the CDC and local health officials, most administrative and management employees continue to telework. These measures have significantly reduced the utilization of our Headquarters in Severn, and Regional Offices in Annapolis and Easton.
After careful consideration, we have decided to close our Annapolis and Easton Regional Offices effective September 30, 2020. The Arc will end our lease on Brooks Drive office in Easton, with our three Eastern Shore administrators working remotely for the remainder of the pandemic. This Fall, we will begin to reimagine the Annapolis space for post-COVID-19 operations.
The Arc will resume exploration for a long term location to house our Eastern Shore operations following the pandemic. Closing our two Regional Offices does not change The Arc’s commitment to the people we support or the services we provide across the nine counties we support. Rather, we are using this time to reassess our future needs and develop a long term strategy for our Regional Offices. The Arc continues to actively process admissions for all programs across Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore. In July alone, we had about 10 new people join or enhance their services with us.
We are still here, ready to serve. Our Headquarters in Severn is open daily from 8:00AM to 4:30PM, and our phone lines are open. You can reach us at 410.269.1883 or info@thearcccr.org. Or, you can visit our website, www.thearcccr.org, for more information.