BEAUMONT, Texas — 12News and the TEGNA Foundation are supporting The Arc of Greater Beaumont this year with a community grant.
The Arc of Greater Beaumont's mission is "to create possibilities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to grow, learn and live according to their website.
12News general manager John Treviño, sales director Fred Carver and anchor Latisia Keahey presented the non-profit group with a $5,000 check on Tuesday afternoon in the 12News studio.
The TEGNA Foundation is a corporate foundation sponsored by TEGNA Inc., which owns 12News.
From big goals to celebrating small wins and everything in between the Arc of Greater Beaumont exists to provide a chance for kids and adults with disabilities to socialize, get support and have some fun with their peers.
The non-profit does this through things like art classes book clubs and even date night.
The Arc of Greater Beaumont functions as a social and educational group that focuses on adult and children and family services and self-advocates.
“As they become stronger advocates then they get to go on trips with us to Austin to Washington DC and really sit down with our representatives and let them know why things are important for them,” executive director Sarah Hardin told 12News,
This helps create a place where clients like Katie Sheffield have a sense of community.
“This is my second home from home,” Sheffield says.
Creating this safe space is especially important to Hardin.
“I have a kiddo with down syndrome,” Hardin explains, “There's so much unknown when you end up with a child with a disability and it's scary. And through being involved in activities up here and having all these other awesome families for support it kind of propels you forward.”
Hardin says she’d love to expand the organization and that’s something they’re working toward now.
For the Arc to come full circle, it will take the blending of communities and volunteers.
“We take our people and love to bring our people to be involved in other things in the community because they have talents, they have likes, just like anybody else and so it’s great for them to get out and explore and in turn everybody benefits from it because they're such great people and they're getting to work with other people who have servant hearts and it just works,” Hardin says.
Through its Community Grant Program, TEGNA Foundation serves the greater good of our communities by supporting nonprofit activities where TEGNA does business. Through its other programs, the Foundation invests in the future of the media industry, encourages employee giving, and contributes to a variety of charitable causes.
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At TEGNA, we are driven by our strong purpose of serving the greater good of our communities. Our values – inclusion, integrity, innovation, impact and results – help us better understand and serve those in need. The Foundation is proud to fund nonprofit organizations and programs that promote and celebrate the diversity of the communities we serve.