Allison has also made strides in her career by taking a job as a custodian. Her supervisors have been impressed with her work ethic, social skills on the job, and dedication to being on time, working productively and performing her assignments well. She is rightfully proud of her job success and loves the reward of getting a paycheck in exchange for a job well done.

Anyone who meets Allison at work, in her program, in her home, or when she is out getting some exercise, can see how well she is doing and how happy she has become through meeting the goals she has set for herself.

"Without The Arc Lexington and its wellness program, I would not be where I am today," said Allison. "I cannot wait to see what this journey is going to become in the future. I know anything is possible if you keep looking up. I am so happy to have a job, friends, and my own apartment. I am now looking forward to an even better me!" said Allison.

David Barton is one of the leaders of Living Life without Limits Club (L3), the adaptive sports club at The Arc Lexington. David has cerebral palsy and participates in a great number of adaptive sports activities through the club, including downhill skiing, using a Trek wheelchair to hike, zip lining, sailing, water skiing, and fishing for salmon on New York's Pulaski River, to name a few. David has given presentations about L3 to a number of groups, both within The Arc Lexington and to its communities. He is up for any challenge, and advocates for his group and its members to access new sports opportunities, in New York State and beyond. When

asked about participating in these sports activities, David gets emotional, "I feel awesome," he said. "I feel like a bird, flying free. It makes me so happy and also helps me look forward to the future." His favorite sports involve skiing – whether its downhill in the snow, or water skiing in the summer months.

"David is amazing," said Bonnie Reuss, L3 Club Advisor and Physical Therapy Assistant at The Arc Lexington. "He always is willing to try new adventures and encourages the other members of the Club to do the same." She continued, "When we go to the Adaptive Sports Center at Windham Mountain (Windham, NY), the volunteers know David by name, and know him as a skiing enthusiast, not as someone with a disability. He is a great champion and ambassador for our L3 Club with other self-advocates and to the community at large."

Mark Riley, who has autism, joined The Arc Lexington near the end of 2018. He came to the organization from a nursing home, and at the time was battling some serious health issues. Because he was at an unhealthy weight, Mark had difficulty walking, needed a special bed to sleep in, and his general activity and mobility overall were limited.

As Mark started to settle in to his new home, he began his journey towards better health, with support from his team at The Arc Lexington. Mark worked with an agency dietician to have a healthy diet, and learned ways to make good food choices to help him feel better and to lose weight. Mark started attending the HealthMessages™ classes through the Engaged and Empowered

ROLE MODEL: "David is amazing," said Bonnie Reuss (left), L3 Club Advisor and Physical Therapy Assistant at The Arc Lexington. "He always is willing to try new adventures and encourages the other members of the Club to do the same."