Friends Foundation
People living with a developmental and/or intellectual disability like Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Autism or Down Syndrome face many challenges in the course of learning, working and living in the community. The Friends Foundation is a resource for those people.
The Friends Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in 1995 to ensure appropriate financial resources exist to protect and expand the opportunities available to people who reside in Allegany County, NY and are served by The Arc Allegany-Steuben. The Foundation raises and awards funds to people who have special needs in the areas of education, recreation, community inclusion and self-support.
Qualifications for Funding:
- Applicants must be a member of The Arc Allegany-Steuben and receive services from and/or attend programs at The Arc Allegany-Steuben.
- Applicants must reside primarily in Allegany County, NY and the immediate surrounding area.
Request Process:
- Requests for funding are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
- The Friends Foundation meets quarterly. It takes approximately 30 days for a request to be reviewed and processed, however time-sensitive situations will be expedited.
- All request applicants will be notified of the Board decision via email.
- Request recipients who are awarded funding will be asked to provide a follow-up report within six months of receiving funding to show how the funding was used and its results/impact.
2024 Joseph Damiano Memorial Direct Support Professional of the Year Award
This award is presented in memory of Joseph Damiano, whose Direct Support Professionals enriched both his life, as well as his family’s, by demonstrating an exemplary level of performance over the course of their relationship and consistently demonstrating commitment to improving the quality of Joseph’s life.
About the Award
The Friends of Allegany Arc Foundation presents the Joseph Damiano Memorial Direct Support Professional of the Year Award. Through this award, we acknowledge the invaluable work of a direct support professional who provides services within Allegany or Steuben County, New York, and consistently demonstrates excellence, creativity and commitment in providing supports to people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Eligibility Criteria
(1) Awarded to an individual who provides direct support, supervision and assistance to a person with an intellectual or developmental disability living in Allegany or Steuben County, New York, and served by The Arc Allegany-Steuben. (2) Applicant must be a current Member of The Arc Allegany-Steuben. (3) Nominee must have been employed by The Arc Allegany-Steuben for a minimum of five years at the time of nomination. (4) Nominations previously submitted for individuals who have not received the award, may be updated and resubmitted for consideration.
Amount
One award will be presented annually. The award is in the amount of $1,000.00.
Application Information/Deadline
The name of one individual must be submitted on the appropriate Nomination Form along with the additional information requested in the form. The completed nomination packet must be mailed to The Arc Allegany-Steuben’s Wellsville office by Monday, March 25, 2024.
CLICK HERE for a 2024 Joseph Damiano Memorial Direct Support Professional of the Year Application Form (PDF).
2024 Friends Foundation Scholarship Opportunity for High School Seniors
For the 16th consecutive year, Friends of Allegany Arc is excited to announce they will be offering a scholarship to one person in the graduating class of 2024. The scholarship is open to all Allegany County High School students planning to attend college full-time in the Fall of 2024.
Eligibility and Requirements:
- High school student, who is an Allegany County resident, planning to enroll in college full-time in the fall 2024 and pursue a degree in a field related to working with people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. This includes Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapies, Nursing, Special Education or the Human Service field.
- Must have a 2.0 GPA and submit a current transcript as proof.
- Submit an essay to explain your future educational and employment objectives for a career working with people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The maximum is 250 words and the preferred font is Times New Roman/size 12.
- Two signed letters of recommendation must be included with the application in sealed envelopes from someone who knows your academic and/or community service (teacher, adviser, coach, clergy, etc. – but no relatives).
- Please attach a resume and/or personal biography (one page) and a copy of your high school transcript with this scholarship application. Include extra-curricular and community activities, as well as employment and volunteer experiences.
- One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded. The first half will be paid to the recipient upon receipt of proof of college enrollment for the fall 2024 semester and the remainder will be paid upon receipt of first semester grades indicating a GPA of at least 2.0 and proof of enrollment for the spring 2025 semester. Equal installments will be paid if on a trimester.
Amount
One award will be presented in the amount of $1,000.00.
Application Information/Deadline
Please return completed application and requested attachments by Tuesday, April 30, 2024
CLICK HERE for a 2024 Friends Foundation Scholarship Application Form (PDF).
Friends Foundation Board Members:
Michael McCormick (President)
Teresa McMahon (Vice-President)
Mike Damiano (Treasurer/Secretary)
Courtney Ashraf
Ashleigh Cline
Contact Us
If you are a person living in Allegany County NY, receive services from the Arc Allegany-Steuben, and need Friends Foundation assistance, please contact Myriah Perry at myriah.perry@thearcas.org.