#once i have the bracket image itself ill put that up an hour or two before the polls drop

[best-fnaf-song-competition]

Oh you KNOW this playlist is full of bangers when I've got 4-5 of them stuck in my head at once

[jedwashere]

A Billion Years Away - Chapter Two

All Of The Stars Are Fading Away

***

‘Cos all of the stars are fading away,

Just try not to worry, you’ll see them someday.

Take what you need and be on your way,

And stop crying your heart out…

***

The Enterprise.

When Jallistra entered the Bridge, she took her chair with practiced ease, staring at the view screen with an inscrutable smile. The bridge was arranged, as per Jallistra’s preferences, almost like a conference room: the Captain’s chair at the top of the room, slightly raised, with her XO’s chair to her right, an empty “advisor” chair to her left, helm slightly ahead and to the right of the XO chair, OPs ahead and to the left of the advisor chair, tactical against the wall to the right and a science station opposite it. Behind the Captain’s chair was a row of stations occupied by other bridge crew.

From here, Jallistra could see every station, and every station could turn to see her. She liked the dynamic: the fact that it allowed debate, discourse, suggestions, opinions… it opened the floor for her crew to give her their best, and for her to consider all options.

“Time to Harlak?” she asked calmly.

“Five hours, twenty one minutes, fourteen seconds, mark,” her helm officer, Liam West, said, tapping his console. The blonde-haired officer looked up at the screen. “Dropping to impulse in five hours, sixteen minutes, mark.”

“Thank you, Liam,” she said, nodding. West was certainly accurate and eager to please: the latter was not necessarily a trait she wanted to encourage, but it seemed harmless for the moment.

Leaning back in her chair, Jallistra glanced to her left. Her XO, a pale-blue-skinned Andorian named Hy’ron Thenn, was frowning. This wasn’t in-and-of-itself unusual - his default expression was a frown, actually - but Jallistra always took it seriously nonetheless.

“Well, Exec?” she asked quietly. “What do you think?”

“I think when people send the Enterprise to investigate an anomaly, it’s trouble,” the Andorian replied grimly, his voice gruff and humourless. “We should be prepared for anything.”

“Good advice for life in general,” Jallistra said, still smiling. She turned to the OPs station.

“Maria, what do we know about the Harlak system?”

“There’s one colonised planet, called Erlös,” her OPs officer, a pale-skinned, golden eyed woman - an Android - named Maria Doe said. “The people living on it are a technophobic sect of the New Deus movement. Friendly, but they prefer their isolation.”

“They wouldn’t have been responsible for an anomaly, then,” the tactical officer - a young red-headed human Lieutenant named Faye Reddin - said.

“Nothing is beyond the realms of speculation, Lieutenant,” Thenn said darkly. He sighed. “Did Admiral Paris have any knowledge of what sort of anomaly this is?”

“None that she shared,” Jallistra said evenly. “Which doesn’t exactly inspire feelings of optimism, I must admit.”

Thenn chuckled mirthlessly. “No, it does not. Still: this is the best crew in the fleet. Whatever we face, we will destroy it.”

Jallistra raised an eyebrow. “You expect a fight?”

“I always expect a fight,” Thenn replied. “It’s what made me a good tactical officer.”

“That’s true,” Jallistra said, nodding. She frowned ever-so-slightly, and leant towards him slightly. When she spoke next, it was softer. “There is something about this that troubles me.”

“What?” Thenn asked.

“An anomaly over Harlak? Near a planet of technophobes?” Jallistra said slowly, raising both eyebrows. “There is something extraordinary at work, here.”

“But for good or ill?” Thenn asked.

Jallistra smiled again. “That’s the question, Exec. And one we’re going to have to find the answer to.”

“Captain,” Doe said from her station. “We are receiving a message from Starfleet. Priority One.”

Thenn and Jallistra exchanged glances. The Andorian’s antenna were twitching.

“I don’t like this,” Thenn said unnecessarily.

Jallistra simply smiled, before standing and heading back for her ready room.

You and me both, Exec, she thought to herself. You and me both.

***

Erlös.

When the next knock came at his door, Lorca didn’t even look up. “Come in.”

Just as he’d expected, Laurien shuffled inside. With her, she carried a small suitcase.

“You were in need of clothes, sir,” she said quietly. “These are fitted to your Starfleet’s standards. We, uh…” Lorca looked up to see that she was blushing, and he resisted the urge to grin mischievously. “We knew your size from your medical examination.”

Lorca gave her what he hoped came across as a friendly smile. “Well, thank you, ma’am.”

She placed the suitcase on the dresser, and smiled back at him.

“I will wait for you outside,” she said, inclining her head slightly. “Eloise has asked to speak with you once you are presentable.”

Lorca nodded, standing. “I’ll, uh, be just a minute.”

With that, Laurien bowed and left, leaving Lorca alone with the suitcase. Wasting no time, he went over to it and popped it open, before raising both eyebrows in surprise.

This is not what I was expecting, he thought.

Gently taking the uniform out of the case, Lorca let out a whistle, examining the material and the uniform carefully. It consisted of an undershirt, a jacket, trousers and boots. The main body of the jacket was scarlet, which he presumed to be a command division colour, with a white band across the shoulder. A badge - the same symbol he had worn, but subtly altered, with a polygonal golden backing underneath it. The undershirt was also white, and high collared. The trousers was black, as were the boots. A brief examination of the badge showed that, rather than being a simple duraplast pin, it was an integrated signal device. A communicator? And the jacket’s closure wasn’t a zip, but rather… some kind of magnet? He didn’t recognise the closure at all: it was like a new kind of technology.

This, Lorca thought with a less-than-cheerful expression, is new.

New was bad. New meant that he didn’t know what to expect, that he didn’t know…

I don’t know where I am, he realised. This one change… it could mean anything.

Still: these were clothes, and they were (supposedly) appropriate to his (assumed) rank and station, so he started putting them on. Fortunately, his host hadn’t neglected underwear or socks.

Thank heavens for small mercies, he thought wryly.

***

The Enterprise.

“Authorisation Jallistra, Three Six Beta Upsilon.”

Jallistra sat in her ready room chair as the Federation symbol was replaced by the image of a text message. She frowned: a text message? Not a recording, or an actual transmission? Her curiosity piqued, Jallistra began reading the message.

Communique from planet Erlös. Claim to have one Captain Gabriel Lorca of Starship Buran on planet, recovering from injury. Ascertain truth of matter, bring Lorca to Starbase 93.

- Lizbeth Hayne, Commodore.

Jallistra sat back in her chair, pondering the message. The Buran? There hadn’t been a Starship Buran to Jallistra’s knowledge since the mid 25th century. And she definitely wasn’t familiar with this Captain Lorca that Commodore Hayne had brought up.

“Computer,” she said after a moment. “Search Gabriel Lorca, Captain.”

Immediately, a file popped up: the image of a man in a blue two-piece mid-23rd century uniform.

What?!

Jallistra blinked, wondering if there was more than one Captain Gabriel Lorca.

“Computer,” she said, “is this the only record of a Captain Gabriel Lorca in Starfleet?”

“Confirmed,” the computer's cool tone replied. “There are no other Gabriel Lorca’s listed in Starfleet’s databanks at the present time.”

Jallistra felt her lips purse involuntarily. Something was very wrong here.

Captain Gabriel Lorca, she thought, looking at the man’s picture again. How could a man from centuries ago be here, now? Only one way to find out.

Taking a breath,  she began studying the record.

The symbol on this Lorca’s chest was the then UESPA symbol (this being before the UESPA symbol was adopted for the entirety of Starfleet). He had been exploration fleet, then, or at least his ship had worked under those auspices. The uniform was the same one used during the Klingon war of 2256 through 2257, which meant that - exploration fleet or not, he was likely a military man, a veteran of that war. The man himself was pushing fifty, maybe already there: he had an intense blue gaze that seemed to reach across the centuries. His list of commendations was small but noteworthy, the most prominent being a Legion of Honour - wait, no, the commendation had the word “suspended” next to it in brackets.

Jallistra frowned. A suspended Legion of Honour? Now that was unusual.

What was more unusual was that much of the file was redacted.

“Computer,” she said, “show redacted portions of Gabriel Lorca’s file.”

“Captain’s authorisation or higher required to view classified files,” the computer replied coolly.

Classified? After all this time? Why? Whatever the reason for his being here was, Jallistra realised, it had to have something to do with the redacted portions of his file.

“Computer,” she said, “show redacted portions of Gabriel Lorca’s file, authorisation Jallistra, Three Six Beta Upsilon.”

A moment later, the black boxes were replaced by text. Jallistra read the text slowly…

… and her eyes widened in horror.

***

Erlös.

He tugged the front of the uniform jacket down as he stepped out, feeling oddly self-conscious at how thin the material felt. What even was this material, some kind of synthetic thing?

Still, it was comfortable. He supposed that was something.

Laurien was waiting for him, and she smiled as he stepped into the outside of his room. They were in another wood-panelled room, this one large and empty. There were doors leading to other rooms, and one set of double doors that seemed to lead outside.

I’m going to have to go outside, he realised, already wincing in anticipation. This is going to be fun.

“You look very regal,” Laurien said, bringing his attention back to her. “I can see that Captaincy suits you.”

“Uh, thanks,” he said, trying to play modest and ending up with self-conscious. Either worked, though. “You said Eloise wanted to speak with me?”

“That is correct,” she said quietly. “Please, follow me.”

Laurien immediately headed for the double-doors, and Lorca followed. He winced again as she opened the door, but fortunately it wasn’t too sunny outside. Rather, it was overcast and grey. There were a number of small, primitive wooden houses around them, as well as one large building that looked to be a battered old prefab of some sort.

“Are you alright?” Laurien asked him, noticing his wincing.

“I - yeah,” he said. “Old injury.”

“I understand,” Laurien said sympathetically. “I hope your own people will be able to help you heal that injury. I regret we could not do more for you.”

“You did plenty,” Lorca said, smiling. “I’m here, after all.”

They continued on, until they reached the prefab. Once there, Laurien stopped.

“You will have to go in here alone,” she said. “I am not allowed within the hall of technology.”

The way she said it indicated that some of those words really ought to have capital letters. It was strange, alright, but Lorca just nodded: he wasn’t here to judge these people.

I’ve got better things to do, he thought, entering the building.

Inside was a reception manned by a boy no older than thirteen, with a shaven head and black robes on. There was what looked like a computer in front of him, though it looked primitive to Lorca - like something you might have found on an NX-class ship. The boy looked up as Lorca entered.

“Oh!” he said. “You are the Starfleet Captain, yes?”

“Uh, yes,” Lorca said.

“Excellent!” the boy said. He tapped a control on the computer. “The Captain is here, Dannik!”

A moment passed, and then another man walked into the reception area, along with Eloise. The man wore the same black robes the boy did, and had the same shaven head, but he was much older.

“Ah, Captain!” he said. “Greetings. I trust the uniform matches your needs?”

“It does,” Lorca said, tugging the front of the jacket down slightly. “Very comfortable.”

“I am glad,” the man said. “Forgive me, I am Dannik. I am the keeper of our technologies.”

“I figured,” Lorca said, smiling. “I’m not familiar with your culture…”

“That is just so,” Eloise cut in. “We prefer to keep outsiders away.”

Lorca nodded once. “That’s fair.”

“So,” Eloise continued, “you can imagine our surprise when you arrived.”

Lorca nodded, swallowing. “You’ll forgive me, ma’am, but I’m not sure how I arrived, exactly. What happened?”

Eloise looked at Dannik, who cleared his throat.

“There was a kind of spatial anomaly in one of the fields,” he said, almost intoning the words. “It stayed there for three days, and when it abated, you were there. You were badly wounded.”

“We did not expect you to survive your wounds,” Eloise added quietly. “Given their severity and the limited resources we had, we feared you would perish despite our help.”

“I do have a tendency to pull through when people least expect it,” Lorca said with a mirthless smile. Oh, yes, I do at that. “Have to admit, that last scuffle had me think I was done for, though.”

Eloise raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Lorca felt his smile waver. “I… well, it’s a long story.”

“We have a great deal of time for you to tell it in,” Eloise pointed out with a beatific smile.

Lorca nodded, taking a breath. “Well, let’s start with an obvious question. By Earth’s calendar, what year is it?”

Eloise frowned. “What year?”

“Indulge me,” Lorca said with another winning smile.

Eloise nodded, her expression softening. “It is 2507, I believe. We haven’t used that calendar in some time.”

“You’re right,” Dannik said with a nod. “March of 2507, at that.”

There was a momentary pause while Lorca processed that, his eye twitching.

“Twenty… twenty five oh seven?!” he blurted.

Eloise frowned again. “Is something the matter, Captain?”

Three hundred years. Michael. Gone. Stamets. Saru. Cornwell. Georgiou. Gone. All gone. Everything, gone.

“When I left,” Lorca finally said, his voice strained as he ran a hand through his hair, “it was the year 2256.”

There was a pause. Eloise looked at Dannik.

“There… there is precedent among the Starfleet people for such things,” the robed man finally said. “I believe. I would be forced to look thoroughly in the records for any such incidents not categorised as classified materials.”

“I could accept a shift in time,” Lorca said, his voice quiet, “but… two hundred and fifty years. That’s insane.” Michael… Michael Burnham… gone. Gone forever. “Everyone I served with, everyone I know… they’re gone.”

There was a long pause as Eloise processed this.

“But,” she said finally, “you are here. And by grace or chance, you survived grievous injury. That must mean something, don’t you think?”

“That’s a reassuring thought,” Lorca said reflexively, without really meaning it. Positives, Gabriel, positives. We’re alive, we’ve beaten the odds. The thought was hollow even in his head. He took a breath. “Well, I’m grateful your people found me.”

“Perhaps you could demonstrate that gratitude by telling us how you came to be so wounded,” Eloise said with a small smile.

Oh, you’re good, Lorca thought, smiling back at her. It felt hollow on his lips.

“Where to begin,” he said quietly, thinking over this story that he had been cobbling together in his head.

“The beginning?” Dannik suggested.

Lorca smiled mirthlessly. If only Lorca actually knew the beginning, that might have helped. What really would have happened to the other him, back in his universe?

He’d be dead, was the first, cruel thought that came to mind. But no, somehow, Lorca didn’t believe that. He’d read his own file: Gabriel Lorca was a tough, hard man in any universe. Sure, he’d been more into his Federation’s ideals, but that didn’t stop him from being a survivor. Lorca had no doubt that, if his other self had been aboard Discovery, much would have been the same. One difference notwithstanding.

Michael, he thought again, closing his eyes.

After a moment, he let out a sigh, and began.

“I was… I was trapped.” Throw in some hesitation: it was horrible, sell it as horrible. “Trapped in another universe. A parallel one. The people there were… well, ‘hostile’, to be charitable.” Very, very charitable. “I was stabbed and thrown out an airlock into… into some kind of spatial anomaly. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m not dead.”

It lacked specifics, but he didn’t imagine these people needed any. He just hoped he’d sold it well.

His audience digested his story for a moment. None of them had immediately pointed fingers at him and called him a lying bastard to his face, so he supposed that was one positive.

“Does Starfleet often deal with… ‘parallel universes’?” Eloise asked Dannik after a long silence.

The old man shrugged. “I don’t know. I suspect the Captain would know more than I.”

“In three hundred years? God only knows what the Federation has experience with,” Lorca said quietly. “I didn’t experience anything like it before, and I’d never heard of anyone else experiencing it.”

“Well,” Eloise said, still seeming uncertain, “I realise these circumstances are… are not ideal. Nonetheless, I am sure there are positives to be had. Somehow.”

Lorca smiled again, but there was no joy in it. “I’ve learned ‘ideal’ stuff doesn’t happen all that often.”

After all, he thought bitterly. ‘Ideally’, Michael would have… I would have…

He stopped, trying to curtail that train of thought before it could get started. After all, he’d never had time for regrets before.

He didn’t like it at all.

***

Previous Chapter

[naturecoaster]

Improving Lives with The Arc of the Nature Coast

In 1973, a small group of Hernando County residents sought a better way to care for the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled citizens of the area. Many of these families had children or relatives who had been labelled “retarded” and were living in dark institutions away from their loved ones. These families created a local chapter of The Arc, a national organization that advocates for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to receive the same basic legal, civil, and human rights as other citizens. “Most of our first clients were previously kept in institutions, given basic medical care and a roof over their heads, but little more,” Mark W. Barry, Executive Director, tells me on a recent tour of their Neff Lake Campus. Mark graduated from Saint Leo University and worked for The Arc of Pasco County for 18 years before coming to The Arc Nature Coast. Now the two organizations are merging to better serve the population. “I went to an institution in 1980 and the population was on feeding tubes in stainless steel beds. I was convicted,” he shared with me. “There has been a silent civil rights movement for this population.”

Institutional life was pretty much all that was available for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled citizens in early Florida. Image from of The Florida Farm Colony courtesy of Florida Memory. The Florida Farm Colony began in 1915 with the establishment of a legislative commission to study the needs of persons who were "feeble-minded" and epileptic. This resulted in November 1921 with the opening of the Florida Farm Colony for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic in Gainesville, Florida on a 3000-acre tract. This was the first state-funded program for residents with developmental challenges. It began with three buildings and 240 residents. What is Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled We are walking through a very old building that was once a chicken coop. Inside this 501c(3) nonprofit organization, clients are enjoying painting, drawing, making puzzles, reading the news, and learning how to be safe around lightning.

Nicole Tyrell teaches The Arc Nature Coast clients important life skills. While their outer features may not be the ones we admire in magazines, their joyful spirits create an energy of happiness throughout the renovated class, rest, and resource rooms. Caring for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled people is quite different from mental health care, but the two are commonly confused. (A strong NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) chapter in Hernando County works to provide help to those with psychiatric disorders.) “Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled people tend to be steady and stable,” Mark explains, “They have intellectual instead of psychiatric challenges.”

Mark Graves, an expert equestrian and artists, works at Publix. Today, he is painting flowers at The Arc of the Nature Coast Neff Lake Campus. The Arc’s Neff Lake Campus is Beautiful... and Aged The Neff Lake campus of The Arc Nature Coast is approximately 30-acres of heavily wooded, rolling countryside. It is a beautiful, peaceful place with paths, a playground, and plenty of history. “The owner of the property, a chicken farm from the 1950s, gave the entirety to The Arc of the Nature Coast nearly 50 years ago for the purpose of providing a stable location for local citizens with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to come for day care,” Nancy Stubbs, Development Director of the organization explains. “We want to provide a quality of life for our clients that allows them to contribute to society and feel valued, moving toward independence, as well as take care of their physical needs.”

The Arc of the Nature Coast's current Learning & Enrichment Center. Nancy continues, “These buildings were renovated by prison laborers in the 1970s.” It is obvious that the former chicken coop and farm buildings are reaching the end of their useful life, and she explains that there is a fundraising campaign underway to redesign this amazing piece of property to meet the area’s growing need for The Arc’s services. A dedicated team works tirelessly to improve life for their clients, which include over 200 daycare and full-time residents in more than 12 locations throughout Pasco and Hernando Counties. It is headed up by Mark, who is one of only two Executive Directors of the organization since its inception and has been with The Arc for 39 years.

Mark Barry, Executive Director, and Nancy Stubbs, Development Director at The Arc of the Nature Coast's Neff Lake Campus. Nancy has a brother, Gary, who is a client of the program. “Gary is the nicest, happiest person I know,” Nancy shares with me, “He enriches my life, as do all of our clients.” Modern Buildings Ease Client Care In 2014, new group residential homes were added to the Neff Lake Campus. These 100% accessible buildings provide a much-improved environment for The Arc’s residential clients. A portico is part of the design, providing shelter for wheelchairs exiting vehicles during rainstorms. There are no steps. The wide-open floor plan provides a communal living, dining and kitchen area where caregivers can interact with residents and counters are set at wheelchair height, allowing residents to help in the kitchen.

Modern residential homes make care management better for residents and their caregivers. Each modern residential home has six individual bedrooms, a laundry room, a nursing/supervisor station and a guest room (in case someone needs to stay at the last-minute), besides modern restrooms with roll-in showers and many accessibility features that ease the strain of care.

Nikki Kostjukoff is a Home Manager for The Arc. She is seen here talking with Nancy in one of the group residential homes. “These features may not look like a big deal to most people, but when a resident needs help with bathing and toileting, these features make their lives better and their caregiver’s job much more manageable,” Mark explains, showing me the features of these custom designed homes by Palmwood Builders. Our Roots are Strong, and our Future is Bright.. “We are seeking funds to put five more of these homes on our campus, as well as a new Life Enrichment Center,” Mark shares with me. There is a beautiful mural on the side of the current building, but the building itself is showing its age.

The Giving Tree is part of The Arc's current Capital Campaign. The Arc Nature Coast started a Capital Campaign to build an Enrichment and Training Center to replace the old farm buildings and renovated chicken coop. There is a long-term goal to renovate the entire property, which can be found here. Serving all Levels of Need - for Life At The Arc, each of their clients is served for life. “We take clients from age 21, and we will continue to care for them throughout their entire life. One of our challenges is when a client outlives his or her family. Disabilities run in families of all income brackets and socio-economic groups,” Nancy explains.

Some clients have been with The Arc for 40+ years. Each client has an individual plan which is evaluated and revised regularly. The need is great. Some clients have been with The Arc for 40+ years. Each client has an individual plan which is evaluated and revised regularly. The need is great. “Florida has a huge backlog of Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled citizens in need of care. There was 24,000 on the backlist last time I looked,” Nancy continues. “Funding is our greatest challenge,” Mark agrees, “whether from the legislature, private donors, or grants.” Life Enrichment for Arc Clients looks like FUN

In August of 2019, they were treated to a “Gone with the Wind” Prom 2019 and it was wonderful. As you may guess, most of the clients at The Arc Nature Coast did not attend a Senior Prom.  In July, they were treated to “Gone with the Wind” Prom 2019 and it was wonderful! Cosmetology students from Bene’s Career Academy came out and gave the girls hairstyle up-dos and makeup, as well as manicures.

Cosmetology students from Bene’s Career Academy came out and gave the girls' hairstyle up-dos and makeup, as well as manicures. Limousine transportation was provided by Spring Hill Limo and the prom guests were dressed up with their dancing shoes on. PJ the DJ Services spun the tunes and the Spring Hill Enrichment Center was turned into an event venue for all.

Limousine transportation was provided by Spring Hill Limo and the prom guests were dressed up with their dancing shoes on. It took a village, but the memories made for these Nature Coasters makes it all worthwhile. The Arc Nature Coast hosts five dances per year. They are open to the public and held at the Education Center in Spring Hill.   The cost is $5.00 per person. All dances are from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Three are left in the 2019 schedule, including Summer Sizzler Dance August 23, Halloween Costume Dance October 25, and the Christmas Dance-with Santa December 20. The Arc Clients Love to Give Back The goal of The Arc is to help their clients achieve independence through comprehensive services, including personal and social skills development. They are also supported in their household management, budgeting, and community interaction skills.   On Wednesdays and Thursdays, Arc clients go out on community outings and volunteer. In fact, Arc clients have volunteered over 2,500 hours in the community.

Those clients who are able like to work. Publix is one of the local employers who utilizes The Arc clients. Those who are able, like to work. Small groups of 5-10 workers go out to six different locations on a daily basis. We enjoy an excellent working relationship with local business in our area (including Publix, Wal-Mart, Accuform, Micro-Matic, Alumi-Guard, Carrabba's and more) while their clients enjoy their jobs. You can Help Financially, there is a huge need. The annual operating budget is $3.3 million. Then there’s the Capital Campaign. The Life Skills Center is really needed, as the 1950s buildings are pretty worn out.

I learned a lot during my tour of The Arc Nature Coast and even received a beautifully colored card from one of their clients. Call and take a tour. Meet the clients, teachers, nurses and staff that make this place so very special. Maybe attend a dance. You are sure to be glad you did. When you see funding bills for these types of organizations, take a minute to contact your legislators and tell them that you support these services and hope they will. How else are we going to take care of the need? If you want to donate today, click here. And make sure you look any intellectually or developmentally disabled person in the eye and give them a smile next time you see them in public. Take a minute to say Hi and enjoy their unencumbered friendliness. We all have value, lots of value, so take the time to see it in yourself and others. Image and text from FloridaMemory.com, an online reference tool for the Florida State Archives. Read the full article

[naturecoaster]

Improving Lives with The Arc of the Nature Coast

In 1973, a small group of Hernando County residents sought a better way to care for the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled citizens of the area. Many of these families had children or relatives who had been labelled “retarded” and were living in dark institutions away from their loved ones. These families created a local chapter of The Arc, a national organization that advocates for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to receive the same basic legal, civil, and human rights as other citizens. “Most of our first clients were previously kept in institutions, given basic medical care and a roof over their heads, but little more,” Mark W. Barry, Executive Director, tells me on a recent tour of their Neff Lake Campus. Mark graduated from Saint Leo University and worked for The Arc of Pasco County for 18 years before coming to The Arc Nature Coast. Now the two organizations are merging to better serve the population. “I went to an institution in 1980 and the population was on feeding tubes in stainless steel beds. I was convicted,” he shared with me. “There has been a silent civil rights movement for this population.”

Institutional life was pretty much all that was available for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled citizens in early Florida. Image from of The Florida Farm Colony courtesy of Florida Memory. The Florida Farm Colony began in 1915 with the establishment of a legislative commission to study the needs of persons who were "feeble-minded" and epileptic. This resulted in November 1921 with the opening of the Florida Farm Colony for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic in Gainesville, Florida on a 3000-acre tract. This was the first state-funded program for residents with developmental challenges. It began with three buildings and 240 residents. We are walking through a very old building that was once a chicken coop. Inside, this 501c(3) nonprofit organization’s clients are enjoying painting, drawing, making puzzles, reading the news, and learning how to be safe around lightning.

Nicole Tyrell teaches The Arc Nature Coast clients important life skills. What is Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled While their outer features may not be the ones we admire in magazines, their joyful spirits create an energy of happiness throughout the renovated class, rest, and resource rooms. Caring for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled people is quite different from mental health care, but the two are commonly confused. (A strong NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) chapter in Hernando County works to provide help to those with psychiatric disorders.) “Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled people tend to be steady and stable,” Mark explains, “They have intellectual instead of psychiatric challenges.”

Mark Graves, an expert equestrian and artists, works at Publix. Today, he is painting flowers at The Arc of the Nature Coast Neff Lake Campus. The Arc’s Neff Lake Campus is Beautiful... and Aged The Neff Lake campus of The Arc Nature Coast is approximately 30-acres of heavily wooded, rolling countryside. It is a beautiful, peaceful place with paths, a playground, and plenty of history. “The owner of the property, a chicken farm from the 1950s, gave the entirety to The Arc of the Nature Coast nearly 50 years ago for the purpose of providing a stable location for local citizens with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to come for day care,” Nancy Stubbs, Development Director of the organization explains. “We want to provide a quality of life for our clients that allows them to contribute to society and feel valued, moving toward independence, as well as take care of their physical needs.”

The Arc of the Nature Coast's current Learning & Enrichment Center. Nancy continues, “These buildings were renovated by prison laborers in the 1970s.” It is obvious that the former chicken coop and farm buildings are reaching the end of their useful life, and she explains that there is a fundraising campaign underway to redesign this amazing piece of property to meet the area’s growing need for The Arc’s services. A dedicated team works tirelessly to improve life for their clients, which include over 200 daycare and full-time residents in more than 12 locations throughout Pasco and Hernando Counties. It is headed up by Mark, who is one of only two Executive Directors of the organization since its inception and has been with The Arc for 39 years.

Mark Barry, Executive Director, and Nancy Stubbs, Development Director at The Arc of the Nature Coast's Neff Lake Campus. Nancy has a brother, Gary, who is a client of the program. “Gary is the nicest, happiest person I know,” Nancy shares with me, “He enriches my life, as do all of our clients.” Modern Buildings Ease Client Care In 2014, new group residential homes were added to the Neff Lake Campus. These 100% accessible buildings provide a much-improved environment for The Arc’s residential clients. A portico is part of the design, providing shelter for wheelchairs exiting vehicles during rainstorms. There are no steps. The wide-open floor plan provides a communal living, dining and kitchen area where caregivers can interact with residents and counters are set at wheelchair height, allowing residents to help in the kitchen.

Modern residential homes make care management better for residents and their caregivers. Each modern residential home has six individual bedrooms, a laundry room, a nursing/supervisor station and a guest room (in case someone needs to stay at the last-minute), besides modern restrooms with roll-in showers and many accessibility features that ease the strain of care.

Nikki Kostjukoff is a Home Manager for The Arc. She is seen here talking with Nancy in one of the group residential homes. “These features may not look like a big deal to most people, but when a resident needs help with bathing and toileting, these features make their lives better and their caregiver’s job much more manageable,” Mark explains, showing me the features of these custom designed homes by Palmwood Builders. Our Roots are Strong, and our Future is Bright.. “We are seeking funds to put five more of these homes on our campus, as well as a new Life Enrichment Center,” Mark shares with me. There is a beautiful mural on the side of the current building, but the building itself is showing its age.

The Giving Tree is part of The Arc's current Capital Campaign. The Arc Nature Coast started a Capital Campaign to build an Enrichment and Training Center to replace the old farm buildings and renovated chicken coop. There is a long-term goal to renovate the entire property, which can be found here. Serving all Levels of Need - for Life At The Arc, each of their clients is served for life. “We take clients from age 21, and we will continue to care for them throughout their entire life. One of our challenges is when a client outlives his or her family. Disabilities run in families of all income brackets and socio-economic groups,” Nancy explains.

Some clients have been with The Arc for 40+ years. Each client has an individual plan which is evaluated and revised regularly. The need is great. Some clients have been with The Arc for 40+ years. Each client has an individual plan which is evaluated and revised regularly. The need is great. “Florida has a huge backlog of Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled citizens in need of care. There was 24,000 on the backlist last time I looked,” Nancy continues. “Funding is our greatest challenge,” Mark agrees, “whether from the legislature, private donors, or grants.” Life Enrichment for Arc Clients looks like FUN

In August of 2019, they were treated to a “Gone with the Wind” Prom 2019 and it was wonderful. As you may guess, most of the clients at The Arc Nature Coast did not attend a Senior Prom.  In July, they were treated to “Gone with the Wind” Prom 2019 and it was wonderful! Cosmetology students from Bene’s Career Academy came out and gave the girls hairstyle up-dos and makeup, as well as manicures.

Cosmetology students from Bene’s Career Academy came out and gave the girls' hairstyle up-dos and makeup, as well as manicures. Limousine transportation was provided by Spring Hill Limo and the prom guests were dressed up with their dancing shoes on. PJ the DJ Services spun the tunes and the Spring Hill Enrichment Center was turned into an event venue for all.

Limousine transportation was provided by Spring Hill Limo and the prom guests were dressed up with their dancing shoes on. It took a village, but the memories made for these Nature Coasters makes it all worthwhile. The Arc Nature Coast hosts five dances per year. They are open to the public and held at the Education Center in Spring Hill.   The cost is $5.00 per person. All dances are from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Three are left in the 2019 schedule, including Summer Sizzler Dance August 23, Halloween Costume Dance October 25, and the Christmas Dance-with Santa December 20. The Arc Clients Love to Give Back The goal of The Arc is to help their clients achieve independence through comprehensive services, including personal and social skills development. They are also supported in their household management, budgeting, and community interaction skills.   On Wednesdays and Thursdays, Arc clients go out on community outings and volunteer. In fact, Arc clients have volunteered over 2,500 hours in the community.

Those clients who are able like to work. Publix is one of the local employers who utilizes The Arc clients. Those who are able, like to work. Small groups of 5-10 workers go out to six different locations on a daily basis. We enjoy an excellent working relationship with local business in our area (including Publix, Wal-Mart, Accuform, Micro-Matic, Alumi-Guard, Carrabba's and more) while their clients enjoy their jobs. You can Help Financially, there is a huge need. The annual operating budget is $3.3 million. Then there’s the Capital Campaign. The Life Skills Center is really needed, as the 1950s buildings are pretty worn out.

I learned a lot during my tour of The Arc Nature Coast and even received a beautifully colored card from one of their clients. Call and take a tour. Meet the clients, teachers, nurses and staff that make this place so very special. Maybe attend a dance. You are sure to be glad you did. When you see funding bills for these types of organizations, take a minute to contact your legislators and tell them that you support these services and hope they will. How else are we going to take care of the need? If you want to donate today, click here. And make sure you look any intellectually or developmentally disabled person in the eye and give them a smile next time you see them in public. Take a minute to say Hi and enjoy their unencumbered friendliness. We all have value, lots of value, so take the time to see it in yourself and others. Image and text from FloridaMemory.com, an online reference tool for the Florida State Archives. Read the full article