UCT donates $1k to ARC Industries

ARC Industries in Portage la Prairie was the recipient of two $500 donations courtesy of United Commercial Travelers #923.

The donations were provided earlier this month with the help of many community members.

Winnie Walsh is on the Intellectual Disabilities Committee and says you may have made a donation yourself!

"The money that we collect at the wishing wells around town -- there are those plastic domes at the checkout counters -- all that money goes into an account and it all goes to intellectual disability," says Walsh.

UCT likes to give money to many causes throughout the community. The committee also likes to give to Portage Collegiate Institute to help with their programming.

Executive Director for ARC Industries, Tara Ryzner, says UCT #923 has always been a great help to them, whether it comes to supporting a specific cause, such as upgrading their lockers, or whether it's just toward their programming. She notes that one of the two donations was made in the memory of a longtime supporter who passed away in March.

"One of our board members, Gary Small, was a member of UCT, and he passed away," says Ryzner. "He was also involved with ARC. I've been involved with ARC in some capacity since 2000, and Gary has always been on the board. The donation was in memory of Gary."

Ryzner says the donations will help them tremendously.

"For the program, we do community involvement. We volunteer in the community," says Ryzner. "We also have in-house programming. We do literacy learning. We try to help them learn how to work a computer, for the ones that are willing. We have a wood shop. We do training in the kitchen. We try to encourage life skills."

Walsh says she and Fay Jordan, the two on the Intellectual Disabilities Committee, love supporting causes like this.

"Us as a council, we're very pleased that it goes to a very good cause," says Walsh. "I'm hoping that all of Portage will learn from this interview that their money goes to help others."

UCT #923 recently elected a new board and a new president and Portage Online will be following up with the club in the future. You can learn more about UCT #923 here.

Located in Manitoba, Canada, Portage ARC is a non-for profit dynamic facility based day program established in 1971 to provide day services for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities.