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The ARC Dedicates New Group Home

Thanks to a state grant, some new residents are moving into a Rock Island neighborhood. This morning, the Arc of the Quad Cities held a ribbon cutting for its new group home for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Executive director Kyle Rick says it's additional evidence of the long transition in care - from the large state institutions of decades ago, to a small home now in a residential neighborhood.
Rick says this home, and two others now under construction, are made possible by a three million dollar state grant secured for the Arc by State Representative Pat Verschooreof Milan. 

In fact, the house is named for him. Verschoore says it's a great honor.

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I've seen how happy residents are to have their own place.

The Arc now has 9 group homes like this in the Illinois Quad Cities, with about 8 residents or clients, and a full-time staff. 

Two more group homes are set to open soon - in Rock Island and Moline - and the organization hopes to build two more next year. 

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.