Santa Cruz County Arc

The Santa Cruz County Arc began in 1968 so that families in Nogales would not have to choose between institutions and no services at all. Today it carries on that work with its affiliate, Santa Cruz Training Programs, Inc., serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The aim is to keep families together and keep services local, so people can work, live, travel and grow as independently as possible.

During the day, members join the Day Treatment and Training for Adults program, La Española, for exercise, art, music, trips and volunteering, or train for jobs at La Castellana Bakery & Cafe, the kitchen, Nayo's Plant Nursery and the groundskeeping crew. The cafe is open to the public on weekdays and is known around Nogales for its empanadas and cookies. Members sell plants and baked goods at the Friday Nogales Mercado.

At home, staff teach cooking, money and other home-life skills, help with personal care and provide respite so caregivers can rest. Three group homes offer round-the-clock support, and a fleet of ADA vehicles carries members to programs, jobs and appointments. Families can call the office or use the contact form to ask about any service, and neighbors can support the work by eating at the cafe, hiring the groundskeepers, shopping the nursery or donating.