Empowering Partners

Empowering Partners aims to raise awareness about the value of self-advocacy and reconvene or strengthen self-advocacy groups throughout the state.

The Arc Maryland, in partnership with People on the Go of Maryland and The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, is excited to share with you Empowering Partners, an outgrowth of the successful Partners in Policymaking® program.

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About the Program

Empowering Partners serves as the foundation for self-advocacy groups in Maryland, with guidance from The Arc Maryland, local chapters, experienced self-advocate facilitators, and program partners.  Through the program, self-advocacy groups share centralized discussion topics, activities, and a unified movement to grow from and build on.

It’s amazing how you can transform in a year. I can speak up for myself now and I’m not afraid to say I’m disabled. I want to be a voice for others and myself.

Katherine O’Connell, Empowering Partners Facilitator

You are a part of this community, you are meant to be out there. Try to keep spreading your word, believe in yourself!

Erica Wheeler, Empowering Partners Facilitator

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Check Out Our Quarterly EMPOWER Newsletter

Find the latest news for Self-Advocacy Groups in Maryland through EMPOWER, a newsletter brought to you from The Arc Maryland. Check out our latest edition below. Each edition is shared with Empowering Partners Self-Advocacy Groups around the state.

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Finding a Self-Advocacy Group Near You

You can join a Self-Advocacy Group near you supported by Empowering Partners to improve your advocacy skills! Here are upcoming meeting times in Maryland:

• Inspiration Advocates | Carroll County
  • In-Person (at The Arc Carroll County) – September 3rd and 17th, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Chapter Liaison: Ashley O’Dea
    • ao’dea@arccarroll.com
• Voices of Ability (Formerly Self-Advocates of Frederick County) | Frederick County
  • In-Person (at Spinners Pinball Arcade) – September 9th, 4:00 to 6:00 PM
  • Chapter Liaison: Megan Dewing
    • mdewing@arcfc.org
• STAND Together | Montgomery County
  • Hybrid (at The Arc Montgomery County) – September 9th, 6 to 7 PM
  • STAND Together’s website
  • Chapter Liaison: Beth-Ann Carter and Chris Leacock
    • Beth-Ann.Carter@TheArcMoCo.org
    • Chris.Leacock@TheArcMoCo.org
• People First | Cecil and Harford Counties
  • In-Person (at The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region) – September 10th, 5:00 to 6:30 PM
  • Chapter Liaison: Jenny Conde
    • jconde@arcncr.org
• New Hope for All  |  Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and parts of Anne Arundel County
  • In-Person (at The Arc Baltimore’s Headquarters) – September 16th, 6:00 to 7:30 PM
  • New Hope for All’s website
  • Chapter Liaison: Swanisha Hinton
    • shinton@thearcbaltimore.org
• Trailblazers | Washington County
  • In-Person (at The Arc Washington County) – September 22nd, 11 AM to 12:30 PM
  • Chapter Liaison: Ashlyn Veney
    • ahveney@arcwc-md.org
• People On the Go of Southern Maryland  |  Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties, and parts of Anne Arundel County
  • Virtual – September 23rd, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  • People On the Go of Southern Maryland’s Facebook
  • Chapter Liaison: Clarice Bynum
    • cbynum@arcsoch.org
• People Power | Howard County
  • In-Person (at The Arc Howard County) – TBD
  • People Power’s Facebook page

To learn how you can join an Empowering Partners Self-Advocacy Group near you, contact Natalie Brooks at nbrooks@thearcmd.org.

This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,254,032. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.