University of MD: Success Story

Arc Crew continues to shine at the University of Maryland!

The sounds of clanking dishes, running water, and motorized dishwashers mix with steam and envelop the internal workings of the University of Maryland’s (UMD) South Campus dish room. The employees here are organized, skilled, and work in a cohesive unit as they fight the continuous throng of dirty dishes that funnels from the conveyor belt. With more than 1,200 meals served through the South Campus dining hall each day, the dish room always has to be in top form. Thankfully, a crew from The Arc of Prince George’s County is always there to execute the finest work.

The Arc sends two crews a day to cover the meal shifts at the dining hall. “They completely run the dish room,” says Pam Baylor, assistant director of dining services at UMD. “They are great employees and we love that they are here.”

“Having The Arc crew here provides me with peace of mind. Their absentee rate is almost zero, and we have very low turnover,” says Mack White, food service manager. “We get good, quality work because people from The Arc crew really want to work, and they want to contribute to their community.”

Indeed, they do want to work. Through The Arc crew, Donald Gordon has been working at UMD for 14 years. He says, “I like the people around here. They all know me.”

Larry Jewell has also been working at UMD for 14 years and has received an award for “excellence in job performance.” Larry works at top speed, but slows down long enough to state, “I work really hard,” and he gets right back to work.

The Arc crew operates as a team and is supported by a job coach who trains and assists the workers. One of the job coaches, Thleia Taylor, loves working with the men and women on The Arc crew. “They work hard—you can tell by the sweat on their brows, but they honestly love their jobs. I love seeing their faces light up on pay day!”

White encourages other employers to hire Arc crews saying, “An employer has nothing to lose and a lot to gain. I feel like I have had an impact on these men’s and women’s lives, and they have impacted my life in a really positive way.”

If you would like to employ members of an Arc crew at your business, please contact Christiana Varga at 301-773-1135 or cvarga@thearcofpgc.org.