The Arc promotes cost-effectiveness as long as such efforts do no harm to persons with mental retardation, and allow them to live lives as independently as possible in the community. Calendar of Events January 15 - The Arc office will be closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. s Birthday. Friday, January 19 - Self Advocacy Group will be meeting at 6 p.m. at Happy Joe s on Gilbert Street. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends and talk about the things that you find important. The Self-Advocacy Group will be attending the Iowa Women s Basketball game.
Friends are important for several reasons.
They support each other emotionally, are willing to see things from the other's point of view and provide assistance and feedback when needed. Friends choose each other and remain close through good times and times of crisis. They provide companionship for community and school activities and help each other enjoy new experiences and appreciate life more fully. Friendships between people with and without disabilities usually enrich the lives of both. If people with mental retardation are to form friendships and be a part of society as adults, these relationships must develop during childhood.