FAVARH IN THE BEGINNING
FAVARH was founded in 1958 as The Farmington Valley Association for Retarded and Handicapped, or FAVARH, by eight local families who wanted a better life for their children with intellectual disabilities. A small school was created in the basement of a local church because children with intellectual disabilities were not accepted into public schools at that time.

FAVARH TODAY
Today, we are The Arc of the Farmington Valley, Inc. Although the term “retardation” is no longer accepted, our original acronym “FAVARH” is how most people know us (pronounced (fay-var). FAVARH is a local chapter of the Arc, the world’s largest community based organization for people with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities. FAVARH supports more than 350 children, young adults, adults, seniors, and families throughout the Greater Farmington Valley area.

We have more than 200 employees making us the largest employer in Canton. Our more than 150 active volunteers work in our Thrift Shop, play on our Unified Sports Teams, participate in our creative arts programs and unified activities, participate in fund raising efforts, and help with landscaping, household repairs, and office work. Many of our employees freely choose to volunteer in one or more of these areas demonstrating the level of commitment and dedication to the mission and purpose of the agency. Some of our employees started out as volunteers and some of our ex-employees continue to volunteer after they move on.

Our mission is To Help Each Person Achieve His or Her Personal Best as we encourage and support a greater level of independence and personal satisfaction for each person that we support.