By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A longtime advocate is entering her third decade of service in Livingston County.

The Arc Livingston is celebrating Family Advocate Deb Calandrino, as she marks her 20th Year of service at the agency. Calandrino is an advocate for children with disabilities and their families, as well as adults with developmental disabilities and their families.

Anne Richardson, Executive Director for Arc Livingston, says she has helped to improve the lives of thousands of Livingston County residents, “always focusing on inclusion and empowerment for individuals accessing the special education and community mental health systems.” Richardson added that the Arc Livingston is grateful for “Deb’s wealth of expert knowledge and experience and is fortunate and honored to have someone with her level of dedication on staff.”

Calandrino was instrumental in bringing the Sibshops program to Livingston County, which assists siblings of children with disabilities. She was also previously named the 2014 recipient of the Champion for Children Award, a joint effort between LACASA’s Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Great Start Collaborative of Livingston County.

The Arc Livingston, in existence since 1954, is a local nonprofit that empowers persons with developmental disabilities and their families to ensure that they as citizens are valued and that they can participate fully in and contribute to the life of their community. You can find more information about the organization at arclivingston.org.