Local Nonprofit Undergoes Brand Evolution to Better Reflect Services and Support to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in the Home Setting of Their Choice

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While once an acronym – JARC, the metro Detroit non-sectarian nonprofit agency that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, has undergone a year-long strategic review of its brand to create messaging and visuals that best reflect the organization’s longstanding commitment to the people they serve, their ability to readily adapt to meet the ever-changing needs of their community and federal modernization of mental health services, and respond to the increased support for independent living options. As a result of this in-depth assessment, the nonprofit has unveiled a new logo and tagline, and updated the mission and vision statements to more accurately convey the modernized services and support they provide to individuals with developmental disabilities in the home setting of their choice.

To reflect the nonprofit’s history and display the name and logo in a more welcoming way, the organization’s name is now Jarc, a word that includes a capital J and lowercase arc, and as a logo features a visual overlap of the letters to represent the importance of unity and connections for the people Jarc serves and their involvement in the larger community. An animated video explaining Jarc’s brand refresh can be found here. Jarc also unveiled their new tagline: Care that connects, and has updated their website to reflect the brand refresh, which can be found here. The announcement of the rebrand was made by Jarc CEO Shaindle Braunstein with the support of the nonprofit’s Board of Directors. Jarc continues to provide adults with developmental disabilities personalized residential support, whether the individual lives in an apartment, a leased home, a home owned by a family member, a home owned by Jarc, or any other home setting they choose.

Details of the Jarc brand evolution:

Logo

The legal name of Jarc has been four letters since 1989, and the house visual that was part of the former logo reflected the original revolutionary group home concept adopted by Jarc’s founders. Over time and with the modernization of mental health services, Jarc expanded its residential support for individuals with developmental disabilities to include apartments, homes, condos, and other chosen settings that are not owned by Jarc. The new Jarc logo reinforces the nonprofit’s commitment to creating a supportive, interconnected environment for the people in their care, staff, and within the larger community. A link to the new logo can be found here.

Tagline: Care that connects

Jarc’s new tagline is the essence of what the nonprofit strives to do every day, to provide connections between the people they serve, caregivers, and the larger community to build relationships, foster inclusion, and create a future where everyone belongs. Tagline available here.

Mission and Vision Statements

Mission: Rooted in Jewish values, we support individuals with developmental disabilities while offering stability and opportunity to our team.

Vision: A future where every individual feels valued and accepted, and the differences that make us unique are celebrated.

Braunstein said, “While Jarc is constantly evolving to meet the community’s needs, our brand hadn’t been updated as our work evolved, which is why this brand evolution was needed. And, our values of service that is provided with empathy and respect, dignity and kindness, integrity and transparency needed to be incorporated into our brand to show that we’re not just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk.”

Prior to the 1970s, it was a common belief that people with developmental disabilities belonged in institutions, and with no laws surrounding housing rights, many landlords refused to rent to people with disabilities, leaving parents with only two options: to move their child into an institution or keep them in the family home. Jarc was founded in 1969 by a group of parents who feared what would happen when they could no longer care for their children, who would eventually need a place to receive residential support. At the time, group homes were the only way to establish this support, and Jarc was revolutionary in opening these homes. As mental health services modernized and housing opportunities widened, advocates like Jarc helped to make it illegal to refuse housing to adults with developmental disabilities. Since then, Jarc has provided residential support to adults with developmental disabilities in the home setting of their choice.

Funding for the nonprofit’s brand evolution was supported by a grant from The Jewish Fund. Jarc’s new look was created by ANEWbrand; and Maverick Soul Consulting was hired for strategic plan and vision development. For more information about Jarc and their programs and services throughout metro Detroit, go to www.jarc.org or call 248.940.2617.

About Jarc

Jarc serves individuals with developmental disabilities in the home setting of their choice. They take a person-centered approach to ensure that everyone receives the care they need, while also providing a wide variety of social, recreational, and community opportunities for those they serve. For more information, visit www.jarc.org.