Social Enterprises
The Arc Ontario operates several social enterprises that serve the community while generating revenue to help sustain our core mission. These unique ventures evolved from activities in which we were already engaged, that we realized could contribute to the community at large.
North Star Café
North Star Café, a division of The Arc Ontario, is a high-visibility social enterprise creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities or other challenges. We offer great local coffee from Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters in a unique retail space located at 92 South Main Street in Canandaigua, New York.
Spot On Cleaning Company
Established in 1978, Spot On Cleaning Company offers professional mobile janitorial cleaning services to commercial customers throughout Ontario County with customers in Victor, Geneva, and Canandaigua, New York.
Bad Dog Boutique
Bad Dog Boutique, a division of The Arc Ontario, provides full-service dog grooming and unique shopping experiences for dog lovers in the Finger Lakes. Located at 84 South Main Street in Canandaigua, New York, Bad Dog Boutique is a first of its kind social enterprise offering an integrated working environment for people of all abilities. Boutique staff includes people supported by Ontario ARC as assistant groomers, sales associates and BAD DOG Retail manufacturers, creators of local handmade dog products.
BAD DOG Retail
BAD DOG products are handmade by people with disabilities or other challenges to encourage teamwork, personal development, independence, and productivity as paid employment opportunities – all of which bolster self-esteem. You can also check-out the BAD DOG Amazon Store!
Finger Lakes Bus Service
Finger Lakes Bus Service has an expansive route system throughout Ontario County. We provide transportation to the wide range of community services we offer including Day Services, Community Learning Centers and college programs. Many of these routes are open to public passengers, with no fare.
We provide daily contracted transportation to other community services, such as Silver Connections Adult Social Day Program. Specialized one-time transportation or shuttle services are also available for any organization or individual. Finger Lakes Bus Service is available for weddings and other events. Our vehicles are completely wheelchair accessible and meet the highest securement standards.
We are an approved transportation provider for medical appointments with Medicaid providers, including out of county medical appointments. Requests are made through the Medical Answering Service (MAS) 1-855-733-9402. Individuals can specifically request that FLBS be their transportation provider.
The goal of the Finger Lakes Bus Service is to provide the highest quality transportation service for our community. We take pride in our vehicles, safety record, and trained and compassionate drivers!
Our Team: 10 experienced and well-trained drivers and 2 supervisors.
Contact: Mike Clark, Transportation Manager, at (585) 919-2250
Pet Connections
Connecting animals and people is what Pet Connections is all about! Pet Connections, a division of The Arc Ontario, combines the healing power of pets with socialization to provide a unique experience for each person. Pet Connections was created in 2012 as the first of its kind Animal Assisted Intervention (commonly known as pet therapy) resource specifically developed to benefit people with disabilities or other challenges.
FLX Premier Bottling
FLX Premier Bottling operations generate 2,000 cases or nearly 60,000 bottles of private label personal hygiene products. We bottle skin lotion and tearless shampoo as well as Aloe Body Wash & Shampoo for the New York Industries for the Disabled (NYSID). Our bottling facility is comprised of a unique and efficient workforce, 80% of which are individuals with disabilities. Each production run requires six plant operations and one warehouse manager.
“What they do in the community continues to amaze me. I’m in awe of the services and programs they offer. Our local ARC is just amazing. After growing up here, my husband and I chose to stay local and open our first business 30 years ago, and our second business 20 years ago.”