Meet Denise
Denise Chaapel is a committed partner of Ontario ARC and has been for more than 40 years. Growing up with a younger brother who had special needs fueled Denise’s passion for the organization and its pioneering work with individuals with disabilities.
Denise’s brother, Karl Jones, lived in a group home after he graduated from high school, and the staff was instrumental in teaching him valuable life skills. To gain a bit more independence, her brother eventually decided to move to Oregon and start a meaningful job. He moved into his own apartment through an agency similar to Ontario ARC. Firsthand, Denise and her brother were able to experience how an organization that supports disabilities improves overall quality of life.
“What ARC does 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 39 years ago and our second business 21 years ago.”
Denise started out serving on the Board of Directors for Downtown Canandaigua in the mid-’90s and in 2016, took on the position of Business Improvement District Manager to assist with recruiting businesses into the District as well as taking on other projects such as capital improvement, safety, and beautification. After hearing from the community and tourists, a pet boutique has been on the top of the list to recruit for years.
In the process to find the right business that could be successful and fill the void, Denise began looking at established boutiques that were interested in a second location. She was reminded by one of her assistants (an Ontario ARC volunteer) that Ontario ARC has a pet program. This subtle reminder led Denise to make it her mission to partner with the organization. After touring Ontario ARC’s facilities, she became even more excited about the potential of partnering with them.
“Just walking through the facility, meeting the clients and seeing such an impressive operation... it was obvious ARC Pet Connection would be the perfect fit for our community and Downtown”.
Diligently, Ontario ARC and Denise worked together for more than a year to find the right location and create the perfect atmosphere for the now open, Bad Dog Boutique. The pet boutique is owned and operated by Ontario ARC and staffed by program participants and individuals with disabilities or other challenges.
“We [Downtown Canandaigua] are always looking for new ways to collaborate with Ontario ARC. I feel like every year, Ontario ARC is finding an incredible way to better our community or add services. I’m so incredibly proud to have ARC in our community and BID District. They are doing amazing things.”