Loving Our Neighbors: Lessons in Compassion from Sophia Offerdahl’s ’24 Northeast Arc Internship

What does it mean to love our neighbor, especially when our neighbor is different from us—or different from many people in our society? Sophia Offerdahl ’24 (psychology) found herself grappling with this question as she completed an internship with Northeast Arc (NE ARC), a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities become full participants in the communities north of Boston. While Offerdahl went into the internship hoping to help and teach the people she worked with, she discovered that they ended up teaching and helping her more. 

“These are the people that no one goes to,” Offerdahl says. “But Jesus always meets them with compassion and wants to know them deeply. Many of these people have a lot of brokenness in their hearts because they've been pushed aside, but the Lord is close to the broken-hearted. . . As Christians we are called to love and serve people. . . not to look good, but because we love them.” 

Northeast Arc: A Center for Developmental Disabilities 

NE ARC was founded by parents of children with developmental or intellectual disabilities, including conditions like autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. Historically, children developing atypically were often left out of schools or community programs. But these parents knew their children could be contributing members of society if they had the right resources and support to grow their capabilities. 

NE ARC is a daytime rehabilitation center for participants of all ages. Adults visit NE ARC from their group home or independent living situation to get physical therapy, employment assistance, community interaction and more. Children are bussed to NE ARC after school for homework help and other programs. NE ARC also helps individuals get jobs at their cafe, Breaking Grounds, or by selling their artwork and other crafts at Parcels in the Liberty Tree Mall. They can also compete in an “Arc Tank” to have their startup ideas funded by NE ARC’s donors and supporters. 

“Many people think that their diagnosis defines people with developmental disabilities. . . but that is not the whole picture at all,” Offerdahl said. “Even if they're limited in some abilities, sometimes they have more to bring to the table than so-called ‘normal’ people.” 

Learning From Others 

During her internship at NE ARC’s headquarters, Offerdahl rotated between the three main rooms of the center, working with adults ages 22 to 75. She collaborated with the behavioral technicians to work with specific individuals on their basic needs. She also helped patients accomplish their daily goals, such as walking four laps around the building or completing three word searches that day, depending on their capabilities.  

Another part of Offerdahl’s role was working with NE ARC leadership to come up with daily or weekly activities for ARC participants to enjoy, keeping in mind their differing ability levels so everyone could feel included. Activities included slideshows, videos, interactive games and even an Elvis impersonator. Every Monday a representative from the Special Olympics came to lead the group in tournaments, including cornhole and other games.  

Since many ARC participants are nonverbal, Offerdahl learned American Sign Language on the fly to better communicate. But the greatest lesson she learned during her internship was from the patients themselves, especially one man who’d had a traumatic brain injury and was partially paralyzed.  

“He had such an appreciation for life in general and the little things that he gets to do, like being able to pick up a water bottle with his partially paralyzed left hand,” she said. “The people I worked with were able to show me so much about life and the meaning of true joy and happiness and purpose." 

On a Mission: Awareness for Disabilities Across the World 

Before interning at NE ARC, Offerdahl planned to go into missions as a biblical counselor. Now, with her newfound passion for individuals with developmental disabilities, she hopes to combine missions with a vision to bring resources, opportunities and hope through disability awareness in other countries. 

“We're a bit more accepting in the United States about disabilities, but there are a lot of countries that label people with disabilities as outcasts. But Jesus goes to see these people. He leaves the 99 for the one. I’d like to try integrating missions and people with developmental disabilities and provide support for them. . . God has changed my heart so much during this internship, not only in the way that I see these people but in the way that I approach them.”