ArcGNO Mardi Gras Recycle Center

If you're looking for a place to volunteer, this is a great place to do that. It's centrally located in Metairie off of Airline near Causeway.They are a non-profit organization and have been around since 1953. Year round you can donate Mardi Gras beads and throws to them, as well as purchase the recycled beads and throws. They have a large store that is awesomely organized for you to buy single items or large sackfuls.The organization not only makes for a greener environment, it helps provide jobs and field trips for people with intellectual disabilities.I had a chance to volunteer here as part of a Yelp event. We got to tour the facility and see all the thousands of pounds of donations waiting to be sorted, recycled and sold.Following the tour, we were led to the sorting room. Tony, the ArcGNO coordinator, thoroughly explained to us how to sort the beads by style, length, krewe, etc. They provide gloves to protect your hands as you sort.There is a magnificent bead mural that covers the back wall of the sorting room. It's beautiful. Great photo opp!If you are looking to find a throw that you wanted, but missed catching, or possibly an obscure or outdated throw, check their store inventory. In one of our batches of beads to sort, we came across and old strand of beads from the late seventies. Very cool!

Well this turned out to be an outstanding evening.I always enjoy an event where we can bring friends and or family. In my opinion there isn't enough of them.Nothing better than an event that also benefits a charity. I brought my son, Jack along with me on this fine evening. After everyone lingered in, we were treated to a tour of the facility. I understood the concept of resale, but the behind the scenes tour brought it to a whole new level. The hugely daunting task of sorting is left to staff of arc and a never ending stream of volunteers whom sort and prep beads and throws for resale.Arc had developed a method that when put to the task, we found ourselves in a zen motion of sorting. Between specialty beads, Krewe beads and longs, we enjoyed pizza, snacks, and beverages.The best part about ARC is the countless jobs and benefits that it is able to provide to so many individuals who might otherwise not able to find gainful employment.My son and I really enjoyed ourselves and plan to come back and help again. If you find yourself riding someday in a magical mardi gras parade, please consider buying your throws from ARC. Maybe you'll look down upon me as I scream "Throw me something mister!"

What a great experience! I made a decision to do more volunteering this year so of course when this opportunity came up I jumped at the chance. I had heard a couple of horror stories about how gross bead sorting can be but this was far from the truth. Everything was neatly organized and the staff was friendly and helpful.Volunteering here creates jobs for many people so its a great way to give back. The time flew by as we sorted through countless bins of beads. You can also buy beads here so spread the word! Great activity for groups.

I had a blast volunteering at the ArcGNO Mardi Gras Recycle Center! We started off with a tour to see ALL of the throws that were waiting to be sorted. There were a bunch of large boxes, some weighing 600 - 800 pounds. With that said, please consider volunteering. I volunteered with a group and we had a great time as we sorted the numerous beads. ArcGNO has a store that you can visit to purchase beads and other throws. The selection was amazing! I saw so many 2019 throws, so if you didn't catch something in one of the parades, there's a good chance you may find it here. Also, if you're a member of a Krewe, you will find a good selection of beads/throws for your next parade. While there, we were also able to hear about the mission and why ArcGNO exists. ArcGNO creates jobs for those who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. They also provide numerous other services to the community. One that stood out in particular is that they provide relief to caretakers who may need to take some time to themselves. Hearing this really made me feel like my volunteer efforts mattered. I can't wait to volunteer again!

Arc not only allows your to purchase recycled beads for any of your needs including throws for parades; however, this non-profit creates jobs for folks who are intellectually disabled. Arc's clients are not only provided job opportunities but they are also provided transportation to and from work.You can actually volunteer your time and help sort the beads and throws for sale so they can raise funds to keep operations going. Not only are you donating your time for a great cause but you're helping the city be eco-consicous as well!Can't wait to come back and donate my time to help make a difference.

I had the pleasure of volunteering here by sorting beads for the business to sell to the public. The proceeds of their sales goes to compensating the staff who work there. Some of the staff have intellectual disabilities and/or developmental delays. I was thoroughly impressed with their bead sorting process put into place. The process was definitely easy to follow. This process allows for sorting beads faster and smarter. ARC also has a small section in the front for the general public to come and buy their sorted beads and throws. Many local krewes have allowed their members to buy beads and throws from here to throw in their parades. Not only is this wonderful nonprofit supporting jobs within the community, but they are promoting the use of recycled products which ultimately help our environment. This is a wonderful nonprofit to support!!

I volunteered to separate beads for ArcGno and learned so much about the company that I had no idea even existed. They are a non profit and do so much for the people with disabilities specifically the mentally challenged. So, ARC used to stand for Association for Retarded Children, but the name was changed in the 90s due to political correctness. They kept it as Arc because an arc is an upward curved pathway that leads you on a positive path to success. And of course GNO stands for Greater New Orleans. They have several locations throughout the city but this one is the biggest and where they have their Mardi Gras beads program set up. Someone thought of the idea to collect donated beads for enough profit to ultimately help and give jobs to the disabled. I think it was brilliant and I was glad to volunteer a couple of hours of my time for it. I even had a lot of fun doing it. They supply you with gloves and you may need to lift some bead boxes, but for the most part you are simply separating short beads from medium to long beads to Krewe beads. In fact, there are a couple of Krewes who are signed up to partner with ArcNO for the 2020 season. They have a huge warehouse for storing the beads and trinkets and they need/rely on volunteers year round. Volunteers can be 11 years old and up. It is a wonderful way to give back if you know someone with a disability and want to do something great for your community.

Had a wonderful experience working with Toni who is the director for ARC. We came in as a group and spent several hours sorting Mardi Gras beads that have been donated to the center. The beads are then grouped and resold in their store. What a perfect way to give back. It is a not for profit organization that gives adult with disabilities a job. They receive a wage to keep the beads sorted packed and sold. There are many areas thorough out the city that you can drop off your beads. They are then picked up and brought to the facility. Where the work begins. If you are looking for a way to give back. They are always looking for folks to help out. Just contact Toni and she will give you details.

It was such a fun time meeting so many people from the area that volunteered at ArcGNO Mardi Gras Recycle Center. The staff started the night off with a tour of the warehouses and the resale store. It was very interesting to see the amount of beads that are being recycled for a great cause. I was amazing that the large boxes of donated beads weighed up to 800lbs. What is also amazing was that we sorted almost 1200lbs of beads on this night.It was really exciting to here from (Toni) the staff member that was working with us on the mission of ArcGNO. They create and provide jobs for intellectual and developmentally challenged people. I had so much fun sorting and helping everyone. It's really great place to volunteer.ArcGNO also has a resell store that Mardi Gras Krewes can purchase recycled beads that help the community.

So I did a little research on ArcGNO before my volunteer with them today. For over 30 years, ArcGNO has created wage-earning jobs for individuals with intellectual disabilities by recycling Mardi Gras throws.They also help students explore their options for the future after high school. They provide job coaching and placement for those seeking employment, day activities that enable individuals to be active and integrated into the community,  and personal care attendants to assist with a variety of tasks in the home and around the community. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to volunteer with them. I had so much fun going thru different throws and sorting it out. I hope all Krewe would all hop on board and just purchased their beads during Mardi Gras from ArcGNO to encourage recycling and help the community. It's really a great opportunity for parents to have a family day of volunteer here with their kids. I hope to come back with either my niece or nephew next time to volunteer.