Issue 51 | June 2024

In today's issue of Merrick's Navigator ...

• How Your Fiscal Year-End Gift Makes a Difference
• Olmstead Plan Refresh | Opportunity to Influence
• The Art of Me | "We're Here Together!"
• Meet Willow, Merrick's Therapy Dog
• Charity Golf Scramble Hits the Mark
• 2024 A4R Impact Report
• Under the Surface | Deloris' Story
• 5 Tax-Savvy Strategies to Stretch Your Giving

As of June 1, we are $15,000 short of our fundraising goal for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. To help us reach our goal and provide adults with disabilities with the services they rely on us for, we ask you to pledge your support to Merrick at this time by making a donation.

On average, it costs $80 per day to provide one client with services, and we receive $75 in government reimbursements. When you take into account that Merrick serves nearly 400 adults with disabilities every day, this $5 gap grows significantly. Your donation, no matter the size, helps close this gap and ensures that adults with disabilities enrolled at Merrick have continuous access to:

• reliable transportation
• community inclusion activities
• life enrichment activities
• job coaching
• life skills training

With your support, we can reach our goal and start off the new fiscal year right.

To donate using a credit card, Venmo, or PayPal, visit www.merrickinc.org/donate. Donations may also be sent to Merrick, Inc., 3210 Labore Road, Vadnais Heights, MN 55110.

Photo Caption: Caitlin (left) and Rashaun (right), both clients at Merrick, help The Magic Maniac perform a magic trick when he visited our life enrichment program.

Olmstead Plan Refresh | Opportunity to Influence

About the Minnesota Olmstead Plan

The Minnesota Olmstead Plan was developed based upon a federal court decision. In the 1999 case the court gave individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD) a choice where to live based upon their own definition of integration. The court stated that ADA prohibits unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities. It talks about least restrictive environment.

MN Plan to Refresh

The Minnesota Olmstead Subcabinet decided the Minnesota Olmstead plan needs refreshing to include more people with disabilities.

The plan includes getting input from the disability community through surveys and a stakeholder input process.

The first survey is out for input. Survey questions focus on integration and inclusion. Distribution of the survey assumes all people with a disability and their families are aware of the Olmstead Decision and what it means for them. The survey gives no explanation of the Olmstead decision and Minnesota plan.

Opportunity to Influence

Help the Olmstead Implementation Office choose which areas the next Plan should focus on by taking their survey. The survey is open through June 30. Please visit the A-Team MN Facebook page or website for more details.

To take the survey, click here or click the button below.

The Art of Me | "We're Here Together"

Photo Caption: Upstream Arts Teaching Artist and Jeff (right)

On Friday, June 7, a group of 14 clients from our life enrichment program, staff, and the teaching artists from Upstream Arts proudly presented "The Art of Me" at Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake.

A collaboration between Merrick and Upstream Arts, "The Art of Me" featured live art, musical instruments, skits, songs, poems, dancing, and lots of laughter from both performers and audience members alike. The theme of the morning was "I'm here! You're here! We're here together!" This statement more than anything perfectly encapsulated the feelings of joy and connection that emulated from the performers.

For the artists on stage, the performance represented the accumulation of several months of collaboration between the clients at Merrick and the Upstream Arts' teaching artists during which relationships were built and the creative arts were explored.

The performance marked the third time that Merrick has partnered with Upstream Arts to create such a production, which is a record for the number of times that an organization has partnered with Upstream Arts. And based on the feedback from this year's production, it probably won't be the last.

Photo Caption: Upstream Arts Teaching Artist and Michele (right)

Meet Willow, Merrick's Therapy Dog

Last fall, Merrick welcomed Willow, an adorable black Labrador Retriever, to our life enrichment program as a therapy dog. From the moment she first wagged her tail, she won over the hearts of most clients (and staff) so much so that some request to see her everyday.

In March, Willow successfully completed her certification through Paws With A Cause making her job as Merrick's therapy dog official. She even received a custom harness displaying Merrick's logo. Willow now spends most days at our Willow Lake Boulevard (WLB) site bringing a sense of calm to any room she enters and providing comfort to those who are having a tough time.

Willow has been such an amazing addition to our program, and we are excited to see how her presence will continue to benefit those we serve. And if you ever happen to stop by WLB, you might every be lucky enough to meet Willow yourself.

Photo Caption: Christina, a client at WLB, gives Willow a treat.

Charity Golf Scramble Hits the Mark

Photo Caption: John (client), Executive Director John Wayne Barker, Mikayla (staff), and Parker (staff) at Hole #13

With event sponsors Royal Credit Union and Total Mechanical Services, Inc., we were joined by 144 golfers and 34 client and staff volunteers at Merrick's 29th Annual Charity Golf Scramble on Monday, June 3, at Troy Burne Golf Club in Hudson, WI. Even though the weather was balmy and the bugs were biting, we had a terrific event raising over $81,000 in gross proceeds.

Keeping with his custom of dressing up as different characters from popular culture, John Wayne Barker took on the persona and look of Popeye the Sailor Man at Hole #13 where golfers had the chance to try to beat him at a game of closest to the pin. Golfers who successfully beat the boss (there were many of them) received a temporary anchor tattoo as proof of their victory.

Following a BBQ buffet dinner provided by Troy Burne, we announced the tournament, contest, game and raffle winners. The night's biggest winner was Merrick Trustee Dan Schneeman, who won a trip for four to Whistling Straits, a Kohler Destination in Wisconsin.

Many thanks to all of our sponsors, golfers, volunteers, and golf committee members for making this a fantastic event. Check out pictures from the event by clicking the button below.

2024 A4R Impact Report

Photo Caption: Ambassadors Leanne, Christine, Doris, and Cindy at Lincoln Elementary School in White Bear Lake.

The 2023-24 Ambassadors for Respect (A4R) season has concluded and the final numbers are in.

Our 2024 A4R team consisted of 5 self-advocates: Leanne, Christine, Doris, Cindy, and Sam (not pictured). From February through April, they visited 9 fourth-grade classrooms at three elementary schools reaching a total of 219 students.

Based on the survey completed by participants following the presentation, the following outcomes were achieved:

• 99% of fourth graders could list three ways to include others;
• 96% indicated that they had learned how to use person-first language;
• 99% could list three ways to advocate for themselves and others.

To see the full impact report for the 2024 A4R team, click the button below.

We are so proud of these five self-advocates for stepping out of their comfort zone and seeking to make the world a better place by telling their story to the younger generation.

Ambassadors for Respect is a program of PeaceMaker Minnesota and represents one example of how Merrick practices its core belief of civic responsibility.

Under the Surface | A Client Spotlight Story

With headphones over her ears and her attention on the task in front of her, Deloris is unlikely to acknowledge the casual visitor to Room C of Merrick’s Enhanced Services (ES) area. After all, she has a large pile of Medtox lead test kits in front of her to assemble and has little time for frivolous conversations while she’s on the clock. So, she quietly continues working with only the music of Usher in her ear for company, seemingly unconcerned with the activities of others.

Dede knows better. As she enters the room, Deloris glimpses Dede out of the corner of her eye, and her face immediately breaks into a radiant smile. “Did you get a haircut, Dede?” Deloris asks. “It looks nice.”

5 Tax-Savvy Strategies to Stretch Your Giving

• Make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your IRA to reduce your taxable income.
• Donate appreciated stock to increase the impact of your gift and potentially avoid a capital gains tax.
• Recommend a gift be made from your donor advised fund (DAF).
• Consider a gift bunching strategy. That means concentrating your deductions in one year to meet itemization requirements on your taxes.
• Consider making a charitable contribution to help offset taxes due when converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

Questions? Contact Karen Herrera, Development and Communications Director at karenh@merrickinc.org or (651) 789-6202.

What Do You Think?