Wingspan Life Resources

Introducing Wingspan's newest board member! Lance J. Brock, CPA, is a Partner in assurance services and leads the Assurance Solutions Team at Mahoney, a CPA firm not far from our Plato campus. He has over 17 years of experience in public accounting. Lance's primary area of practice is providing audit and accounting services to clients in the real estate and not-for-profit industries, as well as employee benefit plans. In April, Lance will become our new board Treasurer, replacing Roz Allyson when she retires from Mahoney. We're so grateful to Roz for her support and wish her the very best. Lance is excited help Wingspan move its mission forward!

Did you know that in 2019, Wingspan became the first provider to offer a Spoken Word and Poetry residency for people impacted by developmental disabilities? Our clients loved having an outlet to express themselves in a small group setting, whether through the spoken or written word, and we're so excited to be bringing Spoken Word and Poetry back again! COMPAS Spoken Word teaching artist Desdamona will be hosting a 4 week residency at Wingspan starting on Valentine's Day. We’re grateful to work with her again ?? This activity is made possible thanks to a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This grant will also fund, in part, several other enrichment programs throughout 2025.

Thank you to our friends at Dual Citizen for returning as a $3,000 Ruby level sponsor at our May 20th Power of Love Gala!

Our Harmony group home is rocking to the sound of Karaoke and Talent Night! Harmony Lead DSP Natt Jaleiba describes these Friday night events as "an opportunity for our clients to exhibit their talents through songs and dance choreography." Harmony has welcomed residents of other Wingspan homes to join in on the fun as special guests, giving everyone a space to feel the music and express themselves!

Thank you to our friends at Olsen Thielen CPAs for returning as a $300 Bronze Sponsor for our 2025 Power of Love Gala!

The Governor's proposed budget accounts for $600 million in cuts to disability waiver rates over the next four years, taking away critical funding for Direct Service Professional wages and sending an already struggling workforce over the edge. Over 30,000 Minnesotans access services through one of the four disability waivers. We want everyone living with a disability to live their best lives with choice in how their services look and where they receive them. The cuts proposed by the Governor will take away these options and reduce access to services. You can visit the ARRM's online Advocacy Center to message your local legislator to remind them of the work Direct Service Professionals do for people impacted by disabilities. If you're on mobile: scroll all the way down to the Take Action button If you're on desktop: you'll find the Take Action button on the bottom right on the page. https://lnkd.in/gSBVt4w5...

Disappointingly, the budget the governor proposed last week looks to disrupt the foundation of waiver services in Minnesota by making it the primary target of significant cuts. You can help ensure that all legislators understand the importance of disability waiver services in their community and our state continues to uphold previously established commitments. Please, send a message to your legislator to remind them of the work direct service professionals do for people impacted by disabilities and why it matters to Minnesota. You can do this by simply visiting the @arrm.mn Advocacy Center page and clicking the TAKE ACTION button under Active Action Alerts. Thank you for making a difference! The link to ARRM's Advocacy Center is below: https://lnkd.in/gMCHu464

Thank you to our friends at Wealth Enhancement Group for returning as a $3,000 Ruby level sponsor for our Power of Love Gala 2025!

Thank you to Marty Davis and our friends at Digital Mass for being our Power of Love Gala's second Presenting Sponsor at the $15,000 level!

The Minnesota legislative session begins today, and just like every year, we need to make sure that the voices of our clients and staff are heard. Every March, Wingspan rallies together with dozens of other organizations at the Disability Services Day at the Capitol: Minnesota's biggest rally to advocate for people with disabilities, the direct service professionals who care for them, and their right to live independent and rewarding lives. This year's rally takes place on March 18th at 10am in the Capitol Rotunda. It is organized by the Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota (ARRM). Everyone is welcome to come add their voice at the Capitol this March! Your words also have an impact when you call, email, or send a letter to your representative requesting their support for ARRM's legislative priorities. Visit ARRM's online Advocacy Center to view more details on this legislative session, additional advocacy tools, and to find your representative: https://lnkd.in/gbudgzA9 Thank you for being a voice for those who struggle to be heard!