Eighty-two percent of EP!C revenue comes from state funding for services provided to the people we support. I must spend a significant amount of time communicating what that means to not only our staff, but to guardians, families, and the public at large. Nationally, Illinois ranks 49th in all the states in funding the necessary support of people with disabilities and the recent FY25 state budget proposed by Governor Pritzker further perpetuates that exceeding low ranking.
We saw some success with advocacy against cutting DSP hours to group homes recently, but that is only a temporary delay that did not address the policies or procedures in place that caused the proposed rate decreases in the first place.
In February, the Governor’s budget team did not include any new revenue support for people with intellectual and developmental for this next fiscal year. The proposed FY25 budget instead only maintains the current FY24 funding. The Governor’s office continues to ignore the ongoing shortfalls to this population despite a pending statewide minimum wage increase to $15 in January of 2025. They are blatantly ignoring the recommended increase for the frontline workforce to be at 150% of minimum wage by January 2025 which would be an increase of $3 an hour. Because the current rate formula continues to be inadequate and also excludes an increase related to the upcoming minimum wage increase, agencies like EP!C will continue to fall behind and lack the proper support needed to hire and keep professional staff who are critical in providing quality supports.
If you’d like to be involved in the conversation, please reach out to me directly at kcornwell@epicci.org.
– Kim Cornwell, EP!C CEO
Spring Flower Sales
Shop online at epicci.square.site. Available on May 11th. Contact Sunny Pearson at spearson@epicci.org or (309) 689-3607.
January Employee of the Month
Brad Begolka was chosen for January’s Employee of the Month.
Brad was nominated because “he is a dependable employee and will always go out of his way to help anyone in need. He always ensures that the people we support are safe and happy in their current Host Homes placement. He also took on more responsibility when stepped up to help the Host Homes team in our Southern region while they are short staffed.”
February Employee of the Month
Shaun Bailey was chosen for February’s Employee of the Month.
Shaun’s nominator said that “She is always jumping in to fill gaps in shifts or taking extra shifts to alleviate workloads for fellow employees. Her ability to multi-task gives other staff the ability to have 1-on-1 time with the individuals we serve so that they can do the activities that they want to do. She clearly expresses her desire to be here and work for the people we serve, which makes work for other employees easier and enjoyable and this helps them be able to give the best care to those we serve. I have not seen a harder worker than Shaun, she is a great role model and inspiration.”
March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and each week we are highlighting stories of EP!C people.
One of those individuals is David Redding. He’s been coming to EP!C since he was a small child and this year he’ll be 59 years old. We asked him to share his EP!C story so we could do a social media takeover and allow people to understand what EP!C does for him. David can’t speak in the traditional sense but uses sign language, tablets, and other technology to make his voice heard. Stay tuned to our social media stories this month to catch his story.
National Volunteer Appreciation Week is celebrated in April.
Did you know the national value of 1 volunteer hour is $31.80. That’s valued higher than the state-wide minimum wage! In 2023 we had 965 volunteers give a total of 2,549 hours of service across EP!C programs. We are committed to providing meaningful opportunities for the community to connect with the people we support.
If you or someone you know are interested in volunteering you can see our opportunities through the Heart of Illinois United Way or contact Ally De Roo to discuss your interests at aderoo@epicci.org or 309-689-3606.
Every February the Tim Tebow Foundation hosts a night where differences don’t matter. A Night To Shine is a global event of celebration and inclusion for those with cognitive differences.
With some donated formal wear and trips to purchase new, we spent the day getting gussied up with hair, makeup, clean shaves, and cologne so we looked and felt our best. Locally it’s hosted by our friends at Riverside Church. We can’t thank their supporters and congregation enough for making us feel welcome and valued. Special thanks to our friends at CityLink who provide transportation to make sure our coach doesn’t turn into a pumpkin at the end of the night.
We are busy prepping for the 2024 EP!C Harvest CSA season.
Don’t miss out on getting direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown by EP!C participants. Season starts in July.
Bon Appétit 2024Thank you for supporting our event which raised critical funding for people with disabilities.
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