Give Me 5! (The 5% Campaign)

A message echoed throughout the Minnesota State capital rotunda on November 12th at the 5% Campaign rally “What do we want? 5%! When do we want it? NOW!”

The 5% campaign is a nonpartisan coalition of Minnesotans working to ask state legislators for a 5% rate increase for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) in 2014. The core of the message is Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) over the last five years have endured raising costs with no increase and more have dealt with cuts recently. As many are aware, last year, other care and support services within the state did receive a much needed 5% increase. However, this did not include HCBS; such as the many services provided by Dungarvin Minnesota.

Dungarvin Minnesota, as a corporate supporter of the 5% campaign, is developing ways in which we can assist staff in their support and continue to build a grassroots effort for increased funding for our services. We most recently did splash pages in Therap to get the word out for the rally and currently are distributing postcards addressed to the Governor indicating support for staff to complete and send. We will also soon begin to prepare, as in years past, our participation in the ARRM day at the capital. The next ARRM Day at the Capital is March 4, 2014.

Dungarvin will continue to assist and support both employees and persons served to share their personal stories with their representatives. We will be inviting representatives for home visits to provide employees, persons served, and their families the opportunity to share their personal stories with legislators. I encourage all those impacted by the decisions made during this legislative session to get involved either by writing to your legislator, meeting with them in person, and/or attending one of their visits to our homes.