The Arc Mower County will host its 24th annual Rose Sale from Monday through March 22.

The proceeds will help fund programs benefiting children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Advocacy and Family Support Services, Special Olympics, People First Aktion Club, Vacations and Our Place Recreation Center.

Red roses and multicolored “lollipop” roses will be offered.  Purchase a dozen red roses for $18 or $24 with a vase included.

Lollipop roses cost $20 a dozen, or $26 with a vase.  Delivery is available within the city of Austin. Order forms can be found by emailing office@thearcmc.org.org, calling 507-433-8994 or visiting our website at www.thearcmc.org.  Orders can be taken until March 22 and pick-up and delivery is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 9.

We need your help.  Any level of support is appreciated. Here are a few suggestions:

• At your work — coordinate a pre-sale rose sale! You can pre-sell roses by  emailing your co-workers and encouraging them to order. Call The Arc with a group rose order and the roses can be delivered to your office!

• In your neighborhood — ask your neighbors, friends and family to order roses.

• Brighten someone’s day — order roses to give to your customers or employees to show how much you appreciate them.

• Volunteer — Rose Sale coordinators are needed throughout Austin and the surrounding communities to coordinate rose sales at local churches, businesses, etc.

• In School — School groups can sell individual roses to support their peers that attend activities.

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Best Life Alliance action alert

The Best Life Alliance bill to invest in Direct Support Professional wages must be a priority this session, but in order for that to happen, legislators need to hear from you. Please take a few moments today to craft an email for your elected officials with the following message:

Direct Support Professionals provide critical supports to individuals with disabilities day in and day out, supporting them to live and work as independently as possible.  Disability service providers were already in the midst of a workforce shortage crisis, and that crisis has been further compounded by a 7 percent cut to individuals’ service rates that began being implemented on a rolling basis in July of 2018.  Direct Support Professional Wages are 17 percent behind other comparable occupations, and we must make an investment in these critical professions during this legislative session.

How to take action:

1. Find out who represents you.

2. In the email subject line, insert: Make Direct Support Professional Wages a priority in 2019

3. Share your story using the above messages as a guide, making the story as personal as you feel comfortable:

Talk about the work you do, or the services you or a loved one receive. Discuss impacts of staffing shortages or high turnover and Tell legislators that you are counting on them to take action in 2019 to strengthen wages for Direct Support Professionals in the disability services sector.

4. Send your story to both your Minnesota State House Member and your Minnesota State Senate Member.

5. If you hear back, be sure to share with Best Life Alliance Field Team Lead, Sara Grafstrom at sgrafstrom@arrm.org know!

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Upcoming Events

• Sweetheart Dance (Date Change): Tuesday, Feb. 19
• Special Olympics Bowling: Feb. 20
• Bingo (date change): Feb. 21
• Movie and Munchies: Feb. 22
• Date Night: Feb. 23
• Board of Directors Meeting: Feb. 25
• People First Aktion Club (date change): Feb. 26
• Special Olympics Bowling: Feb. 27
• Creative Arts at the Austin Artworks Center: Feb. 28
• Josh Turner Concert at Mystic Lake: March 1
• 24th Annual Rose Sale Fundraiser – www.thearcmc.org/rose-sale
• 9th Annual Taste of Mower County – www.thearcmc.org/tomc2019