In This Issue:

  • It's the Greatest Time of Year for Giving - Colorado Gives Day Starts Today!
  • Celebrating National Family Caregivers Month
  • Interested in Supporting Funding for Care Services? Sign the Petition Today!
  • Your Voice Matters: Tell Congress to Pass the HCBS Relief Act
  • Five Reasons to Attend People First TONIGHT!
A man holding his daughter as the rest of the family smiles and looks on
It's the Greatest Time of Year for Giving!

The giving period for Colorado Gives Day starts today! Join over 100,000 Coloradans in uplifting local nonprofits by choosing to make a gift to The Arc-JCCGC.

Any donation made through our Colorado Gives page from today through December 5 will be boosted by Colorado Gives’ Incentive Fund. Now is a great time to show your support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and The Arc!
Illustration of a woman and girl hugging next to a purple ribbon

Celebrating National Family Caregivers Month

Anyone who has received care from family members knows that love, understanding, and patience are just a few of the amazing gifts given by these wonderful people.

Family caregivers make phenomenal differences in people's lives.

In fact, the unpaid work provided by family caregivers to their family and friends in the U.S. is valued at an estimated $600 billion of unpaid labor each year, according to a recent report, AARP's Valuing the Invaluable.

The Arc-JCCGC would like to recognize the valuable contributions of family caregivers and extend appreciation for everything they do: personal care, household chores, emotional support, financial management, advocacy, and more. Family caregivers’ numerous contributions are crucial for the livelihood and wellbeing of others.

National Family Caregivers Month is commemorated every November.

Take a moment to share your appreciation with a family caregiver for all their hard work and dedication. Some people like to express their gratitude with gifts. Or, if you can, offer a family caregiver a helping hand – give them a break from time to time. In addition, gestures that cost nothing - handwritten notes, handmade thank you cards, heartfelt emails, or simply saying thank you - can brighten someone’s day.  
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Sign the Petition to Support Funding for Care Services

Life in the community matters for people with disabilities, and Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) help make this possible. But there is a lack of funding for HCBS, which has created a care crisis.
 
Too many families are at a breaking point because of severe underfunding in care programs. It’s time for a long-overdue investment in these supports and services!
 
We need:
 
  • Funding for programs that allow people with disabilities to live at home in their communities, without having to wait years to get the supports they need.
  • Paid leave for all, so workers don’t have to risk losing their jobs when taking time off to care for a loved one.
  • Better pay and benefits for direct care workers, who perform a critical job but do not earn a living wage.
  • Access to high-quality and affordable child care and early education for every family.
 
Interested in signing our petition to show your support for a much-needed investment in disability services now? Click here.

Tell Congress to Support the HCBS Relief Act!

Exciting news! Congress introduced a new bill that would increase desperately needed funding for people with disabilities to live in their communities.

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act of 2023 was introduced in Congress by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). The bill would provide two years of additional Medicaid funds to:
  • Improve access to HCBS by increasing direct care worker pay and benefits;
  • Decrease the number of people on waiting lists for HCBS (currently over 650,000!); and
  • Pay for assistive technologies, staffing, and other costs that facilitate community integration.

Why is the HCBS Relief Act needed?
Many people with disabilities are eligible for Medicaid long-term services and supports to help with everyday needs, such as eating, bathing, dressing, and traveling to work, school, or appointments. Most people want to receive these services in their own homes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, states received extra funding for home and community-based services. This helped providers retain workers and allowed states to provide HCBS to more people.

This additional funding is ending, which means many people will lose access to HCBS. Families who need home care will need to make hard choices to care for their loved ones at home.

Take action now to support this important bill, which could help address the workforce crisis and decrease waiting lists for HCBS. Send a message to your members of Congress in a few easy steps and ask them to once again provide states with extra HCBS funding to help people with disabilities thrive in their own homes and communities!

For more information and to sign the petition, click here.

Five Reasons to Attend People First


Here are five fabulous experiences you might have if you attend People First tonight:
 
  1. Improve your self-advocacy skills.
  2. Learn more about current topics that may enhance your life.
  3. Connect with likeminded people.
  4. Join a collaborative group that make the world a better place for people with IDD and everyone else.
  5. Socialize and have fun!

The Arc-JCCGC supports People First of Jefferson County - a group a self-advocates actively changing community perceptions about people who have intellectual developmental disabilities. People First is composed of self-advocates who meet together in order to gain self-advocacy skills and for social events. It's a local chapter of the national organization Speaking For Ourselves.
 
People First meetings are convenient - it's so easy to attend. Whether you can be there in person or join online, don’t miss tonight’s meeting! Here are the details:

Wednesday, November 1: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
In person at The Arc's Office -- 13949 W. Colfax Ave, #102, Lakewood
Or, to join by Zoom: click here

Check out our website for more information about People First: click here.

See you either in-person or virtually tonight!