Save the Date | Merrick's Plant Sale

Partners in Policymaking Class 39 Graduation

The Bowl-A-Thon You've Been Asking For

Enter to Win a Trip to Pebble Beach

Client Spotlight | Melissa

Become a Champion | Give Monthly

Even though the weather hasn't exactly been delightful the past few weeks, the blooming flowers in our greenhouse signal the start of spring as well as the approach of our Annual Plant Sale. On that note, we're proud to announce that this year’s Plant Sale will be Friday, May 6, from 3-6 pm, and Saturday, May 7, from 9 am-noon.

With Mother’s Day sharing the same weekend, the Plant Sale is a great opportunity to find your mother or other significant woman in your life a gift she’ll love. Available plants include 2” individuals, 6-packs, small pots, hanging pots, and more with prices ranging from $2 to $15. As always, the sale will take place on the east side of our Vadnais Heights site (3210 Labore Road). All proceeds benefit our horticultural program for adults with disabilities.

On the weekend of May 20-21, clients Dollie Richmond and Ruby Parker will graduate from the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities' Partners in Policymaking program. Designed for guardians of children with disabilities and adults with disabilities, Partners in Policymaking teaches leadership skills and other skills needed to build positive partnerships with elected officials and other policymakers.

By the time they receive their certificate, Dollie and Ruby will have attended eight weekend sessions, received more than 100 hours of training, and completed seven supplemental homework assignments. Moreover, by completing the program, they will join a small but growing number of clients from Merrick who have accomplished such a feat going back to Class 26 in 2009. We're so very proud of Dollie and Ruby for their many hours of hard work and wish them the best as they take their newfound knowledge into the world.

Interested in Partners in Policymaking? Visit https://mn.gov/mnddc/pipm/index.html for more information.

Get ready for a fabulously fun morning at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl because Merrick’s Bowl-A-Thon returns on Sunday, May 15, 2022! Registration costs $100 per bowler and includes two hours of bowling, donuts, door prizes, pizza, and soda. Sponsorships ranging from $100 to $1,000 are also available for purchase for individuals and businesses interested in making a larger impact.

The $100 bowler registration fee can be raised through pledges. Pledge envelopes are available upon request. In addition, bowlers can create their own fundraising webpage to collect online pledges. Our top three client bowlers who raise the most money from pledges will receive gift cards in the amount of $75, $50, and $25, respectively.

For more information regarding registration, sponsorships, and volunteer opportunities, please visit www.merrickinc.org/bowl. Often considered Merrick’s “most fun” fundraiser, this is one event that you don’t want to miss. Questions related to Merrick's Bowl-A-Thon should be directed to Megan Kuneli at (651) 789-6207 or megank@merrickinc.org. Funds raised in 2022 will be dedicated to Merrick's Self-Advocacy program.

Tickets are currently on sale for Merrick's Pebble Beach Raffle; the winner of which will win a trip for four to the unanimously rated No, 1 public golf course in the country: Pebble Beach. Whether you're an amateur or a pro, this is a golfer's dream vacation.

Value: $13,878

Each ticket costs $1,000, and we are selling 25 tickets in total. As of today, we only have 5 tickets left. The drawing will take place at Manitou Grill in White Bear Lake on Monday, June 6, 2022, at 7 pm; however, you do not need to be present to win. To purchase a ticket, contact Megan Kuneli at (651) 789-6207 or megank@merrickinc.org. We accept cash, check, or debit card as payment.

After staying safe at home for longer than she wanted, Melissa was ecstatic to finally resume in-person services at Merrick, and once again do what she does best: package greeting cards. Before the pandemic, she could finish nearly 750 greeting cards in a single day! Melissa believed she could do even better and hoped to increase her daily average now that she was going back.

Though cards was by far and away her favorite task, Melissa was also looking forward to packing x-ray bags, assembling nuts and bolts, and simply being around her peers again. After all, she had known many of them since her grade school days.

There was a slight catch though. Until her group home relaxed their COVID-19 policies, she would have to live with her mother and get picked up every morning by Direct Support Professional Joann, instead of taking Newtrax, because her mother’s house was not on any fixed bus routes. That being said, this was a small price to pay for Melissa. Plus, it gave her more time to hang out with Joann and listen to the best of the 80s and 90s every morning on her favorite radio station.

In the days following her return to onsite services at Merrick, Melissa found solace in resuming many of her typical daily routines. In addition, she was exceptionally proud of the progress she had made on her new health goals. Thanks to the encouragement of support staff, Melissa had barely touched a bottle of pop in weeks! Everything was starting to feel right in the world again. That is, until she noticed something during her morning commute that was anything but.

On the corner of a four-way stop intersection not far from her mother’s house stood a large tree. One of its branches had grown in such a way that someone approaching the intersection would have difficulty seeing the stop sign from afar. Melissa recognized the potential danger involved and wanted something done about it. But as she couldn’t exactly cut the branch down herself, she resigned herself to fact that there was little she could do. As the days and weeks passed, Joann and Melissa noticed the sign became less and less visible all the while Melissa’s anxiety grew and grew.

After weeks of worrying, Melissa realized there was something she could do. She could call the city to notify them of the possible hazard caused by the branch. In the days that followed the phone call, Melissa wasn’t sure if her message had been received as the wayward branch still remained and the stop sign stayed hidden behind its boughs.

Then, it happened. One morning while heading into work with Joann, Melissa noticed that the branch was gone. The city had received her message! She couldn’t believe it. The city had cut down the branch just as she had asked.

The rest of the ride into work that morning was one of glee as Melissa and Joann celebrated their small victory. Melissa’s perseverance had paid off. And if that’s not reason enough to celebrate, then Melissa didn’t know what was.

Stories like Melissa’s are made possible thanks in part to financial support from people like you. Because of past donors, Melissa was able to return to in-person services at Merrick after staying safe at home during the peak of the pandemic. Even though everything was not as she had left it, she was eager to resume the job she so loved and to see her peers and support staff like Joann whom she had not seen in months. And the same can be said for all of the nearly 400 adults with disabilities served by Merrick. 

However, the work remains unfinished. The generosity of past donors made Melissa’s return to Merrick possible, but it will be the donors of today who will ensure the continuation of those services. So, will you choose today to step up and make a difference?

If your answer is yes, we ask that you consider making a one-time or a recurring gift to Merrick. Each day of services provided costs $80 per client while the government reimbursement is only $75 creating a $5 gap that when multiplied by nearly 400 clients and 250 days is significant. Your monthly gift of just $5 will help close this gap. You can't purchase much these days with $5. However, at Merrick, $5 ensures clients like Melissa one more day of doing the things they do best surrounded by the people who know them best.

(651) 789-6200 | Info@merrickInc.org | www.MerrickInc.org