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We partner with:
 Valu Thrift Store located in St. Paul currently employs five clients, along with two clients at Saver's stores. From commonly shopped goods such as clothing, household goods, and electronics to specialized fare like wedding dresses, sports memorabilia, and arts and crafts from around the world-Valu Thrift has something for everyone. Thrifting is an environmentally friendly way to shop!
Please support our business partners with your spending dollars.
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Bark's Bytes-JWB's Blog
 Keep in the know on all the latest musings from our Executive Director John Wayne Barker by reading his blog, Bark's Bytes. Available online: www.merrickinc.org/barks-bytes.html
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Feedback
We value your feedback. Please let us know how we can improve this newsletter, or if you have suggestions for future articles or content, contact
Marketing & Communications Coordinator Emberly Hermann-Johnson via email at
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We seek your referrals!
Help us continue to find meaningful work for the clients of Merrick by suggesting business partners who might be interested in hiring a client or a work crew. Send referrals to Executive Director John Wayne Barker at:
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Take the Virtual Tour
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Please share our story with your network!
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We start 2014 with many changes effecting both staff and clients due to funding changes with 245D, the new licensing rules. Minnesota Public Radio published an article highlighting David, a client at Merrick, and how the changes could potentially reshape his funding and how many days he can attend Merrick. Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/MPRMerrick245D
Under the stress of abiding by new regulations, figuring out the new paperwork, and coping with a new "normal", the love for providing services to adults with disabilities keeps everyone going. Support Service Coordinator Dede Hauck summed it up well with an email she sent to Merrick staff with some funny work-related happenings including this story:
I was working on EUMR (Emergency Use of Manual Restraint) reports, new paperwork for 245D, and Peg, a client who likes to keep "in the know" came in to my office to see what I was doing. She saw the word "emergency" on one of my reports. She asked if she could help as I looked a bit stressed. Kiddingly, I answered, "Sure!" So she picked up the phone and started to dial 9-1-1.
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The ever-helpful Peg, a client at Merrick, working on address labels
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The stress relief from the paperwork, the new regulations, and all that other "stuff", is in living in the moment, feeling the love of working in the human services field, and knowing we have supporters like you that keeps us going. ❖ |
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Why do we work? By John Crea
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Money makes the world go around, they say. And unless we were born with a silver spoon in our mouth, the way we get the money we need is to work for it. Our paychecks provide the money needed for life's most basic needs (food, clothing, shelter), and with any luck there's a little left over for less essential, but still important needs (like entertainment and vacations). Why do we go to work each day? That's simple - for the paycheck!
 But there's a lot more to it than that. Most of us feel an obligation to work. If we are not working, we are not supporting our families, and we are not contributing members of society. This was ingrained at an early age as we watched our parents go through life. And for us as youngsters, one thing was absolutely clear - you go to school! You go to school so you'll be ready to go to work - this was just understood.
So, once we reach adulthood, it's off to work we go. The type of work we do is very important, as certain occupations command more prestige than others. How high we climb up the corporate ladder is very important, as our job title impacts both prestige and paycheck. And for some of us, our occupation becomes our very identity - Dr. Kildare, Officer Krupke.
But whatever profession we choose, whatever line of work we follow, the simple fact that we are out there working for a living is even more important than our specific job title. By showing up at work each day and giving it our best, we are contributing what we can to the tribe, our personal circle of friends and family.
I think you know where I'm going with all of this. If this is true for everyone reading this newsletter (the staff at Merrick, our Board of Trustees, friends of the organization) it is equally true for the clients.
The clients understand the importance of work. They understand, intuitively, concepts like prestige and self-esteem. And above all else - they understand paychecks!
Merrick is always looking for new work for the clients - light assembly, kitting, packaging - almost anything requiring manual labor. As you travel through your lives, at work and at play, and as you make connections with the friends and family within your tribe, please remember the clients we serve, and all the reasons work is so important to them.
Thank you! ❖
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Bowl-A-Thon registration now open
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Please join us as a bowler, cheerleader, or supporter for the
12th Annual Bowl-A-Thon on March 23rd from 9-11:30 a.m. at Flaherty's Arden Bowl!
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Clients, staff, supporters,friends, and family are all welcome to participate! Please sign up today!
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The BAT makes it easy to support the work of empowering adults with disabilities with several giving options available. From Elite, to Lane, to individual bowler sponsorships, and don't forget donations of auction items or services, there is a giving level for everyone. ❖
Register Now
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Client Corner | Art Therapy
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Clients enjoying art therapy
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Art therapy is one of the ways we offer life enrichment to clients. Your donations help support the many therapies that provide clients with projects like the one shown above. These therapies provide experiences that increase well being, independence, and contributions to the community. Please consider making a donation today to help fund these programs for the clients at Merrick.❖
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