Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) officials are aware of Van Heuveln’s situation.

About 30 people face similar issues every year. But making changes could take time. “We [DHS] don’t have the authority to make any exemption for this gentleman [Van Heuveln], at this point in time, it’s just not for DHS to decide,” Assistant Commissioner, Continuing Care Administration Loren Colman said.

Many of Van Heuveln’s friends and fellow activists are sympathetic to his plight. “Chuck ushered in the dawn of the disability rights movement in Minnesota, said veteran activist Mel Duncan. “I well remember all the indignities and barriers he witnessed in registering voters for the 1972 election which propelled him to seek changes in the 1973 legislative session. Now, 40 years later, he once again meets the indignities of an inaccessible community with the same courageous activist spirit.”

“We do think the issue of encouraging employment, especially people with disabilities is something we strongly support. We are aware that there are increasing numbers of people that want to work after the age of 65 and the policies really has not kept pace with these changes,” Colman said, “We are interested in more options for an aging population, in this case an aging population that’s on MA-EPD. At this point, we have to wait in accordance with the governor’s instructions until we see the release of February forecast. Then we will be able to reassess and see what option may be available to modify the policies around employment of MAEPD. We are very much aware of the dilemma that this situation causes people who are reaching ages 65 in the MA-EPD program. Were very interested in strategies that help people continue employment and we certainly interested in looking into this issue again.”

Van Heuveln has worked for the St. Paul Public School System for the past 18 years. During that time he has been enrolled in the Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) program. MA-EPD is a program permitting him to pay a percentage of his earning over the poverty level towards his medical expenses to Ramsey County Human Services. Van Heuveln needs MA because of his need for PCA service that is not covered by Insurance or Medicare. “Over the years, I’ve earned enough to buy a small condominium, which I am proud to call my home,” said Van Heuveln.

But he was notified last spring by Ramsey County that the day he turns 65 years of age, he will be cut off the MAEPD program and be placed on the straight Medical Assistance (MA) program. An individual is only eligible for MA-EPD from age 16 to their 65th birthday. Under the MA program a person pays back to the county whatever the amount of their gross income (SSDI or other earned income) is over $677 a month as a medical spend down and is only allowed $3,000 in assets.

“Everyone’s encouraged to work and people with disabilities were even given more incentive with the MA-EPD program. It’s the American dream, work hard, buy a house and retire on a pension. But everything I work for including my pension will be taken away when I turn 65 because of the assets and income limits; what kind of American dream is that?” said Van Heuveln. “I thought that the word ‘disability’ was included in the equal rights amendment of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Minnesota equal rights bill of 1972. If this disability and age rule isn’t discrimination, what is it?” he added.

“I have worked hard all my life and I have volunteered in the community. I was involved with legislation for people with disabilities,” Van Heuveln said. “I was partly responsible for five major bills in the 1970s’ legislative session involving people with disabilities.

The bills which all became law, were as follows: 1) Requiring all public buildings built after 1972 to be accessible to the disabled, 2) Requiring polling places to be barrier free, 3) Public transportation accessible to the disabled, 4) The signature stamp bill making a rubber stamp a legal signature, and 5) Adding the word disability to the state human rights law.”

Van Heuveln wouldn’t be required to give up his home according to state policy. But, he could no longer afford the mortgage payments with $677 a month as an income restriction. He would have to move into state subsidized housing or a nursing home. In addition to the loss of his home and independence, this would be far more costly to the state and the county.

Van Heuveln said, “who’s profiting here, not me, not the taxpayers of Minnesota but those owning the subsidized housing and for the wrong reason. I’m not saying subsidized housing is bad but why use it when you don’t have to; subsidized me, it’s cheaper! I just want to continue working so I can subsidize myself.”

During the 2011 legislative session, state lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton had a chance to change this age restriction. Legislators voted against the amendment to extending the age limit on the MA-EPD which forces people with disabilities to retire. The amendment was rejected because it is seen as a cost savings measure to not allow people with disabilities to continue working, even if they want to and are fully capable of staying employed.

Van Heulven notes that this action was taken because there wasn’t enough money in the state budget to cover human services, which will force many disabled senior citizens to live at poverty level. “However, now the governor and the legislators are seeking huge amounts of taxpayer money to fund a Vikings football stadium, a privately owned company. Is the state of Minnesota using our tax dollars in the proper way?” he said.

Despite what has been touted as a short legislative session, disability community members will be involved in a number of lobbying efforts. Not only will a large group work on issues through the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD), a number of advocacy groups are bringing forward their own agendas.

But advocacy groups also have to respond to proposed legislation. One proposal that is raising red flags for those who live in or work at group homes is out of Burnsville, where concerns about a spike in police calls to group homes has promoted a proposal to limit the number of such facilities per community. According to a recent Star Tribune article, Burnsville officials began discussing the law enforcement costs tied to group homes as part of 2012 budget deliberations. “We might get three or four calls the same day on the same person,” Burnsville Police Chief Bob Hawkins said. “It really started to drain our resources.” One concern for police is that some group home calls are when residents are angry with each other or with staff.

The calls accounted for 78 of the 230 police calls to group homes in 2011. That’s up from 2009, when just 12 of the 239 calls to group homes. The costs and time are a concern, so in the city’ 2012 legislative platform, Burnsville is asking for state help in regulating the concentration of group homes in neighborhoods or cities. If the law passes it would be statewide. City officials cite the strain on city resources in having too many group homes in one area.

Minnesota currently has a statewide moratorium on licensed corporate adult foster care facilities.

Many Minnesota cities already regulate group homes. In St. Paul and Minneapolis, for example, the number of homes or community residential facilities is regulated through zoning.

“The impact to a neighborhood is pretty detrimental if two or three [group homes] cluster together,” Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz said. She said concerns center on property values. The city is also trying to encourage more owner-occupied homes. Burnsville has 50 licensed group homes and an unknown number of unlicensed facilities.

Bruce Nelson of the Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota, an organization that represents group home providers, told the newspaper that trying to limit the locations of those facilities is wrong. “Would a community that is seeing an influx of people of color or another non-Caucasian ethnicity move to control the concentration, if you will, of those folks? Why are people with disabilities any different than anybody else in having a right to live in our neighborhoods that belong to all of us?”

Sign up for advocacy days MN-CCD sponsors Tuesdays at the Capitol. Attend these sessions every Tuesday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and learn how to be an effective advocate for yourself or for a family member.

Groups sponsor some days but not every advocacy day is on a Tuesday. The days begin on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. No session is held April 10 because state lawmakers will be on spring break. MN-CCD will be at the capitol to help people share their stories about the importance of disability services with legislators and to ensure there is a disability community presence at the capitol. The consortium offers tips and help for those attending the days. One of the first steps is to contact Anni Simons, either at asimons@arcmn.org  or at 651-523-0823, ext. 112. Advocates should let her know which Tuesdays they plan to attend and what accommodations will be needed.

Each Tuesday starts at 10 a.m. with a briefing on current disability policy issues and a review of tips for meeting with legislators, a document with general speaking points around disability services to share with legislators, specific issue information when appropriate, and the legislative hearing schedule for the day with highlights of particularly relevant hearings. Assistance will be available for locating legislative offices and/or accompanying advocates to meetings with legislators. Help is also available if advocates haven’t prepared their personal stories in advance.

It is best to set up meetings with state lawmakers well in advance. Call 1-800-657-3550, or go to www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts  to find contact information. MN-CCD and other groups typically end their training at 10:30 a.m. so try to set up meetings after 10:45 a.m. with your legislator

Advocates should bring informaction, typically no more than one page, to tell their personal stories. Fact sheets from specific disability advocacy groups are also helpful.

There are options for lunch. Either Bring food or purchase food in the accessible cafeteria of the Transportation Building (connected to capitol and State Office Building by accessible underground tunnel).

Check for parking information at www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/capitolcmplx.asp  Several Metro Transit buses stop near the capitol and State Office Building.

The largest of the advocacy events is the annual Disability Day at the Capitol, set for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. This event is sponsored by several advocacy groups. Preregistration is due by Monday, March 26. For a flyer on this event, go to http://tinyurl.com/86ede9c

Arc’s Day at the Capitol was Jan. 31, after deadline for this issue of Access Press.

Mental Health Day on the Hill, is led by NAMI-Minnesota, is Tuesday, Feb. 14. The day begins with a 10 a.m. briefing at Christ Lutheran Church, which is on University Avenue just northwest of the capitol. This will be followed with a noon rally in the state capitol rotunda. Advocates can then visit their state legislators between 1-3 p.m.

The Mental Health Legislative Network has chartered a number of buses, each beginning in different locations, to make it easier for people to attend. Buses will start from Winona, Kerkhoven (Willmar),

Marshall, Fergus Falls, Duluth and Baxter, each making multiple stops along the way. The NAMI website contains links for people needing to set up timers to talk to their state lawmakers. The website links can also help advocates make bus transportation arrangements or find convenient parking near the capitol. Go to www.namihelps.org

Another advocacy day is Thursday, March 1, when ARRM sponsors its Day at the Capitol. Typically about 1,000 people attend this event, including direct support professionals (DSPs), mid and executive level provider management, self-advocates, and family members. ARRM is seeking participants as well as sponsors for this event. Go to www.arrm.org  for more details.

Other upcoming advocacy days include Courage Center’s Advocacy Day, Tuesday, March 6, web link www.couragecenter.org; Lutheran Social Services advocacy day Tuesday, March 20, web link www.lssmn.org; MCIL/DSPAM Day, Thursday, March 15, web link www.mcil-mn.org

Voter identification was a flashpoint during the 2011 legislative session, with support from House and Senate Republicans and opposition from Democrats. Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the voter ID bill in May 2011. That renewed supporters’ efforts for a constitutional amendment. Forcing voter ID through that method would require putting a question on the ballot, possibly as soon as this fall.

Under current state law, registered voters don’t have to produce identification when voting. Voters sign a roster book at the polling place. Signing in and voting as someone else is a felony. Nine states require voter identification and several other states are considering similar measures. Advocates contend voter ID is needed to prevent voter fraud, and that it would not be a costly program to implement.

Foes, organized as Protect the Vote, have been meeting to discuss the prospect of voter ID. Several disability advocacy groups are part of the coalition. One concern is that there won’t be time to mount an effective campaign during a short legislative session, or to get the word out before the November election.

The 2011 voter ID bill not only would require registered voters to show Minnesota photo identification to vote, it also would eliminate vouching as a method for Election Day registration. Through vouching,

a person can register to vote if he or she brings a registered voter from the precinct to vouch for him as a precinct resident. Otherwise voters who register on Election Day must bring specified ID to register.

In response to the argument about costs, supporters say Minnesota would offer free voter ID cards. But the costs of the cards, as well as an estimated $2.8 million public education campaign, have been raised as red flags.

The bill introduced in 2011 by Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, RBig Lake, and former Minnesota Secretary of State had a $60 million price tag at first but various amendments reduced the costs to $5 million.

One expensive aspect of the bill called for all precincts to have ID scanning machines; that was quickly dropped. The proposed legislation would also have created a new system of provisional balloting, in which challenged ballots would not be not counted until voters can supply proper identification. One group speaking out against voter ID is The Arc Minnesota. Leaders said that the proposal will restrict the right of people with disabilities to vote.

“Voter ID would suppress voting among many eligible Minnesota voters, including people with disabilities,” said Steve Larson, The Arc Minnesota’s Senior Policy Director. “Should this measure be put into our state constitution, it would affect 27,000 people with disabilities. This would mean that a population equal to all the residents of Fridley, or all those living in LeSueur County would face a roadblock to exercising their right to vote.”

“Voting gives all of us a voice in deciding who are leaders are and how our city, state and nation are run,” said Hunter Sargent, past board member of The Arc Minnesota and The Arc Greater Twin Cities.

“As a person with a disability, I know what it’s like to feel that you don’t have a voice and aren’t being heard. A voter ID bill could take away the voice that many people with disabilities now have.”

“We shouldn’t be putting up barriers that keep people with disabilities from being full members of our community,” Larson said. “They have fought for decades to come out of the shadows of our society. Let’s not pass legislation that makes them less than full participants in our cities and towns.”

For more information on the voter id issues, check www.wewantvoterid.com to read why there is support for the measure. The website for www.thearcminnesota.org contains a fact sheet against voter id. Also look at the League of Women Voters website, at www.lvwmn.org, for more arguments against voter ID.

The legislative session began with a big bang, with the vote against confirming Gov. Mark Dayton’s Public Utility Commissioner, Ellen Anderson. I don’t think Anderson’s knowledge of alternative energies is necessarily a bad thing for someone in her position, especially when her decisions over the past 10 months showed that she could balance the public’s interest in a variety of energy sources. The media reported that the vote was mostly payback from one side of the aisle to another for not confirming one of our previous governor’s commissioner appointees. Blow-for-blow, tit-for-tat, even score? Or will there be another payback, and then who will be affected most deeply? We all oppose these games from our legislators. Whichever side of the aisle it comes from, it always hurts the constituents.

Around the state, people with disabilities have been watching the news about the terrible injuries to several of our male and female high school hockey players this year. We have to be concerned about the number of injuries in high school sports. I wondered how many disabling injuries happen that are not as widely reported as these recent hockey injuries, and found a good source of information at the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina. It turns out that ice hockey does not have a record as a particularly dangerous sport, especially when compared to field hockey or football. But all of the numbers are much higher than they should be. Our high school athletes have to be very cautious and the rules have to be enforced, to maintain the safety and enjoyment of these extracurricular activities. Sports activities are such a huge part of young peoples’ growth and development. It’s important for our youth to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves, and team sports can build a strong sense of community and citizenry. But all sports activities should provide encouraging, structured activities with rules and boundaries in order to have positive and safe results.

A veteran disability activist who is also a long-term employee of the St. Paul School District is about to lose everything he has worked for while on the state’s Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities program. Charles Van Heuveln will hit the program’s age limit of 65 in a couple months and will have to give up his earned pension to be eligible for Medical Assistance and receive personal care attendant (PCA) services. Van Heuveln has challenged Minnesota legislators to try accepting the same provisions, but none of them has stepped up to this challenge. Only one legislator, Rep. Alice Hausman, (DFL District 66B—not Van Heuveln’s district), has responded to this dilemma. Recently, Access Press spoke with Loren Colman, Assistant Commissioner of Community Care Administration at the Department of Human Services. He said that he is aware of Van Heuveln’s situation and confirmed that MA-EPD has not kept pace with the needs of those reaching age 65 with disabilities. DHS is waiting for new rulings from the governor and the Minnesota Legislature. Rep. Hausman and Rep. Paymar have agreed they would re-introduce the bill [Sen. Sheran, Asset Limit Modification bill] that didn’t pass last year. “At least one reason it didn’t advance last year was the cost; new initiative were not considered. As Charles pointed out, it’s ultimately a pennywise, pound-foolish, it will cost far more if Charles gives up independent living and moves to a care facility. Charles isn’t alone, there are many people who have been adversely affected by ‘no new taxes, limited government’ era,” Hausman said. Unfortunately for Chuck, their decisions won’t come in time for him to save his liberty and self-reliance. This is a situation where they’re just taking away what people have worked for as they were encouraged to do by our society and by the MA-EPD program. Our legislators need to look at this as being a moral and ethical responsibility as much as a fiscal issue.

I look forward to seeing you at the capitol over the next couple months. Don’t forget that pretty much every Tuesday, disability issues are addressed and there are many disability activists demonstrating and lobbyists leading discussions, all to preserve our autonomy.

Everyone stay warm and safe.

Christ Child School was founded in 1948 by the late Sister Anna Marie Meyer and operated on Summit from 1950 to 1977. Meyer, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, dedicated most of her adult life to educating children with physical and cognitive disabilities. In her wheelchair, she was a familiar figure on the area.

In 2005, before the building came down, many people shared their memories. “It was so small, it was like a family,” said former school secretary Peggy Schleck.

“That school meant a lot to me. I still think about it,” said Mark Thomford, who attended the school from 1960 to 1972.

“We had a lot of fun there,” said Kathy Donohue, who attended the school in the 1960s. She and others wanted to save the building’s beige bricks as mementos when Christ Child was razed.

“I loved Christ Child School,” said Sister Carol Podlasek, who taught students there from 1964 to 1972. “I loved the children and their families.” She recalled that the parents were “especially good to work with” and very dedicated to helping their children and the school itself.

For many St. Paul families, Christ Child provided a badly needed educational option. “There weren’t many other programs for our children,” said Jayne Frank, the mother of a student in the 1950s. “It was so tough in those days.”

Were it not for a terrible car accident, Christ Child School might have never opened at all. Meyer was head of the speech department at the College of St. Catherine and was preparing to open a speech and reading clinic at the college in 1932. She was paralyzed from the shoulders down from a car accident while attending a conference in California. She spent the next 8½ years as a patient at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul. During her stay, she began teaching speech and reading at the hospital to disabled children.

After leaving the hospital, Meyer taught in St. Paul parochial schools. She continued to work with students with special needs and opened the St. Paul Delayed Speech School in 1948 at the Christ Child Community Center, which is now Merrick Community Services on St. Paul’s East Side. “It was a bare and simple school,” Meyer once recalled in a St. Paul Pioneer Press interview.

“Its equipment was a pre-primer, a little paper, a box of crayons and a borrowed Victrola.” Enrollment quickly grew and the school soon moved to larger quarters in a home at 2078 Summit Ave. Parents helped paint the walls, varnish the floor, sew curtains and prepare for opening day in the fall of 1950. The school was full the day it opened. That’s when one of Christ Child School’s most generous benefactors stepped forward.

Richard Lilly, president of First National Bank of St. Paul and a member of Christ Child School’s board, had led the effort to purchase the Summit Avenue house and he was soon organizing the effort to construct a new facility. St. Paul philanthropist Ignatius O’Shaughnessy donated four vacant lots west of the school and the Carrie Zimmerman family donated two lots to the east.

More than $300,000 was raised to construct and equip the new building. Seven lay teachers and a speech therapist were on hand when the building opened in the fall of 1955.

Lilly convinced the archdiocese to take over Christ Child School in 1957. He provided the money for the school to operate, with the stipulation that Meyer be head of the school for as long as she wished.

In 1960, a house at Cleveland and Summit avenues was purchased and converted into an extension school for students ages 16-21. That gave Christ Child graduates a place to learn skills for independent living. Boys learned woodworking and girls learned to cook and sew. That program evolved into an occupational training center, which eventually was spun off a separate agency. The house was later torn down to expand Christ Child.

Young men from St. Thomas and St. Paul Seminary were recruited in the later years to transport children to and from the school and help Meyer get around. The college and seminary students also organized activities for the kids, including their own prom. Meyer became director emeritus of the school in January 1968. Before her death in September 1975, she received numerous honors. Minnesota Gov. Harold LeVander named her “Handicapped Minnesotan of the Year” in 1967. She also won a citation for meritorious service from the President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.

Meyer was succeeded by the late Sister Madaleva Conway, who is also remembered fondly. “She was the epitome of kindness,” Podlasek said. “I always think of her as one of the greatest teachers I ever knew.”

Podlasek said that teaching at Christ Child was one of the most rewarding experiences of her career. “It took a lot more out of you to teach at a school like Christ Child, but it was very rewarding,” she said.

The St. Paul Public Schools’ special education programs eventually took over-serving mentally and physically disabled students and Christ Child School ceased operating in 1977. St. Thomas bought the building for use as classrooms, offices and a child development center. (This article appeared previously in the Villager, a St. Paul neighborhood newspaper)

Would you like to make history?

Access Press is interested in reader submissions for the monthly History Note column, to complement the articles written by Luther Granquist and other contributors. Submissions must center on events, people and places in the history of Minnesota’s disability community. We are in interested in history that focuses on all types of physical and cognitive disabilities, so long as the history has a tie to Minnesota. We are especially interested in stories from Greater Minnesota. Please submit ideas prior to submitting full stories, as we may have covered the topic before. Past History Note articles can be found on www.accesspress.org Contact us at access@accesspress.org or 651-644-2133 if you have questions.

Courage Center has helped provide education and rehabilitation services for people who have sustained catastrophic injuries. The Wayzata Boys Bantam B12 hockey team visited Courage Center on Jan. 27, to learn more. Following a tour, the boys, their coaches and parents spent time with Courage Center’s current and former clients, John Kujda and his son Jonah, Joe Stone, Joey Carlson and Shawn Dean, discussing life after a spinal cord injury.

Jablonski, 16, a sophomore at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park, sustained spinal cord injuries on December 30 when he was checked from behind in a junior varsity hockey game against Wayzata and hit the boards head first. Privette, 18, of Lakeville, a senior at St. Croix Lutheran High in West St. Paul, was injured in a hockey game about a week later, on January 6. Privette played on the Minnehaha Saints, a team made up of players from St. Croix Lutheran, Minnehaha Academy of Minneapolis and St. Agnes of St. Paul. They were playing the Blades, a team from St. Paul public high schools.

Both young people were hospitalized at Hennepin County Medical Center before transferring for rehabilitation. While Privette has had an MRI showing no damage to her bones or spinal cord, Jablonksi’s injuries are more severe. Media reports, the medical professionals have indicated he isn’t expected to walk again, although the determined young man has vowed to walk and skate again. Checking from behind was already illegal in Minnesota boys prep hockey before Jablonski’s injury. Players don’t see the hit coming and can’t protect themselves, while checking of any kind is not allowed in girls’ hockey, under Minnesota State High School League Rules.

Privette’s injury is more controversial. She and family members insist she was hit from behind; others at the game said she appeared to have just fallen. A report in the publication Let’s Play Hockey indicates that a video shows her being hit from behind.

In January, the Minnesota State High School League approved a recommendation to stiffen several penalties in hockey that become effective immediately. The goal is to continue the league’s efforts to reduce and remove dangerous contact that has led to severe injuries to players. Recommendation came from staff, the League’s Hockey Advisory Committee (girls’ and boys’ coaches), and officials association representatives. The penalties for these infractions of the rules have been significantly increased in an effort to thwart players from making dangerous hits on the ice. Checking from behind, boarding (defined as a “check, cross-check, elbow, charging or tripping” that sends an opponent “violently into the boards”) and contact to the head all will draw much stiffer penalties. In some cases players who violate rules can not only be ejected from the game where the violation occurs, they must also sit out the following game.

The boys’ and girls’ coaches on a league committee quickly agreed that the best way to address increasing violent hits was to escalate the penalty structure and to get all parties involved to seek to change the culture of the game. The coaches need to accept the stiffer penalties and need to instruct their players the proper and legal ways of making contact with opponents. The officials need to make the calls when the violation is made; they need to be supported by not only the coaches, but also by the players and the fans. The league also is providing an online education module about the changes.

“Hockey is a contact sport, and when it is played correctly it should be a safe game with minimal risks,” said Craig Perry, league associate director who oversees hockey. “This video will allow all participants in the game to see exactly what kind of contact is permitted and what kind of contact is going to draw the new tougher penalties. The players have to be kept as safe as possible, and with a little bit of education and clear thinking while they are on the ice, I firmly believe we can change the culture of the game.”

“There is absolutely no reason why the State of Hockey cannot become the State of Safe Hockey,” he added.

Dreier is remembered as a kind-hearted man and as a pioneer in both the home care and transportation industries.

Dreier grew up enjoying working with his father, learning to work on motor vehicles and working as a delivery driver as soon as he could drive. He graduated from Central High School in Omaha, NE, and then went to vocational school to become an auto mechanic. He owned several 1960s vintage muscle cars and tinkered with them throughout his life.

He enlisted in the Air Force as a young man. Shortly before leaving for basic training in July 1973, he dove into a shallow spot in a lake and sustained a spinal cord injury, just before he was to leave.

In the early days of Metro Mobility, Dreier was a primary dispatcher for the paratransit service.

In 1988, Dreier opened the doors to MILS, his home care agency. He became an effective advocate for people with disabilities and went the extra mile to seek out the information his clients needed. Dreier always made it his clients’ quality of life his top priority.

He made sure his clients had the proper durable medical equipment, and always made himself available to each of his clients to resolve any conflicts between clients and caregivers. He kept abreast of changes to rules and regulations affecting his clients. He also helped others who were interested in starting businesses like his, and made it a point to employ other people with disabilities.

He also started MAT, a transportation company for people with disabilities. Dreier was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by three brothers, two sisters and many nieces, nephews and friends. Services were at Washburn McReavey Coon Rapids Chapel.

“This move combines People Incorporated’s long history of managing and growing programs for people with mental health needs with the expertise Children’s Home has working with children,” said Dr. Tim Burkett, chief executive officer of People Incorporated. “We’ll use this acquisition as a springboard to develop innovative early intervention programs for children and families.”

The programs began operating as the new People Incorporated Children’s Services division on Jan. 1. Services will include individual and familycounseling, early childhood mental health, school-linked counseling, day treatment for children, domestic abuse prevention, anger management, and parent support services.

The merger reflects national and Minnesota trends of nonprofit agency mergers, as groups seek efficiencies by merging programs and services. According to Jill Wiedemann-West, chief operating officers of People Incorporated, the acquisition mirrors the trend of nonprofits fine-tuning their missions.

“Small nonprofits are finding it harder to make diversified services work in the harsh economy. This acquisition allows each organization to focus on its specialty services, but more efficiently,” said Wiedemann-West.

The Children’s Home acquisition will add approximately $3.8 million to People Incorporated’s 2012 budget of $33.5 million. Children’s Home Society & Family Services was founded in 1889. The agency works to provide every child with security, opportunity and a loving family. Beginning Jan. 1, it will focus on its adoption and early learning services.

People Incorporated Mental Health Services was founded in 1969, promotes and secures independence for people with mental illness. The organization operates more than 40 programs throughout the Twin Cities metro area, including services for the homeless, crisis management services, drop-in centers, in-home living skills programs, and a range of residential homes. People Incorporated serves more than 6,500 people with mental illness annually.

The Minnesota Warriors Ice Hockey Program, all of whose members are disabled American veterans, is divided into two teams: standup/amputee and sled hockey for both men and women. The team has grown from four players in 2010 to 24 today. Based on the number of disabled veterans living in Minnesota and the popularity of the game, it is estimated that the Minnesota Warriors Ice Hockey Program should be able to support a minimum of 12 teams throughout the state with at least 240 players.

“The Amputee Coalition is proud to join forces with the Minnesota Warriors Ice Hockey Program, an organization that aligns with our goals to educate, integrate and to help people reach their full potential after a loss,” said Kendra Calhoun, president and chief executive officer of the Amputee Coalition. “We thank the U.S. Olympic Committee and Veterans Affairs for awarding this grant, which will be designed to increase recruitment and public awareness so the team can realize their goals for expansion for fundraising to achieve sustainability of the program into the future.”

The Amputee Coalition works with the military and the Veterans Affairs on numerous projects designed to support service men and women who have lost limbs in battle. These projects include support for caregivers who suffer from stress and to education for health care providers on issues unique to amputee health care.

“The Minnesota Warriors Ice Hockey Board is excited to work alongside the outstanding professionals at the Amputee Coalition, who have done so much to enhance the lives of our disabled veterans,” said Heidi Y. Pierson, president Minnesota Warriors Ice Hockey. “It is the intent of the Warriors program to focus on building connections through the Amputee Coalition that will lead to a dynamic and dramatic growth of the team and to expand to other rural regions of Minnesota. This has been a goal of the Warriors from the beginning. Now, with the assistance of the Amputee Coalition we will gain the credible connections and media expertise that match the Warriors’ goals.”

Honoring veterans on Veteran Day, Nov. 11, the Minnesota Warriors and the National Hockey League (NHL) Alumni will blend teams to play the Veterans Day Classic in Chaska. The NHL Alumni is an organization of former NHL pros who are dedicated to giving back to the community.

The event is open to the general public. For more information, visit www.amputee-coalition.org  or 888/267-5669.

John was one of the individuals.John lived in a nursing home for eight months when he should have been in rehab for back surgery. He was then moved to a group home and lived there for one year. John didn’t need to be in a group home and didn’t want to be there. Because of the work of The Arc Minnesota and our partners, housing legislation was passed in 2007, and John now lives in a place of his own.

For sixty years, The Arc Minnesota has brought people out of the shadows. We protect the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and ensure they are full, participating members in our communities throughout their lives.

The Arc movement began in Minnesota at a time when people with developmental disabilities lived in institutions, where their care was substandard and their treatment in-humane, and they were isolated from society.

Since then, support for Minnesotans with disabilities has improved dramatically. People with disabilities now live, learn, work, and play in our communities alongside their non-disabled peers and are reared at home with their families.

The Arc Minnesotahas been at the forefront in creating those changes for the better. Threats to this progress remain,so they must continue their work on several fronts. We are active in public policy—testifying at the Capitol,  meeting with legislators, partnering with other agencies, activating citizens  to share their stories, communicating  through the media, and tracking legislation and regulations.

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We touch lives not only through public policy, but through personal contacts as well.

• Our Housing Access Services (HAS) staff have helped more than 350 people with disabilities move into homes of their own. HAS is a partnership with Minnesota’s Department of Human Services and our affiliated chapters across Minnesota.

•  Staff in our Master Pooled Trust Program work with individuals with disabilities and their families so these individuals have a stable source of funding that meets their needs once loved ones can no longer care for them.

• Our local affiliated chapters work with individuals with disabilities and their families daily, connecting them with local resources, providing them with timely information, and standing with them when they need an advocate.

For more information, go to www.arcmn.org  or www.facebook.com/arcmn