The Providers' Council attended the Joint Committee on Ways & Means public hearing on the budget on Friday, March 5th and submitted testimony to the joint committee seeking a $28 million salary reserve for human services workers making $40,000 and under per year.

"A strong human service workforce is a prerequisite for a strong economy," Providers' Council President & CEO Michael Weekes said in his testimony. "Thousands of people are able to go to work every day because a family member is being served by human service providers.  Further, a large percentage of any salary adjustments will be spent in the 351 cities and towns where our programs exist and our workers live.  The money they make comes back to the economy."

The People First! campaign filled the room to talk to legislators about their budget requests. Many of the attendees at the event wore green stickers with the People First! logo that had the slogan "Put People First!"

The Massachusetts chapter of the Social Enterprise Alliance held its inaugural event on March 2 at the Microsoft New England Research & Design Center in Cambridge with about 100 people in attendance. The Massachusetts chapter is the first state chapter in the country.

Participants listened to Jerr Boschee, a SEA co-founder and interim president of the Social Enterprise Alliance, and Herman “Dutch” Leonard, professor at the Harvard Business School and chair of the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative, speak about the importance of social enterprises in tackling some of the most challenging social problems.

The Joint Committee on Ways & Means has announced hearings on the FY '11 state budget.

A general public hearing will take place on March 5 in Gardner Auditorium at the State House in Boston. See the full listing of detailed locations, other hearings, dates and times can be located here.

It is vital that members of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means hear about budget issues that matter to your organization, clients, & workforce.  Please attend these hearings or submit written testimony to the Joint Committee on Ways & Means.

Send copies your written testimony:

• Chairman Charles Murphy
  Ways & Means Committee
  Room 237
  State House
  Boston, MA 02133
• Chairman Steven Panagiotakos
  Room 212
  State House
  Boston, MA 02133
• Your State Rep and Senator
  

If you need assistance with your testimony or you have particular issues you would like us to consider in our testimony, please e-mail Michael Ripple at the Providers' Council or call him at 617.428.3637. 

Providers' Council President & CEO Michael Weekes was quoted in the Sunday, Feb. 28 edition of The New York Times.

The Times reporter spoke with Weekes regarding PILOTs that may cities and towns are now asking nonprofits to pay and the possibility that some of the tax exemptions for nonprofits will be removed. PILOT stands for payment in lieu of taxes that many nonprofits give cities and towns. 

From the article, which is available at The New York Times' website or in our In the News section:

Michael D. Weekes, chief executive of Providers' Council, a trade association representing organizations that provide human services in Massachusetts, said that more and more cities and towns in that state were pressing nonprofit groups to make similar agreements.

“Those may seem less onerous than what other places are considering,” Mr. Weekes said, “but the bottom line is, they still cut into our ability to deliver vital services.”

Governor Deval Patrick announced his $28.2 billion House 2 budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011 on Wednesday that makes substantial cuts to human services, including cuts to programs for individuals with disabilities, at-risk children and those seeking job training.

The Providers' Council released the following statement to media shortly after the Governor's budget announcement.

"We know the economy is bad and Governor Patrick is dealing with a $3 billion budget gap," Weekes said. "He has called for a 'shared sacrifice' when making these difficult decisions, but he has placed the huge burden of balancing this budget on the human services community and avoided cuts to other sectors. That does not, in our judgment, speak to a shared sacrifice. We look to the legislature to restore these important services and help the most vulnerable residents among us."

If you have programs or services that have been affected, please let us know. Contact Michael Ripple by e-mail or at 617-428-3637 x112.

The Providers' Council on Friday sent a letter to Governor Deval Patrick, asking him to include in the FY '11 state budget a salary reserve of $28 million for human services workers making $40,000 and under. The full letter is available here.

The salary reserve would give a small salary adjustment to direct care workers, some of the lowest-paid individuals in the state. In his letter to Governor Patrick, Providers' Council CEO Michael Weekes called direct care workers "the fibers of the safety net which government swears to keep whole." 

"The modest increase workers received for 2008 did not annualize, and last year there was no  consideration for them in the state budget," Weekes wrote. "A stable workforce is the best way for the commonwealth to keep its promise to our most vulnerable residents – a promise to provide quality services."

The Providers' Council sent a message to all its e-mail contacts late last week with ways to help in Haiti. The Council board and staff join the world in expressing our deepest condolences for the more than nine million Haitian residents, the millions of Haitians living around the globe and everyone affected by this heart-wrenching tragedy.

The devastation caused by the recent earthquake has touched many of our lives. Many of us know someone living on the island, someone with family living in or visiting Haiti or someone who has been otherwise affected by the events of recent days.

The Lexington-based Cotting School, a Providers' Council member which serves students with disabilities, maintains a sister school in Haiti, Wings of Hope, that was affected by the earthquake (you can read more about that here). They are asking that donations be sent to Hearts with Haiti.

Others have been impacted by this tragedy as well, and people in the country need our help. For ways to donate to the disaster relief effort, please see the following sites:

American Red Cross

Google's Haiti Relief Page

The Commonwealth's Haiti Relief Information

The Boston Foundation has partnered with Jim and Karen Ansara of Boston and the Ansara Family Foundation, and the Ansaras will match all donations to the relief effort up to $1 million. You may visit their site to donate and have your donation matched.

U.S. State Department Haiti page

We keep all those affected in our prayers. May our community and others across the globe do all we can to help Haitians through this challenging and difficult time.

This update for independent living providers is courtesy of Karen Bureau, Chairperson of the Massachusetts Statewide Independent Living Council.

In accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter (30A.s.11a), and with the Regulation implementing Chapter 1 of Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (34 CFR 364.20(g), The Massachusetts Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) will conduct three public hearings to invite comment and consider adoption of the proposed Three Year Plan for Independent Living, for 2011-2013.

The first hearing will be held on January 27, 2010:
AdLib CIL, 215 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

The second hearing will be held on February 3, 2010:
Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Square, Worcester, MA 01608
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

The third will be held on March 18, 2010
Moorse Institute Library, 14 East Central Street, Natick, MA 01760
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Thank You for Your Continued Membership!

Your Providers’ Council membership contributes immensely to our ability to represent the critical issues that face our sector. Working with you and your colleagues, our voice within the sector is much stronger.

As the Commonwealth's budget challenges continue into FY '11, your involvement is more important than ever.

Please take a moment to:

• Renew your membership
• Receive information to make the most of your membership
• Realize savings at your agency through member discounts
• Review what we accomplished together in 2009

Here's a recent letter sent to members regarding the importance of working together in 2010:

The Council is working with a broad coalition of human service providers to implore the Governor and Legislature to put People First! when considering any 9C cuts to the state budget.  This campaign will continue through the FY 2011 budget deliberations.  The People First! campaign will have many messages, but one banner to reflect the solidarity of our mission driven work.  You will be hearing more about this campaign in the days to come.

We are now creating an album for People First! Check out the fact sheet and album sample.

For more information on our public policy efforts and this initiative, or to learn about other ways to get involved, please contact Michael Ripple.