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Arc of Bay County Summer Bulletin
Our Annual Report – 2024 Year in Review!
We wrapped up the year ending June 30, 2025 with 120 members, gratitude to many members of the community who’ve joined us in the pursuit for meaningful lives, and $21,239.78 in our general checking account.
Fundraising and legislative advocacy continue to be top of mind as we watch safety net programs including Medicaid be on the chopping block. Every person we serve relies on Medicaid for health insurance, it also funds community mental health supports, and nursing home diversion programs like the MI Choice Waiver and Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) as well as pays the wages of many direct care workers. Add to that, challenges that come with Michigan’s proposed redesign of the Prepaid Inpatient Health Plan (PIHP) arrangement within the community mental health system and an ongoing shortage of direct care workers.
There’s been no me to waste, from a charter bus taking us to the Caring Across Generations national rally stop in Detroit last summer to a successful and well executed Empty Canvas silent auction and art event at the historic State Theatre in April, Strawberry Festival Fundraiser in June, and cheering on the LPGA golfers at the Dow Championship which resulted in a $4500 dona on, we moved through the year working to meet the needs of the people we serve. In an effort to fortify and protect our assets, we underwent a significant review of our accounting and insurance procedures, relying on Ieuter Insurance for our coverage, and AHP for our bookkeeping and accounting processes. We continue to be grateful to Peter Avery and Tim Okon from Visual Edge IT for onsite and financial contributions that help defray our IT costs. Great Lakes Federal Credit Union continues to be our financial institution, while Bay Metro Transit Authority continues to be the mode of transportation most utilized by persons served aside from walking.
Thru the year…
We lost and gained members and persons served in the past year, and appreciate all of our donors, including the families who named The Arc of Bay County for donations after the loss of their loved one.
In May when Disability Network stopped providing Rep Payee services in Bay County, we picked up a number of new people.
We continue to build relationships with landlords… Pinkie Jenkins, Upward Motion, Hondo Stoffer and Bradley House who help us when people we serve end up homeless, or are at risk.
We took a bus to Detroit for the Care Can’t Wait rally highlighting the need for direct care workers, and met with lawmakers closer to home.
We earned a little money participating in the National Core Indicator survey project for people with disabilities.
We’re grateful to Knights of Columbus 414 and Essexville councils for their ongoing support, to Goodwill Store for being their “round up” partner, for Meijer on Wilder Road choosing The Arc for their donation, and for every dollar that comes our way to support the cause.
We love our neighbor, Dale Johnson, who let us take over Buddy’s Columbus Cones for the Strawberry Fundraiser. We thank Denise for the donation of her mother’s art supplies, and Rita Maier for taking an interest in the people we serve by providing brand new shoes for some of our most in need! We look forward to installing the Haworth office cubicles donated by Charlene Rupp, owner of Bay Area Real Estate.
Rooted by Keits donated flowers to improve our landscape, and volunteer Diane kept them alive AND cleans and beautifies the office!
We continue to appreciate the churches who give at Christmas, providing holiday gifts for those most in need.
Thanks to the crew who hosted Christmas including board members Kathy Talaga, Jake Fortin, and Jeff Henning of Nightlife Entertainment.
We linked 5 homeowners to the City’s no cost fund for repairs/improvements including roofs, furnaces, and tree removal.
We’ve welcomed SVSU Social Work students to spend a semester with us and are pleased with the efforts of the SVSU Digital Marketing majors who presented us with ideas and plans for improving our social media — a project starting its second year.
We hosted a Planning Our Futures workshop at the Wirt Library and will continue to offer tools and assistance. This program was funded by the Frank N. Andersen Foundation.
We are members of the Chamber of Commerce, and are represented at Optimists and Lions Club.
The Arc was chosen to cheer on the Dow LPGA Championship, netting us $4,500. We had a float in the Bay City St. Patrick’s Day parade and talk about our mission at churches and faith-based organizations, as well as agencies and groups that share the cause.
We hosted a fantastic fundraiser at the State Theatre and a silent auction, raising over $5,000 for the good of the organization.
Educational Advocacy
The Arc of Bay County provides educational advocacy services in Arenac, Bay, Huron, and Tuscola counties. If you know a child whose disability might be impacting their ability to learn, contact Jan Lampman at:
(989) 859-0173
A note of appreciation
Thank you to our outgoing board members who have served at least two consecutive three-year terms. Thank you Ron Niemiec, Brian Vos, Charles Juers, and Jamie Crites.
Welcome new board members Jeff Henning, Kathy Talaga, and Jake Fortin.
Advocate to Save Medicaid? What does that mean?
Medicaid is public health insurance for people in poverty, children whose parents don’t have the income to buy private insurance, or who don’t have employer-sponsored health insurance, and also coverage for home and community-based supports for people with disabilities and older adults. In Michigan, 40% of children have Medicaid. Anyone who receives services from a community mental health provider, CMH, or in our community Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health, are paid by Medicaid. Funding of Medicaid is disproportionately provided by the federal government supplemented by state funds. This safety net is critical to the well-being of Michiganders. Learn more about the importance of Medicaid by visiting the Arc US and Arc Michigan websites. Let your lawmakers know that this program is important to you or your family.
This Thing Called Life!
Aside from providing information and assistance to visitors and callers seeking resources, there are nearly 200 people for whom the Arc serves as Representative Payee. At the instruction of the Social Security Administration, Arc staff pay the person’s basic need bills using their Social Security funds. In exchange, the Arc is compensated $55/month from the person’s funds. On average, a person has about $967 a month in Supplemental Security Income, that’s money for people who are not able to work.
About half of the people who use the Arc’s Rep Payee service grew up in the Do All environment, or attended Northbay Center, a day program. Many lived in group homes, went to work in the sheltered workshops and are now middle age to older adults. Those days are gone, and many people have no family or friends to assist them in making decisions and managing daily living. Once you know this, you can’t look away, and so when a person asks for help or shares their hopes, wishes or dreams The Arc staff and volunteers assist. There is no income aside from donations and membership dues as well as the $55/per person, per month to support this work, it simply gets done because it’s the right thing to do.
Sometimes, it’s easy — a person wants to chat, or is struggling to figure out a smartphone, help with a pet, or just wants extra spending. Staff spend a lot of time helping people fill out forms so they can continue receiving assistance for housing or a Bridge card, in addition to the mountains of “proof” submitted to BABH, MDHHS, landlords and others. Sometimes, things take longer, are dangerous, or require reporting or connecting the person to law enforcement, court, community mental health, or healthcare providers. The need continues to grow.
There is rarely a clear path for a person with a disability, or family or friends or concerned citizens to secure critical support for a person who is struggling. Fundraising and financial support to continue the work of the Arc is imperative.
Thank you for supporting The Arc of Bay County as we work together to build a thriving community for all. For more information, reach out at (989) 893-1346.