Central Minnesota Disability Center Seeks Continued Funding to Expand Services and Empower Clients

(KNSI) – A central Minnesota facility that helps people with disabilities regain their dignity and find purpose is asking the state to maintain its current funding.

Two years ago, the Legislature used part of the state’s record surplus to send $8 million in additional funding to Minnesota’s eight Independent Lifestyles Incorporated Centers for Independent Living. Each office received an additional one million dollars. The organizations usually get $3 million to operate all eight centers, but estimates suggest it would take $18 million to fully fund them.

On Tuesday, Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion visited the Independent Lifestyles Center in Sauk Rapids to meet with staff and hear from board members about its mission. Champion agreed that more help is needed and told KNSI News he’d fight for more in the next budget.

ILICIL Executive Director Cara Ruff will lobby to keep the money flowing. “As the legislative session begins again soon, we’ll have to go back and ask that that be permanently added to our funding line so that we can truly use it, to grow, to hire staff, to create more programs, to cover more counties, to have a bigger presence.”

Ruff told KNSI News they used the extra funding to invest in a laser engraving machine, three shirt pressers, a hat press and training on how to use the machine. The equipment is something those with disabilities can work on to help bring in an extra stream of money to make up for the funding difference and give their clients marketable skills. The idea is to create a non-government revenue stream so they can operate without handouts.

ILICIL serves around 3,000 people with disabilities in 13 counties in the region. Fifty-one percent of their employees are also disabled and are paid a market-rate salary. Find out more about what they do by clicking here.

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