Emergency!

EMERGENCY: Urge Senators TODAY to Include Nonprofits in 3rd Relief Package of $1T+

Please join Flat Rock Homes in supporting the United Methodist Association and Lutheran Services in America in efforts to protect member nonprofit organization with   business continuity during the current crisis. Your speedy participation is needed TODAY with regard to the third relief package of over $1 trillion currently being negotiated in the Senate.

Negotiations are taking place in the Senate now on a $1 trillion-plus economic rescue package to offer relief to businesses and nonprofits through loans and grants. This draft legislation currently contains a provision which would make nonprofits with over 500 employees and those that receive Medicaid payments ineligible, including senior living facilities, child welfare organizations, organizations serving people with disabilities, and many others.

We ask that you and your friends call and email your Senators today to urge them to remove this language before voting on the bill.  We are also asking Senators to include additional financial support for nonprofit organizations serving seniors and people with disabilities as they navigate this crisis with the individuals in their communities. In the attached link, you will find and additional link to email your Senators, as well as suggested phone script language and a sample tweet for your use. There is strength in numbers, and the more people who can reach out to Senators today, the better. Decisions on this rescue package are expected to move incredibly quickly, and we urge you to make this a priority today.

Ways You Can Take Action

·         Option 1: Write to your Senators through the advocacy tool. Suggested language is provided.

·         Option 2: Contact your lawmakers by phone using the suggested talking points below. You can find your Senators and their phone numbers in the provided link below. Suggested messaging you may wish to use during your call:

• I’m calling in regard to the Senate’s negotiations underway today on the third coronavirus relief package of over $1 trillion.  I support Flat Rock Homes [OR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT YOU WISH TO INCLUDE] that serves 76 adults with developmental disabilities, many with major underlying medical conditions [OR SENIORS, IF USING WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION] and receives approximately 95% of our funding from Medicaid. I am gravely concerned that the bill currently excludes my organization and other nonprofits that receive Medicaid payments from zero- and low-interest small business loans available to other organizations. Like many nonprofit health and human service organizations, we are on the front lines caring for Americans during the pandemic and are in crisis mode. We are incurring additional expenses and our cash reserves and margins already are tight. The fact is we cannot retain our employees and provide our services that help so many vulnerable people in our state without this support.  I urge you to include nonprofits that receive Medicaid payments as eligible applicants for these much-needed small-business loans. While Flat Rock Homes only has 145 employees, I also ask that you expressly include charitable nonprofits that employ over 500 employees in the bill and include additional financial support for all organizations serving people with disabilities and senior living communities as they navigate this crisis with the individuals in their communities. So many people in our state are relying on our organization, and we’re relying on you.

·         Option 3: Since lawmakers’ staff consistently monitor their social media pages, reaching out via their Twitter pages is also useful.

o    You can find your lawmakers and their twitter handles in the attached link.

o    Suggested tweet:

• [Insert your lawmaker’s Twitter handle here] #Coronavirus relief bill MUST make nonprofits who get Medicaid reimbursements eligible for $ relief + support aid for nonprofit serving seniors, people with disabilities and child welfare agencies. We are on frontlines of fight & under severe financial stress.

Please share with your contacts. Original link with more details and tools: https://www.lutheranservices.org/content/1-trillion-senate-stimulus-bill

Thank you for your efforts!

Need more information? Please contact Sarah Dobson, Lutheran Services in America Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, at sdobson@lutheranservices.org or 202-499-5832 or Dania Douglas, Lutheran Services in America Director of Policy and Advocacy, LSA-DN at ddouglas@lutheranservices.org or (202) 499-5831.

Karen

Karen L. Kilgo

President and Chief Executive Officer

Flat Rock Homes, Care Center, and Community Services

7353 N. County Road 29, P. O. Box 1
Flat Rock, Ohio 44828

www.flatrockhomes.org

KKilgo@FlatRockHomes.org

Phone: (419) 483-7330 x1104

Fax: (419) 483-5616

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