VOR 2005 Initiative Letter to Congress

June 13, 2005

Dear Member of Congress,

The members of VOR appreciate very much the time and hospitality you extend to us each and every year and the consideration you and your staff give our concerns.

VOR provides a voice for the most needy, the most fragile and the most disabled members of our society. The individuals we represent often need help in every aspect of life care including walking, talking, bathing, eating and toileting. In addition to severe and profound mental retardation, many of our family members endure multiple disabilities, chronic medical conditions and/or behavioral challenges.   These are the folks who Congress had in mind when Medicaid was established. 

While in Washington, D.C. this week, we will share with you our current perspective on Medicaid and Social Security. The changes being proposed are of great concern to us. We’ll explain why we are so concerned and provide you with information that we hope will prove useful as Congress continues to weigh these very complex issues.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to us. Please consider us as a resource at anytime. The very serious deliberations in which you participate seriously affect our family members’ lives.

Sincerely,

Mary McTernan, Ph.D.

President

VOR is a national nonprofit advocacy organization with thousands of members across the country.  Our members are primarily the families of individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. Unlike other national advocacy organizations, we support both community and facility-based residential options.  We are not providers of care. We receive no government funding. We are simply parents, family members and others interested in the well-being of people with mental retardation.

VOR * 836 S. Arlington Heights Rd., #351 * Elk Grove Village, Illinois * 60007

877-399-4VOR ph. * 847-253-0675 fax * tamie327@hotmail.com