Author: cmogden1

Rainbow of Challenges, Inc. Transportation Department will be conducting vehicle inspections of Waiver component vehicles during the week of June 20^th-24^th, 2016. Complete Motor Vehicle Inspections are needed upon hire, change of vehicle, following an accident, and annually. Vehicle Inspections will be conducted by appointment only. Inspections will be conducted on the following dates and locations:

• Hope Admin Complex (500 S Main, Hope AR) – June 20^th,22^nd,and 24^th
• Arkadelphia Rainbow Junction- (106 Lower Dam Pike, Arkadelphia, AR) June 21^st
• PNCSS (504 E 4^th N, Prescott, AR) June 23^rd

If you have any questions, please contact HR at 870-722-1229 or 870-722-1201.

Mark your calendars now for the next ROC blood drive scheduled for Tuesday, June 14! The LifeShare blood mobile will be parked in the ROC administration parking lot on Main Street from 9:30 – 3:30. Our goal is 25 units and you can sign up early by calling Scott Jester at 722-1230 or coming by his office. Please share this post as much as possible! See you there as we give the gift of life!

ROC-FEST IV was a smashing success! The annual carnival for kids 12 and under was held at the Fair Park on their last day of school and everyone in attendance had a blast. See all the fun in pictures under “Photo Gallery” at the top of our home page.

Relay for Life Photo Booth pictures are now available to download and/or print for those who made a $1 donation to the American Cancer Society. Simply click on the “Photo Gallery” link at the top of the home page, scroll down and select the correct photo album. From there, browse the photos and select the ones needed. Thanks again to all who participated and donated to have their pictures taken!

Pictured (L) is Jeannie Almond, owner of Sweet Steam Cafe’, as she presents a $125 check to Rainbow of Challenges’ Development Coordinator Christy Burns upon the completion of a special promotion held during National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. During the month, 50-cents from every sale of their bread pudding dessert was donated to ROC. Almond is extending the promotion and is also issuing a challenge to other local restaurants in the area to pick a popular item from their menu and donate a percentage of the proceeds to Rainbow of Challenges. For more information regarding the challenge, contact Christy Burns at 722-1203.

Rainbow of Challenges was well-represented recently during the Special Olympics Area 11 games held at the Hope High School track field. While the weather cooperated, there was no shortage of competition in a wide variety of events. The athletes received their medals from local law enforcement representatives and shared smiles and “high fives” with their fellow competitors. Special thanks go to all the volunteers and behind-the-scenes players who made this annual event a success.

A proposed Department of Labor rule which would increase the salary threshold for paying overtime will strain providers of community-based supports, such as Rainbow of Challenges, who are reliant on state and Medicaid funds to provide services.  This rule could have a serious impact on the ability to provide quality support to those who need them.

 

Without additional funding, community providers of services to people with intellectual disabilities will have difficulties finding the money from their current budgets in order to comply. These critical programs and individualized services provided will be severely compromised with a direct impact on the individuals served.

 

As a non-profit agency, Rainbow of Challenges would be unable to absorb an estimated $300,000 cost increase and the Overtime Exemption Rule would limit the ability to pay more to the Direct Support Professionals, known as DSPs, who are the first line of support to the individuals ROC serves.

 

“If passed, the proposed rule will do the opposite of its intent to employees of non-profit agencies like ROC,” said Rainbow of Challenges’ CEO Judy Watson. “It will require doubling the wages of employees on salary and will force us to remove more than half of the current salaried employees and move them to an hourly status.”

 

“This will likely be the case for most non-profit provider agencies across the country that are funded primarily by Medicaid”, Watson noted.

 

Congress is currently being urged to consider legislation which would increase funding so providers can comply with the Overtime Exemption Rule and other unfunded mandates so there is no interruption or dissolution of services that are currently provided.

 

The Department of Labor is also being urged to implement a gradual increase in the salary of DSPs in order to avoid such a crisis.

A large contingent of athletes will represent Rainbow of Challenges in the annual Special Olympics area competition on Saturday, April 16.

More than 100 individuals from Rainbow Industries, ROC Enterprises, and Rainbow Junction will join their sister site of Prescott/Nevada County Special Services, and other area Special Olympics athletes the competition at the Hope High School track field with events beginning at approximately 9:00 a.m.

Pictured are Jeannie Almond, owner of Sweet Steam coffee shop / cafe’, and manager Kevin Turner holding one of many flyers around the area regarding their one-month promotion. Sweet Steam will donate 50-cents from every sale of their homemade bread pudding dessert to Rainbow of Challenges in Hope all month in support of “National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month”. Sweet Steam is located downtown at 105 South Main adjacent to Tailgater’s.

The late President Ronald Reagan proclaimed in 1987 that the month of March would serve as the National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. In his proclamation, Reagan stated “Americans are becoming increasingly aware that such disabilities need not keep individuals from realizing their full potential in school, at work or at home, as members of their families and of their communities. I urge all Americans to join me in according to our fellow citizens with such disabilities both encouragement and the opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”