Wish your state legislators a Happy Holiday!
December 14, 2023 | By Christina Ingoglia 

As Emmaus Advocates we all need to prepare for the Missouri legislative session! Now is a great time to wish your State Senator and State Representative a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and wish them luck in the new legislative session.

Here’s a sample email. Use what you wish, but also make it your own! Bold areas indicate things you need to change.

Dear Rep. ______ OR Senator ______,

I work at (live at, support, etc.) Emmaus Homes, a nonprofit residential services provider for adults with developmental disabilities. I plan to stay in touch over the legislative session as we are once again seeking increased funding for our direct support professional staff.

At Emmaus, we take pride in the high-quality support we can offer adults who need 24/7 support to live independently and thrive. According to a wage study by DMH last year, DSPs should start at $21/hour. However, the funding we receive through Medicaid (as you know, a partnership between the State and Federal governments) is currently $16.20/hour. While we are grateful for this, we still have a turnover rate of 50%, similar to other providers across Missouri. When you can, would you please speak up to ensure that our funding increases to meet our demands?

We can do this work cheaper and better than placing adults in institutions. Our clients deserve to live in their own communities and to do so with the necessary support and high-quality assistance.

Thank you, and Happy Holidays! Best of luck with the new legislative session–

Your Name

Address

Email

Phone

To look up your legislators, go here! Have questions? Write to advocacy@EmmausHomes.org. And please write to me to let me know that you sent your emails, too. Thank you!