Too long to wait!

Due to the CoronaVirus, some of our outreach events are on hold, but we want to fill you in on recent 2Long2Wait! actions and media coverage.  

We hope you are finding ways to cope with the crisis and the challenge it presents your families and organizations.  Virus aside… we have good news to share. 33 counties are now represented in our ncwaiveractionteam.com database. We are 1/3 of the way toward state-wide contact.  

The Forsyth County team has had great success getting the word out.  

2 months prior to the March 7th rally we  secured a location and stirred media attention.  A parenting feature appeared in Forsyth Family Magazine.  Invitations then went to our local support and service agencies, local politicians running for office, and dignitaries who support our work.   Then we began to saturate the list-serves of friends and families we knew.

A Parenting Guest Column appeared in the Winston Salem Journal.

A news article appeared just before the rally. 

The focus of the rally was to share our state-wide plan, create local awareness and engage stakeholders – from local politicians to impacted families.  Standing room only found state senators, moms, dads, providers and self-advocates - all with something important to say.

The large banner was perfect for media messaging and organization solidarity.  It can be loaned to you when you have your rally! Important visually was the pie plate and signs created on site by families displaying the number of years individuals had been waiting.  For Forsyth County, we know of 15, 17, and 19 year waits. We asked our MCO for the number that had waited more than ten years. It is 242!

Following the rally, the county was well aware that it was 2Long2Wait!.  Spectrum News ran day long reflections on the rally, short and long versions of interviews and speeches.  Our local NPR station (WFDD) covered the rally and the Winston Salem Journal featured their own full length editorial (Meeting Unmet Needs!).  We had many thank-you’s to write.

We will continue to work with DRNC, The Arc, and other state-wide Special Needs groups who have broader reach that we do.  The Arc is rebuilding from the cancellation of their state-wide conference, DRNC is working with DHHS and their litigation.  DHHS’s preparation for the upcoming legislative session and budget stalemate is now consumed by the state’s recovery from the virus crisis.

We will keep you posted through our Facebook site and ncwaiveractionteam.com with answers to new questions you pose.  Mostly we will be working with you and your opportunities to build your own rallies. We all need to engage. We hope you will become a “point person” for your county.

The frontline workforce of this healthcare crisis (COVID-19) has been woefully neglected.  More info to come, describing ways you can support other people whom have been under-valued.

Finally, and IMPORTANT – please alert the families on the Registry of Unmet Needs to contact us here by signing up.  We need their email addresses to effectively serve and engage them as we reach each counties constituents. Your help in sending us your activities, family stories and photographs would be terrific.