URGENT!!

To: IARF Executive Directors 

From: Janet Stover 

Date: March 15, 2002

The Association has been working with a variety of other advocacy groups to share in a strategic plan to have the cuts to human services restored. The following is the beginning of that plan. You will see that your cooperation and participation are imperative to the success of this plan. The tasks that face your agency must seem overwhelming, but without the participation of everyone, we will not get our message heard and we will not be able to make an effective impact on the proposed cuts to human services.

SAVE THE DATE Ø Wednesday, April 17, 2002 -- Professional and Volunteer Leadership Lobby Day at the State Capitol in Springfield. Details to be mailed later.

IMMEDIATELY Ø Organize parents, employees, consumers and volunteers into groups with a representative from each category. Schedule weekly meetings between those groups and your legislators in their district offices from now until the end of the session. Attached is the session schedule. You will see that in the remainder of March and all of April legislators should be home on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They will also be home the entire week before Easter.

Ø Invite your legislators to spend sometime at your agency. The week of Easter may be a convenient time for them to schedule it.

Ø IARF will forward to your agency the first part of next week talking points and helpful hints for meeting with legislators that you can share with your groups.

Ø Please let IARF staff know when those meetings take place and any outcomes from them.

START PREPARING

Ø With the other groups, IARF will be assisting in the organization of regional rallies across the state. We will be working with all community agencies across Illinois: members and nonmembers. We will be seeking your assistance in organizing and increasing participation in these important events. We will be letting you know the detail of these events in the upcoming days.

As more details are worked out, you will be notified ASAP. Call Susan McKinney or Jeff Stauter if you have any questions.