Thank you to everyone who came to today’s budget hearing.  In all honesty, it was my favorite budget hearing ever, but please don’t judge me for being so nerdy that I have a favorite budget hearing. 😉  I am so grateful to Erin Coady, Lisa Arlt Escoto, and Hillary Deichman who are TREMENDOUS speakers with great stories to tell.

Several people came up to me to to say how impressed they were with your work.  It clearly resonated with the Delegates and Senators as well.

I want to give a very big thank you to Lisa Fong and Rikki Epstein who came out in the very cold darkness and waited with me for hours to we could make sure our speakers spoke early and were really heard.
Lastly, I am immensely grateful to all of those people who came out in support of us today.  Seeing a sea of yellow “End the Wait” stickers in the crowd speaks volumes to the legislators.  We had a very strong presence and I’m so hopeful this is the start to a great year.
I’m attaching some photos of the day.  As you can tell, I am not a good photographer, but the spirit is there!
Thank you all so very much!  I hope to see all of your on our bus trip to Richmond for DD Advocacy Day on January 31st.

and please take a look at our Budget Toolkit which has our state priorities.

Lucy Beadnell, Director of Advocacy 
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Hillary Deichman, Client Advocate, speaks to the Delegation about issues she encounters with the families she serves in the DD Waiver.
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Lisa Arlt Escoto an Arc member, was asked by to speak on her personal experiences raising a daughter and on a waiting list.
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Our State Delegation
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Alex Hernandez, speaks as a brain injury survivor to the Delegation.
Brooke Anessa of BIS speaks to the state delegation
Brooke Annessa of BIS speaks to the State Delegation

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