Navigating Change While Staying True to Our Mission
- Cora Willenbring
- Aug 11
- 2 min read
At the Hubbard County Developmental Achievement Center, our mission has always been to empower individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness through meaningful work, skills training, creative expression, and community engagement. But like many service providers across Minnesota, we are facing significant uncertainty due to state and federal funding changes.
Earlier this year, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) made major revisions to its Vocational Rehabilitation Services, leading to the losses in our Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) program, a vital initiative that helped students as young as 14 develop work skills, explore careers, and successfully enter the workforce. This unexpected funding withdrawal, amounting to $20,000–$30,000 per month, has forced us to lay off four dedicated staff members who served up to 90 students annually.
Other proposed changes could shift costs from the state to counties and tighten eligibility for Medicaid waivers, which fund many of our day support services, transportation programs, and job coaching. These adjustments could limit the number of people able to access critical support and reduce reimbursement rates that already do not cover the full cost of services.
In response, we are taking proactive steps such as re-evaluating our business models, diversifying store inventory, and preparing to rebrand as CREATE (Community, Resilience, Employment, Arts, Training, and Education). We are also leaning into our social enterprises, the Tin Ceiling gallery, Bearly Used Thrift Store, and The Depot, to help fill funding gaps.
While the future holds challenges, we are committed to finding creative solutions to ensure every person we serve can continue building the life they want. We are deeply grateful to our community for your generosity and support. It truly makes our mission possible.
