From the Desk of Jessica Pensel, Executive Director

 I would like to take a moment to speak candidly about the shifting landscape of Iowa’s Medicaid Waiver and Habilitation system and why your support is critically important at this moment.

Across our state, organizations like ours that provide essential home-and community-based services are experiencing unprecedented challenges. Upcoming changes in reimbursement structures and ongoing workforce shortages have placed extraordinary pressure on the very programs that help Iowans with disabilities live meaningful, independent, and connected lives. While the needs of the individuals we serve continue to grow, the funding that supports those needs has not kept pace.

What This Means for the People We Serve

Behind every waiver slot or habilitation authorization is a person, a neighbor, a family member, a friend who depends on consistent, quality support to thrive. These supports help individuals gain daily living skills, secure employment, engage in their communities, and maintain stability and safety. Yet the current system often leaves providers navigating delayed payments, shifting program policies, and funding levels that struggle to reflect the true cost of care.

We work every day to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. But doing so requires flexibility, innovation, and resources beyond what the Medicaid system alone is currently able to sustain.

Why Your Donation Matters

Your generosity allows us to bridge the gap between what the system funds and what people genuinely need. Donations help us:

• Maintain high-quality, person-centered services as operational costs rise.

• Recruit and retain skilled, compassionate staff who are the heart of our mission.

• Invest in transportation, accessible technology, and community inclusion activities that Medicaid funding often does not cover.

• Respond swiftly to emergencies or disruptions in services because crises do not wait for approvals or reimbursement cycles.

Every contribution, whether large or small, directly strengthens the safety net for individuals and families who rely on us.

A Call to Stand with Us

This period of transition within Iowa’s Medicaid Waiver and Habilitation system is testing the resilience of organizations across the state. With your partnership, we can remain strong, steadfast, and prepared, ensuring that the people we support continue to receive the dignity, respect, and opportunities they deserve.

I invite you to support us by making a donation today. Together, we can ensure that Iowa remains a place where every individual has the opportunity to live a fulfilling, self-directed life.

Thank you for standing with us, believing in our mission, and helping us carry it forward.

Would you join us with a gift today? Tax deductible donations accepted at: