For 40 years, Penn-Mar Human Services has stood as a steadfast advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their loved ones. We have grown from our early days of 12 founding families fighting for basic opportunities for their adult children with IDD, into a community of over 600 families and friends, who continue to advocate for a more inclusive and equitable world. With your help, and by joining our stories and efforts, we can create momentum.
The Penn-Mar Advocacy Collective (PMAC) advocates for increased funding for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)services that will translate to proper compensation of Direct Support Professional (DSP) wages. This is critical for inclusion and equity within the greater community, and for gainful employment, opportunities, and acceptance of people with IDD.
Join us! For more information on how to be involved in our advocacy efforts, please contact Tina Chan Sweenie, Manager of Volunteer and Donor Engagement: tinachansweenie@penn-mar.org or 443-491-9638.
This is your opportunity to tell your story to those who create the policies and vote on bills that can affect your everyday. Build relationships with your elected officials, so that when it comes time for them to vote and make decisions about your life, they will know your story!
Pro Tips:
The legislators, who create policies and vote on Bills that affect your everyday, are just like you.
Our legislators need to make decisions on many issues, it’s our job to educate them about our stories.
Get to Know the PMAC Steering Committee
Claudia Summerson – “Without Penn-Mar and the DSPs Abbie would not have an active life and the opportunity to live as independently as possible. Knowing someday we will no longer be here, we have the comfort knowing she will be taken care of . . . We need to focus on bringing awareness on how important and essential our DSPs are to the everyday lives of our individuals (keeping them safe/healthy) and why they deserve higher wages.”
Denise Coil – “Your voice is needed to ensure that changes are made that benefit our family members. Without our voices many of the changes that have taken place over the years would not have happened.”
Annual Events
Advocacy Social Hours – typically held in October/April
Developmental Disabilities Day at the Captial in Annapolis – typically held in February
Harrisburg IDA Day at the Captial – typically held in May