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Vadnais Heights City Council Honors DSPs

Written by Megan Kuneli on . Posted in What's New.

Published September 7, 2022

During last night’s city council meeting, Vadnais Heights Mayor Heidi Gunderson proclaimed the week of September 11-17, 2022, as Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week. In attendance were Merrick DSPs Tess Bruhn, Dan Lind, Donna Tate, and Jenn Wold as well as Executive Director John Wayne Barker who gladly welcomed the city’s gesture of appreciation.

DSPs are essential to our work of empowering adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Unfortunately, they rarely receive the thanks they deserve. Hence, why DSP Recognition Week is so important and why we celebrate it each year. DSPs are the heart and soul of supports for people with disabilities. They are the primary providers of community-based long-term support services for thousands of individuals with disabilities in Minnesota. In other words, Merrick could not do what we do without them. Thus, they deserve our gratitude.

Starting Monday, September 12, follow Merrick on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MerrickInc/ to help us celebrate our DSPs.

For more ideas regarding how you can celebrate DSPs, visit https://www.ancor.org/2022-direct-support-professional-recognition-week.

Read the proclamation for yourself by clicking here.

Donna Tate, Tess Bruhn, Mayor Heidi Gunderson, and Jenn Wold pose with the proclamation inside city hall.
John Wayne Barker, Donna Tate, Jenn Wold, Dan Lind, and Tess Bruhn pose with the proclamation outside city hall.