Minnesota disability service providers on the brink of collapse from COVID-19

For more than four decades, Options Inc. in Big Lake, Minn., has helped hundreds of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities find jobs in the mainstream workforce while serving as a refuge for people who have nowhere to go during the day.

But when the nonprofit’s board recently analyzed its finances, the outlook was grim. Revenue at the day and employment service provider had plunged 80% since the pandemic began, while costs for its building and fleet of vans continued to pile up. The monthly losses had reached $100,000.

“We are in a constant state of distress,” said Brenda Geldert, executive director of Options. “It’s going to be impossible to survive unless we get some relief.” Continue reading.