Support Options, Inc. on Give to the Max Day!

Giving is a way for us all to put our values into action. Minnesota's annual Give to the Max Day -- held this year today (Nov. 17) -- serves as a kickoff to the giving season, and we are grateful for everyone willing to generously support Options, Inc.

You can give by visiting this webpage:
https://www.givemn.org/organization/Optionsinc and clicking "Donate."

Your donation will support the completion of our Outside Options space. For Outside Options we have worked with a landscape professional to put our ideas into a plan that will create wide paths that are wheelchair accessible, seating areas, a bocce ball court, areas for people garden in raised planters, native planting areas, green space and areas for people to gather.

There will also be trees throughout and pathways will be lined with perennial flowers. The space will also include a large gazebo to provide shelter from the sun and rain and provide a space for group activities.

Thank you in advance for your support & please feel free to forward this information to friends and family who may want to donate.

Congratulations to our newly elected legislators

Options, Inc. would like to offer our congratulations to the newly elected legsilators representing us in St. Paul.

Because of the once-a-decade redistricting, Options is now in new State Senate and State House districts. Our area will be represented at the State Capitol in the upcoming legislative session by Sen. Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton) and Rep. Shane Mekeland (R-Clear Lake).

We'd also like to say thanks to our former legislators, Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake), who retired from the legislature, and Rep. Paul Novotny (R-Elk River), who was reelected to the House, but in a district that no longer includes Options.

We're looking forward to working with legislators from across the state when the session begins in January to support the clients and families we serve.

Staff profile -- Matt Carlson, Director of Program & Operations

I live near Becker with my wife, Jenn, and our two adult children -- we are working on becoming empty nesters! I was raised on a dairy farm and farming is still in my blood. Being outdoors is important to me. Gardening, chickens, my pug Penelope, cooking, baking bread and home brewing are my hobbies and stress relievers. Deer hunting with family is my most cherished activity and I look forward all year long for this tradition. I also love to golf with my wife.

I began my career with Options 12 years ago as a Program Manager. I spent much of my early career as a Speech and Language Pathologist, working in special education for 15 years. My background greatly helped with the transition to Options. In the time I have been at Options, I have changed as a person. I look at life from a different viewpoint and make decisions based on how I can better provide services at Options. I want to offer as many opportunities to be successful in whatever interests the people we serve. I love coming to work where everyone is excited to be part of their community.

As Options continued to grow, I moved into the role of Director of Program and Operations. I am also a certified trainer for CPI non-violent crisis intervention. I train and support staff in developing the skills to deescalate behaviors and conflict resolution. I am also responsible for the buildings and grounds and coordinate any and all needed maintenance. I even acquired a special engineer boiler operator license when we changed out our heating system! I oversee fleet operations for 30 vehicles and our transportation system. This alone keeps me very busy. I also supervise several staff and provide program oversight to individuals.

Helping Options and our clients be active participants in our community is important to me and I will continue to advocate for our clients to maintain an array of choices. Options is a fantastic place to work and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t find something to smile about.

Toys for Tots drive now underway at Options

Supporting the collection of toys for our local community has been a joy for us to take part in over the years. We are accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys through Friday, December 2. Thank you for your support!

Celebrating our Options Achievers of the Month

Kayla Bohnen
Kayla used good judgment and took quick action regarding a medical emergency that made a positive difference. Kayla works hard at keeping everything organized on the work floor and is always moving, keeping everything well stocked and everyone happy.

Amy Ogram
Amy is reliable, always has a good attitude and is willing to stop and help people with whatever they need. She does a lot behind the scenes like running our remote service program and setting up community events for people to access. Amy takes on any task asked of her and is a go-to for questions.

Congratulations Kayla and Amy -- thank you for everything you do!

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