HCO Receives Gratitude on Repeat Plaque-Executive Director Suzanne Horstman Accepting the Award
(KWNO)- Leighton Broadcast is proud to award Home and Community Options in Winona as the recipient of the 6th annual Gratitude on Repeat Campaign.
Leighton’s Gratitude on Repeat Campaign was put in place for the company to be able to give back to the community with the intention of allowing local nonprofits to connect more with their community.
Leighton Awards a local recipient with 21 advertisements per week, for 13 weeks, to help a local nonprofit educate their communities with their mission, goals, and to spread their ability to help the community.
This year’s winner, Home and Community Options, or HCO, provides support and residential services to children and adults with developmental disabilities in order to assist people with disabilities of all ages to lead self-directed lives.
Executive Director of Winona’s HCO, Suzanne Horstman, says of receiving the award,
“This is such a great thing…Many times our community doesn’t know about HCO…I am very hopeful that we can use this to gain a better understanding of those we serve.”
Some programs at HCO include 24-hour residential care settings, a 24-unit apartment complex funded by HUD, programs to support people who live semi-independently and support services for those who live with their families.
HCO employs direct support professionals, or DSPs to teach skills of daily living, provide health or medical support, assist with daily tasks and personal care needs, along with providing social or emotional support. They encourage learning and growth in order to enhance independence and community inclusion and they advocate for the wants, needs and life goals of the people they are supporting.
One of the most pressing issues that HCO deals with, is the lack of knowledge around their community that they are available for help. A big reason for that is because as a non-profit, they don’t always have the capacity to get the word out to the community. HCO is elated with this award because it gives them an opportunity to do just that, spread their mission around the community and ideally reach those that are still in need for help, not knowing HCO is an option for them.
HCO is always looking to grow, and looking to bring on anyone who needs their assistance. In 2022, HCO provided over 13,000 more hours of support than they did in 2018-They hope that continues to grow. As of now, they serve around 200 people in need, and Horstman believes that there are many people around the community that still need their help.
Outside of growing their mission through the community, HCO has other big goals set for 2023. HCO has gained the support of local politicians like Senator Jeremy Miller and Representative Gene Pelowski to pass a bill in Minnesota that will allow for more funding to go towards local nonprofits like HCO. HCO says that passing this bill to help those with disabilities is imperative to the success of nonprofits, not only allowing for more funding, but also forcing the State to give the proper needs to nonprofits so they can help community members in need.
It is honor for Leighton Broadcasting to give this award to a nonprofit that will use the benefits to better the community, something that has always been the goal of the Gratitude on Repeat Campaign.
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