Membership
As SMILES celebrates 22 years of empowering people with disabilities, we invite you to renew or start your membership to SMILES Center for Independent Living!
Members of SMILES Center for Independent Living are allowed to vote to elect people to the Board of Directors, at the Annual Meeting. Board members elect their own officers. SMILES Board Officers include the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and two Representatives to the Executive Committee, which is the committee of officers.
Contact Alan Augustin to join SMILES or renew your membership so you can get a ballot.
Membership in SMILES is a great way to show you care about making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. As a member, you make your difference with your support, ideas, and participation. This ensures that our membership gets the programs and services they want and need. Your difference makes it possible for people with disabilities to live independently and enjoy the same opportunities and choices in their community as everyone else.
Members may participate in groups such as Citizens for Accessibility, which works towards improving accessibility for persons with disabilities by eliminating architectural barriers through education, teamwork, and advocacy. Members may also serve as peer counselors, solving disability related problems. As a member, you may volunteer in programs such as adaptive recreation and community education or serve on the SMILES Board of Directors.
Benefits of your SMILES membership include being the first to know about:
- Workshops and trainings that provide practical instruction and support
- Networking and Peer Counseling opportunities to discuss issues and ideas
- Regional and state-wide forum for disability information and perspective
- Topical programs and current events such as free Medicare plan reviews and Part D Enrollment through December 7, 2012, Get Ready for Winter training, or news from Citizens for Accessibility.
A culmination of benefits is being a part of a community that encourages independent living and respect for the diverse experience of disability. Ultimately, the value of SMILES is that members successfully reach their own goals. We invite you to share in their success by being a part of SMILES in your community.
You have three choices for how to join or renew your membership available by mail or online at GiveMN.org.
1) You can renew your membership or become a new member of SMILES CIL. The annual fee for membership is $20.00.
2) You can renew your membership or become a new member, but waive the annual $20.00 fee.
3) You can make a donation in support of SMILES CIL. You can designate your donation, if you wish to have your gift used for a specific purpose.
Your donation to SMILES CIL, regardless of the amount, helps to continue services free of charge to consumers with disabilities. Gifts of cash, life insurance, property, bequests, and other planned giving are welcome. All donations are tax deductible!
Consider joining SMILES CIL today! Print out the membership form here and mail it to: SMILES Center for Independent Living, 709 South Front Street, Suite #7, Mankato MN 56001. For more information, or to get a postage paid envelope call Alan Augustin, 1-888/676-6498 toll free, or 507/345-7139 local in the Greater Mankato area.