Ray Graham Association

04/27/2026

Family caregivers are holding up a system millions of Americans depend on every day.

A new report from AARP found that family members and friends provide nearly 50 billion hours of mostly unpaid care annually for people with disabilities and complex medical conditions. That work is valued at more than $1 trillion...more than all Medicaid spending combined.

We see families showing up with love, dedication, and resilience. And they also show up exhausted and stretched thin.

That's why the work of expanding real, community-based support and paid professional care matters so much in 2026 and beyond!

Family and friends provide billions of hours of mostly unpaid care for adults with disabilities and other conditions across the U.S. A new report finds the value of such care tops all Medicaid spending.

04/25/2026

🫶 As we round out , we want you to meet one of the hundreds of volunteers who show up for the RGA community.

🫶 Cathy Lomasney started volunteering with RGA because of her brother Tom, who lives in one of our community-based homes.

🫶 What began as a sister's love has grown into something that touches every corner of our organization: weekly Bingo sessions that fill the room, personal calls to families during critical advocacy moments, and years of steadfast support for our fundraising events.

🫶 Check out Cathy's full story online at

This National Volunteer Week, meet Cathy Lomasney: an 11-year RGA volunteer whose dedication to her brother Tom has grown into a decade of advocacy, community building, and showing up for everyone we serve.

04/14/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "✅ 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲!" 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱! Illinois legislators are hearing testimony on HB 4969 this Thursday, April 16, and we need your voice. This bill supports the Governor's proposed budget, including a 60-cent/hour DSP wage increase and key I/DD funding priorities. Please submit a witness slip as a proponent before Thursday morning.

Welcome to the Official government website of the Illinois General Assembly

04/13/2026

Early each year, Chicago hosts free museum days, and our CLS teams made the most of every single one! 🦋

From the Field Museum to Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, and the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, the people we support spent the month exploring, discovering, and soaking it all in alongside their neighbors and community.

This is what RGA is here for. Empowering people to get out., try new things, and be a part of the city we call home.

Here's to more adventures ahead as we head into spring!

04/06/2026

What does it look like when the people we support live in community-based homes? Like this. 🍁

These gents recently visited Kline Creek Farm for their Maple Sugaring demonstration, and it did not disappoint. They learned firsthand how sap is collected from maple trees, practiced drilling holes and hammering in spiles, watched pioneer-era interpreters boil sap over a wood-burning stove, and discovered it takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup.

Community experiences like this are at the core of our mission, because life is sweeter when you share it with others.

04/03/2026

⛳ Grab your clubs and join us for the RGA Golf Classic! Register today at RGAgolf.org.

Monday, May 18 | River Forest Country Club in Elmhurst IL
Registration: 8:30 a.m. | Shotgun Start: 9:30 a.m.

Your round of golf does more than you think. Every fairway, every swing, and every dollar raised helps people with disabilities live, work, and become active members of their community.

Your day includes:
🏌🏻‍♀️ 18 holes at River Forest Country Club
🏌🏻 Continental breakfast and on-course lunch
🏌️‍♂️ All-inclusive beverages all day
🏌️‍♀️ Commemorative golfer gift
🏌🏼‍♂️ On-course competitions and raffle prizes
🏌 Post-golf buffet reception

Early-bird pricing ends May 1. Save $50 per golfer when you register before the deadline.

Individual: $500 | Foursome: $2,000

Register today at RGAgolf.org

04/01/2026

FT Cares Foundation believes that where you live should work for you — and they're putting that belief into action.

We're bringing smart home technology into the homes of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For many, voice controls, smart thermostats, and accessible locks can make daily life more independent and more dignified.

This partnership is what it looks like when a community invests in people. Join us in thanking FT Cares Foundation for helping create smart homes where everyone can reach, grow, and achieve. 💙

Ray Graham Association has received a $10,000 grant from FT Cares Foundation to bring smart home technology into the homes of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in DuPage County.

03/27/2026

On April 29, three of the most inspiring people in our community will take the stage at The Arc of Illinois 76th Annual Convention.

Anne and Cami are self advocates and part of the reason we believe so deeply in what’s possible when people with disabilities are given real voice, real responsibility, and real community.

Anne and Cami are co-presenting “From Vision to Action: Self Advocates Leading Change” alongside RGA’s own Sharon Anderson. Together, they’ll share how they launched a Wellness Committee and Peer Mentor team, and why that work matters far beyond our walls.

We couldn’t be prouder of all three!

📅 April 29–30, 2026 | Hybrid — Bloomington-Normal or Virtual
🎤 Breakout Session: 3:15–4 p.m. on April 29
🔗 Register: qr.link/BrheRC

03/27/2026

⏰ This Upcoming Tuesday: Don't miss it! The future of IDD services in Illinois is being shaped right now, and your voice belongs in that conversation.

Join our President & CEO Kim Zoeller and Samantha Alloway from The Arc of Illinois for a Virtual Listening Session:

📅 Tuesday, March 31, 2026
🕥 10:30 a.m.
💻 Virtual via Zoom
👉 Register here: https://qr.link/lh3iKm

Come as you are. Share what you know. Your experience is exactly what this conversation needs.

📣 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟑𝟏!

Join The Arc of Illinois and Ray Graham Association for a Virtual Listening Session to help shape the future of services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

🚨 Virtual Listening Session | March 31, 2026 | 10:30 AM
🔗 Register Today: https://qr.link/lh3iKm

03/24/2026

🚨 Action needed before Wednesday at 5 PM!

An Illinois Senate Committee is holding a budget hearing this Wednesday, and it’s your chance to make a difference for people with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities).

SB 3294 would protect Medicaid coverage for people with IDD by reducing how often eligibility must be reverified. Filing a witness slip takes just 2 minutes and makes a real impact (nearly 1,000 were filed last week alone)!

👉 Submit your witness slip here:
https://www.ilga.gov/Senate/hearings/details/3121/22627/createwitnessslip

When we called on you to act last week, nearly 1,000 witness slips were filed. Let’s keep the momentum going!

An Illinois Senate Committee is holding a budget hearing this Wednesday. This is an opportunity to file witness slips to support SB 3294, which would help protect Medicaid coverage for people with IDD by reducing how often eligibility must be reverified.

Take 2 minutes to submit a witness slip before Wednesday at 5 PM.

Act now: https://www.ilga.gov/Senate/hearings/details/3121/22627/createwitnessslip

03/05/2026

Women supported by RGA were thrilled to host the chair of the Addison Township Mental Health Board at their home this week! 🏠✨ It was a proud moment to showcase the incredible growth and accomplishments made possible in Addison thanks to the Board's mission and partnership with nonprofits like RGA.

02/24/2026

Great adventures are for everyone, and so is RGA! 🎣 For our fishing club members, the best therapy is often a rod, a reel, and good company. What's yours?