The Arc Master of Indiana Trust has begun a new project, Circle of Friends, in response to a need that has become increasingly apparent to us as we serve our Trust Beneficiaries.
The project has two goals. The first goal is to help those Beneficiaries that have a funded trust to be able to spend their trust money appropriately. Occasionally Beneficiaries do not have anyone to contact the trust office to let us know when something is needed and so the trust does not get spent prior to the beneficiary’s death. It is very important to us that the Beneficiary has access to his or her trust funds to get what he or she wants and needs.
The second goal is for parents who would like to set up a Trust I account to be funded upon their death, but who do not have other family or friends that can be their child’s contact person, again to let us know what he or she wants or needs to be paid from the trust account.
The Circle of Friends project, designed to meet the above goals, will primarily be carried out through volunteers, along with a paid coordinator. We recently brought on Willaine Sandy to serve as the Coordinator for Circle of Friends. Willaine first came to The Arc a few years ago as a Family Advocate for The Arc Network, and is continuing to work with The Arc Network as a Family Advocate Community Specialist.
Initially the project will focus on Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Evansville. Once it is established, the goal will be to offer this service across the state.
If you or someone you know is interested in being a Circle of Friends volunteer, please contact me or Willaine Sandy by calling us at 317-977-2375, 800-382-9100 or by email at mjustice@arcind.org or wsandy@arcind.org.
Melissa Justice is the Trust Director of The Arc of Indiana Master Trust
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