Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Announces Direct Effect Quality of Life Grants for 2020

SHORT HILLS, N.J., June 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) announced today that it  is funding fifty-two Direct Effect Quality of Life Grants, totaling $918,046. Part of the Reeve Foundation's larger Quality of Life Grants Program, which supports nonprofits that empower individuals living with paralysis, these latest grants are made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL grant #90PRRC0002-02-00). The Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center has several grant programs under the Quality of Life program. Direct Effect Grants support a wide range of short-to mid-term projects and activities of up to $25,000 that will clearly impact individuals living with paralysis and their families.

"The Reeve Foundation is honored to welcome these 52 organizations into our ever-growing cohort of grantees," said Mark Bogosian, Director, Quality of Life Grants Program, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. "These organizations and their projects are a testament to our country's strength, passion, and commitment to serving and caring for our most vulnerable populations. The impact these projects will have on those living with paralysis will be far-reaching, especially as   we move forward in this COVID-19 era."

A few examples of this cycle's recipients of the Direct Effect Quality of Life Grant include:

AMVETS, Germantown MD - $20,000: to support and increase user access to the online HEAL Ambassador Suicide Prevention Training program. The AMVETS HEAL program offers clinical intervention services and resource coordination to all veterans, including veterans living with paralysis, their family members, and caregivers. The expansion of this online program will offer a nationwide impact, reaching up to an estimated 500 veterans with paralysis in 2020. 

Florida International University Foundation Inc., Miami FL - $22,753: to provide wheelchair accessible examination and transfer equipment to the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Through this project, approximately 165 practitioners each year will gain a better understanding of how to interact with patients with paralysis and be educated on the medical issues, health problems and challenges they face. The addition of this equipment will be instrumental in teaching future healthcare professionals and will provide accessible medical assessments to a minimum of 710 individuals with paralysis in 2020.

The Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association, Phoenix AZ - $22,500: to provide resources, awareness, education, and support for the spinal cord injury (SCI) community who are experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD). The Living Healthy with SCI – Opioid Awareness Program's purpose is to address gaps in current services for individuals with physical disabilities, their families, caregivers, and professionals in the community. Participants' increased knowledge will enable them to have greater confidence in their ability to live independently from opioids, learn alternative methods for pain management, and be productive members in the community. A minimum of 50 individuals living with paralysis, including ethnic minorities, indigenous or tribal communities, and survivors of violence will be served in 2020.

Mississippi State University – T.K. Martin Center for Technology & Disability, Mississippi State MS - $17,733: to provide pressure mapping technology for wheelchair and recreational evaluations throughout the state of Mississippi. Pressure mapping systems allow clinicians, as well as individuals with paralysis and their families, to see the impact of changing positioning aids, cushions, and completing pressure relief strategies. The pressure systems will be used for wheelchair selection and education, but also mapping vehicles, recreational, farm and heavy equipment. This project will impact approximately 60 Mississippians with paralysis, many of whom reside in rural communities without access to pressure mapping technology.

A full list of all the grantees funded can be found on the Reeve Foundation's website.

About the Reeve Foundation:

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau's standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB's Charity Seal. The Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) is a program of the Reeve Foundation and is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (cooperative agreement number 90PRRC0002-02-00). For more information, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-539-7309.

SOURCE Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

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