ECNV’s Annual Appeal

Dear Friends of ECNV,

Happy Holidays!

In this season of giving and gratitude, thank you for supporting ECNV’s work. People with disabilities want to live independently and fully participate in our communities just like everyone else – and with your support, ECNV is proud to be making that possible in Northern Virginia.

Having known ECNV and its impressive achievements over many years, I am thrilled to have been appointed its Executive Director at an exciting time of growth and development. This year ECNV assisted hundreds of people in our region with personal assistance services funded through Medicaid waivers that enable them to live in their communities instead of institutions. Our staff Peer Mentors are helping people to find work and accessible housing, and develop independent living skills. ECNV Travel Trainers are riding the rails and buses to teach consumers with disabilities how to do so independently. You’ll find ECNV advocates participating at housing and transportation meetings throughout our region to ensure the disability perspective is heard. And our staff is active in assisting people to move from nursing homes and institutions back into the community.

Let me share just one example of what ECNV’s work can achieve. Diana, a 45 year-old professional artist with a spinal cord injury, contacted ECNV about transitioning from a nursing home to her own apartment. A team of our Peer Mentors, advocates and a transition coordinator helped her obtain rental assistance and locate and move to her own apartment. ECNV connected her to personal assistance and other needed supports. After 18 months in the community, Diana, with ECNV staff support, has gained the knowledge, skills and confidence to live on her own and is re-establishing her career. She now assists ECNV staff on advocacy efforts aimed at securing more rental assistance vouchers from Fairfax County so that others in nursing homes have the same opportunity to return to life in their community. In a meeting with the Chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, Diana said, “I am immensely grateful for the day that I found ECNV because with their help and persistent belief in me, I have been able to regain my life. Now I want to help ECNV to find the resources to help others in nursing homes regain their lives and their freedom.”

With your help, ECNV will keep doing all we can to help people like Diana achieve, maintain and maximize their freedom.

Please join ECNV and support our work as a $50 ENDependence Advocate – or with the contribution that you can best afford today.

• $15 Friend of ECNV
• $50 ENDependence Advocate
• $100 Champion of Independent Living (CIL)
• $_________ Self Advocate (Your choice of amount)

Name: _______________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Telephone:_____________________________________________

E-mail: ________________________________________________

It is easy to make a donation to ECNV today with a check made payable to ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia and mailed to our office at 2300 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 305, Arlington VA 22201; or by using PayPal to make a donation via our website at http//www.ecnv.org (ECNV can also accept credit cards over the phone at 703/525-3268).

Our core and auxiliary services are free of charge and our communications are provided to all community members – so your contribution will benefit many others.

The staff and Board of ECNV join me in thanking you for your interest in our work and for sharing our commitment to enhancing independent living in our region.

Sincerely,

 

 

Brewster Thackeray
Executive Director

PS – Please return the above donor form today so you can be eligible for a 2013 tax deduction for a charitable contribution!