In April, United Spinal received a generous grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to provide relief to people living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) who have experienced hardships due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
To date, this grant has helped save lives and energized United Spinal’s unwavering commitment to serve our community.
Over the past few months, our staff has been working around the clock to fulfill the critical needs of our members and the larger disability community. So far, we have distributed over 600 relief grants to help wheelchair users and other individuals with disabilities make it through these challenging times. But there are thousands more in need of relief.
Aside from increased risks to COVID-19, our members have faced a shortage of home- and community-based services, personal care attendants, and health care options. This has made a difficult situation much worse for many wheelchair users; and even harder for some to maintain their health and independence and avoid hospitals and nursing homes.
We’ve already received a large amount of feedback from grant recipients that reinforces the importance of our efforts during this unprecedented global crisis. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring hope and peace of mind to so many individuals and families.
Testimonials From Our Community
“My wife lost her job. She was denied unemployment without justification and our family expenses were causing us stress off of one small salary. This relief allowed us to be able to take a step back and say ‘hey, we’re going to be okay’. We are able to pay our bills on time and get groceries. Sometimes it’s the little thing that make a big difference. To us, this grant felt like a big thing that made an enormous difference. All I can say at the end of the day is thank you.”
–Daniel from Florida
“Through the hardships of COVID-19, a lot of changes have happened in my daily life that made me question how I would survive if this continued. The funds received from United Spinal through the relief grant has helped me in obtaining items such as groceries, house hold cleaning supplies and even pay some medical bills. It was extremely helpful to receive the funds and grateful for United Spinal for serving individuals with SCI.”
–Harsh from Virginia
“It gave a little boost, relief, and security to my overall situation. Also, knowing someone was thoughtful enough to want to give relief to our select demographic is very heartwarming.”
–Rose from Indiana
“Words cannot express my gratitude to the organization and staff. I had been worried about so many things since the pandemic started. How will we pay for the extra care, emergency supplies, and get proper PPEs? Well, I used the grant to pay for extra personal care assistance due to being home teleworking. I had already borrowed money from family to cover some extra care hours when I received the email to apply. I was happy, but not surprised to see that United Spinal was working on an emergency relief fund. We appreciate all you do to keep us strong!”
–Shannon from Maryland
“I’m so thankful. This grant was such a great help. Because of the money, I was able to provide a little more for my family. Thank you so much United Spinal Association!”
–Gerardo from California
“This grant helped me obtain all the medications I was completely out of and could not afford, as well as, all the supplies I was in dire need of! Thank you, once again because without this assistance I would have currently been in a bad position.”
–Christopher from Florida
“My son, who is disabled, has been stuck in the house during the quarantine. His dad is his only caregiver, and has been out of work, so money has been exceptionally tight. With this grant, we were able to help my son get some much needed supplies for his indoor hobbies, which keeps him occupied and his mind busy. We were able to restock the kitchen with groceries. Just receiving it gave him such a moral boost and stress relief. We are so abundantly grateful for your generosity and kindness during this hardship.”
–Cara from Alabama
“I am very grateful to United Spinal for being there for me in a tough situation. I am a C5 who relies on home care 24/7. I live with my elderly mother. When the pandemic struck New York, one of my aides came down with a bad case of COVID that nearly killed her. I lost all my income because the gym where I work part time was obviously closed. With the grant I was able to pay privately for a few hours of home care to tide me over for a couple shifts I was unable to fill. It also helped me to purchase immune boosting nutritional supplements (which I credit with helping my body to fight off the virus, unscathed), along with some resistance bands and other such light exercise equipment so I could work from home.”
–Gabrielle from New York
“My home flooded March 13th, right before the stay at home order. My 2 kids and I were displaced for 2 months until the renovations were completed. This grant allowed me to get my personal care items, medication, and healthy food during this pandemic. It helped lift a weight off of my shoulders dealing with displacement during this time.”
–Monique from North Carolina
Other Support Initiatives
-United Spinal’s team of information specialists have provided one-on-one assistance through our online Resource Center, offering individuals guidance to overcome the wide array of challenges caused by COVID-19.
-On the advocacy front, United Spinal’s Policy department has been keeping Washington, DC, state officials and legislators informed of COVID-19-created gaps in services to ensure our members have access to healthcare and community supports.
In addition, we’re hosting a 3-part virtual advocacy series via Zoom with the goal of helping people with disabilities overcome a variety of hurdles during these uncertain times. Topics include telework/assistive technology; telehealth/rehabilitation; medical rationing; caregiving; and access to personal protective equipment (PPE).
-Through the generosity of the Neilsen Foundation and our corporate partners, United Spinal chapters and support groups have been able to continue to provide outreach, share resources and maintain strong connections with our members nationwide–at a time when many are cut off from their communities and support networks.
This includes:
- Hosting weekly online art and fitness classes
- Delivering PPE kits with gloves, masks and hand sanitizer
- Providing grocery store gift cards
- Planning virtual events
- Improving digital and virtual communication
As our country looks toward a gradual reopening and returning some normalcy to our daily lives, we will continue to work to ensure the health and safety of our members.
While there are many unknowns at this difficult time, there is one thing that is certain: United Spinal needs to be there for all Americans living with SCI/D, now more than ever before. United Spinal is leading the fight to protect the health and safety of disabled veterans, wheelchair users and all people living with SCI/D.
You can support our mission by donating whatever amount you can afford to make a difference in lives of people most affected by this pandemic. Your donation will help United Spinal provide additional relief to thousands of individuals who need help now.
For disability-related COVID-19 resources and information, visit www.unitedspinal.org/covid-support.