Arts of Life Receives $25,000 Grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Arts of Life is proud to announce that it has been awarded $25,000 as part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) 2021 2nd Cycle Direct Effect Quality of Life grants. Sixty-seven grants totaling $1,403,071 were awarded. The Quality of Life Grants Program supports nonprofit organizations that empower individuals living with paralysis. Since the Quality of Life Grants Program’s inception, more than 3,490 grants totaling over $36 million have been awarded. Funding for this program was made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL grant #90PRRC0006-01-00).

The Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center has several grants under the Quality of Life program awarding grants in different category areas, varying in different amounts.

The Direct Effect Quality of Life grants program funds organizations up to $25,000 to support a wide range of projects and activities that will impact individuals living with paralysis and their families.

“This cycle of Direct Effect grant projects offers a robust and impactful addition to our Quality of Life grants program,” said Mark Bogosian, Director, Quality of Life Grants Program, Reeve Foundation. “Grant funds are supporting wide-ranging projects including accessible community areas, adaptive sports and fitness & wellness, consumer education, peer mentoring & support, and transportation. These projects represent the true essence of our Quality of Life grants program by fostering inclusion, involvement and community engagement, and promoting health and wellness for those affected by paralysis.”

Arts of Life will use the grant towards the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van. Currently, artists using wheelchairs are fully dependent on PACE, family members, or caretakers for transportation and have little, if any, choice in the exhibitions, field trips, and events they attend. The vehicle will allow all artists, regardless of access needs, to attend the events that will best serve them and their professional development goals.

“The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is helping to make a longtime dream come true for Arts of Life,” said Executive Director Denise Fisher. “The purchase of a wheelchair accessible van will significantly impact our artists’ ability to participate in professional development opportunities while also relieving the strain on their support networks. Now, artists can choose to attend events based on what would best serve them professionally and not simply based on what is accessible or who has available transportation. 

 

  

About the Reeve Foundation:

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. By uniting the brightest minds in the field, we are working tirelessly to accelerate scientific discovery across the field of spinal cord research by investing in labs across the globe. Additionally, through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living, the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) promotes the health, well-being, and independence of people living with paralysis, providing comprehensive information, resources, and referral services assisting over 100,000 individuals and families since its launch in 2002. The Reeve Foundation is committed to elevating our community’s voices and needs to achieve greater representation and independence. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB’s Charity Seal.  For more information, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.