EquipALife, a statewide nonprofit organization that provides all kinds of adaptive equipment for Minnesotans, has received a generous gift from Crippled Child Relief Inc. (CCRI). The $85,000 gift will be used to jumpstart the new Grants to Individuals Program. The new program will help EquipALife help even more Minnesotans and make their dreams of self-sufficiency come true.
The gift comes at a time when CCRI, which was founded in 1929, makes a shift in focus and prepares to change its name. EquipALife has worked with CCRI since 2009, providing individual grants to persons in need of one-time funds to purchase adaptive equipment, to repair or replace outdated devices, and to assist children with the purchase of special recreational items when other funding available isn’t available.
It is hoped that the donation will provide incentives for others to match portions of the gift necessary for ensuring the fund’s sustainability into the future. “We are extremely grateful for the partnership we’ve had with CCRI over the years,” said Carol Fury, CEI of EquipALife. “The opportunity to continue providing grants when there are no other resources is critical for people with disabilities who would otherwise go without the equipment necessary for independence.”
EquipALife is a community non-profit organization providing a statewide, comprehensive, consumer responsive system of assistive technology for Minnesotans of all ages with disabilities. It provides access to life-changing equipment for people in need, finding the right tool for the right task while assisting people to become more self-sufficient at home, work, school and in the greater community.
CCRI had administered grants for many years before working with EquipALife. Roxanne Oswald, current CCRI Board president, said she is pleased that funds will continue to support Minnesota residents in need. A history of CCRI is on page two as the History Note for this issue of Access Press.
“In the last 18 months our board has come to rely on EquipALife for their expertise and due diligence to identify specific needs that a grant from Crippled Child Relief could partially or fully cover,” Oswald said. “Through EquipALife we’ve awarded $105,000 in individual grants since October of 2009. As our organization prepares for of a shift in mission and name, the CCRI Board is excited to make the first contribution to EquipALife’s Grants to Individuals Program since we are so confident in their ability to establish a well-managed fund that carries out the important mission of helping Minnesotans with disabilities.”
For more information on how to get help or to make a donation, contact EquipALife at 763-479-8239 or 866-535-8239 or visit www.equipalife.org
