Portlight Disaster Relief

Portlight awarded Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grant

Posted by: Portlight, 8:45 PM GMT on February 02, 2012

www.portlight.orgLink

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
January 31, 2012 Janelle LoBello(973) 379-2690 ext. 7111
media@christopherreeve.org

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Awards 76 Nonprofit Organizations
Quality of Life Grants

Short Hills, N.J. - (February 1, 2012) The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation announced it is has awarded 76 Quality of Life Grants totaling $450,000 to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. Awarded twice annually, the Quality of Life Grants Program rewards nonprofit organizations who reflect the Reeve Foundation’s mission to empower individuals living with paralysis. Since the Quality of Life Grants Program’s inception, almost 2,000 grants totaling over $15.2 million have been awarded.

Portlight Strategies of Johns Island, South Carolina was honored with a $25,000 grant which will help to support the replenishment of a mobile emergency disaster relief storage trailer that transports and provides accessible shelter, essential medical supplies and durable medical equipment to individuals living with paralysis and their families in the event of weather catastrophe. Funded with a previous Quality of Life grant to Portlight Strategies, the trailer has helped families up and down the East Coast of the United States after hurricanes and flooding and in Texas after wildfires. Portlight will also work to educate emergency shelter providers to make them more accessible to people with mobility impairments.

Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago, Illinois, was awarded a $17,000 grant to support a project using the SmartWheel system to help prevent and eliminate pain and repetitive strain injury during prolonged use of wheelchairs in pediatric patients living with spinal cord injuries.

Of the many adaptive sports grants awarded, Disabled Sports USA located in Rockville, Maryland, received a $4,500 grant to help support the Hartford Ski Spectacular. Over 700 youth and adults will have the opportunity to enjoy a diverse amount of snow sports made accessible by adaptive equipment, trained adaptive instructors, skilled professionals, and volunteers at one of the nation’s largest winter sports festivals for people living with disabilities.

PAALS, of Columbia, South Carolina, has been awarded a $2,500 grant to support an experiential program for members of the military and veterans with combat-related anxiety to train service dog partners for military and veteran clients living with paralysis.

“The Quality of Life Grants Program allows us to connect with other nonprofit organizations to enable individuals living with paralysis and their families to enhance their daily livelihood,” said Peter T. Wilderotter, president and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “Promoting as much freedom and independence as possible for individuals living with paralysis is a tenet of our mission. The Quality of Life Grants do just that.”

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life grants program was conceived by the late Dana Reeve to address the myriad needs of children and adults with paralysis and other mobility impairments and their families. Grants support critical life-enhancing and life-changing initiatives that improve physical and emotional health and increase independence. Funded projects offer a diversity of services and approaches: improving access; providing education and job training; sponsoring organized sporting activities; and much more. Quality of Life grants are funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Award #1U59DD000838).

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 people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy. For more information, and to review the entire list of Quality of Life grant recipients, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.

###

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (5)

Wunderground Renews Support

Posted by: Portlight, 7:10 PM GMT on January 11, 2012

www.portlight.orgLinkWeather Underground National Sponsor of Portlight Disaster ReliefCharleston, SC – Portlight Strategies, Inc., - a national grassroots non-profit organization - announced today that Weather Underground, Inc., will again be a National Sponsor of Portlight Disaster Relief.Wunderground.com is the nation’s first online weather service and the trusted source of local weather information for millions of loyal visitors each day.Hundreds of member...

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (5)

2011 Wrap Up and WU Appeal for Africa

Posted by: Portlight, 2:22 AM GMT on November 28, 2011

www.portlight.orgLinkFrom Jeff Master's blog:At least thirteen million people in East Africa are in need of food aid. Weather Underground has partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help the Horn of Africa region during the ongoing famine. With the help of the Weather Underground community, we hope to raise $10,000 that will go toward helping the refugees survive the crisis. Weather Underground will match the community's donation dollar-for-dollar...

Updated: 7:35 PM GMT on December 19, 2011

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (7)

Preparing for next time

Posted by: Portlight, 8:32 PM GMT on September 26, 2011

www.portlight.orgLinkWe are now just past the halfway point of the 20011 hurricanes season. But we still have two months to go.Thanks to your generous support, we were able to respond to several individuals and communities along the Eastern seaboard after hurricane Irene.As you know, we also responded to Joplin, MO, and areas of Alabama and Georgia after Spring tornadoes there.In addition to the remainder of hurricane season, it would not be unusual to see outbreak...

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (2)

Irene Response Update

Posted by: Portlight, 1:10 AM GMT on August 24, 2011

www.portlight.orgLink"My grandfather died under there, from a black widow bite", she says, as we suit up in coveralls to pull insulation from under her house. "Under the house?" I ask incredulously. "Well, right here." She points to the space on the porch between us. .. Debbie Owens is a self-employed fisherwoman. She checks 250 crab pots a day on her own. This past week, diesel-tainted storm surge from Hurricane Irene flooded her Wanchese, North Carolina, house. On...