Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Awards over $550,000 for Special COVID-19 Grant Cycle

Addressing Social Isolation Brought on by the Pandemic

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Jun 30, 2021, 09:00 ET

SHORT HILLS, N.J., June 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life for individuals living with paralysis, announced it has awarded $580,934 in a special award cycle - COVID-19: Addressing Social Isolation Quality of Life grants this year. This cycle is one of several category areas that awards to other nonprofits that mirror the Reeve Foundation's missions and commitment to foster community engagement, enhance independence and promote healthy self-esteem. In total, the Quality of Life Grant program has awarded over $32 million in grants to over 3,300 programs since its inception in 1999. Funding for the grants is made available through the National Paralysis Resource Center (PRC), operated by the Reeve Foundation, under a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The COVID-19: Addressing Social Isolation Quality of Life grants funds one-year grants of up to $50,000 to nonprofit programs that address social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance the connectedness of people living with paralysis and their caregivers within their communities and preventing adverse health outcomes.

"Even as our nation slowly emerges from the devastating and tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, many in our community are still feeling the effects of social isolation due to their compromised health conditions, and unfortunately, this feeling will linger until the virus is controlled and they feel safe enough to resume life as before," said Mark Bogosian, Director, Quality of Life Grants Program, Reeve Foundation. "The Reeve Foundation is proud to be able to offer the support needed to help alleviate the physical, mental, and behavioral effects related to isolation and loneliness brought on by the pandemic."

The grants given out for this specific cycle covered a variety of projects, including:

Connections for Independent Living (CIL), Greeley, CO – This grant supports the creation of a new technology program for people living with paralysis in the rural area of High Plains of northeastern Colorado. Six nine-week sessions include still photography and photovoice connectivity to facilitate discussion, video photography, and artistic pursuits ranging from painting to sculpture to poetry, online and home platform gaming, genealogy, and armchair travel planning. In addition, ten Android tablet computers with cellular hotspot units will be purchased and available on loan to registered consumers.

Empower Spinal Cord Injury, Boston, MA – A virtual program where participants will receive one-on-one, group counseling and peer mentoring and engage in education on mobility, daily living tasks, recreational activities, and a myriad of topics led by experts in spinal cord injury care. Equipment will be loaned to easily and efficiently improve participants' experience.

TBI Warrior Foundation, Boerne, TX – A health and well-being program that includes respite care for family caregivers consisting of virtual seminars, workshops and virtual coffee/teatime. Seminars and workshops include Filling Up Your Cup: Self-Care for the Caregiver; Caregiving Adaptation/Transition: Navigating healthcare and the caregiving role; Cognitive Skills Seminar: Understanding cognitive impairments and managing disability; and Business Development and Working from Home.

The Michigan State University Community Music School, East Lansing, MI – This grant provides virtual music-making as a group or individual music sessions. Lyric interpretation and songwriting groups will discuss and explore similar themes and feelings shared by members. In addition, recordings of music, dance, and movement sessions will be available for individuals to use as needed for daily exercise regimens.

To learn more about our other Quality of Life grant cycles and how to apply, please visit our website or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date about our webinars and events.

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 (PRC) 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.

SOURCE Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation