St. Petersburg, FL (December 3, 2020) – Voices of Hope for Aphasia is pleased to announce a grant from the Pinellas Community Foundation, an organization focused on serving the needs of Pinellas County residents.
Voices of Hope for Aphasia is the only community-based aphasia center in the Tampa Bay area. Aphasia is a language disorder due to stroke or brain injury which can severely impact the way a person expresses themselves, and connects with others, causing many to withdraw and isolate themselves from the rest of the world – the added isolation due to COVID-19 has placed them at even greater risk.
At present, Voices of Hope for Aphasia offers 16+ activities and support groups each week. These programs are vital to those who struggle with aphasia as well as their families and loved ones. Members are able to select a curriculum based on interest and language ability. Other programs provide unique and otherwise-unavailable access to aphasia experts who provide individualized education for the family unit. The generous award of this grant provides the resources necessary to expand enrollment by adding 10 more activities to our 2021 calendar. This will allow us to reach a greater number of Pinellas County senior residents with aphasia and provide them the support they need.
“We are so grateful to Pinellas Community Foundation and their Senior Citizens Services Grant for their commitment to helping organizations that serve the senior population of Pinellas”, says Debbie Yones, Voices of Hope for Aphasia’s Executive Director. “In 2020, nonprofits have had to manage the cancellation of fund-raising events, reductions in funding sources, uncertain economic climates, and unforeseen expenses. With the generous contributions of our funders, Voices of Hope will be able to serve more people who struggle with aphasia and help to fulfill our mission of providing programs as support for everyone in need.” Pinellas Community Foundation established a $10 million donor-advised fund buy Senior Citizens Services Inc., a local not-for-profit founded in 1960 which has enlisted the expansive grant management expertise of PCF for the benefit of seniors (55+) in Pinellas County.
About Voices of Hope for Aphasia: Voices of Hope for Aphasia is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting participation, supporting communication, and developing community among individuals whose ability to speak, understand, write, or read was affected due to stroke or other brain injury. The organization was formed in 2011 by founders Mike and Kathy Caputo after Mike’s stroke at the age of 51. Aphasia impacts over 2.4 million people in the US. There are over twice as many people living with aphasia than Parkinson’s and 150 times more than those with ALS. One in three people who suffer a stroke will have some form of aphasia and may suffer isolation, frustration, and depression due to the disorder. For more information about how our programs help to increase quality of life and end isolation, please visit https://www.vohaphasia.org
About Pinellas Community Foundation: Founded in 1969, Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) is the only organization of its kind, dedicated to perpetually enhancing the lives of every Pinellas County Resident. Serving Pinellas for nearly half a century, more than 130 charitable agencies rely on generous donor-funded grants distributed by PCF. The mission of the Senior Citizens Services donor-advised fund is to provide help and guidance to those citizens living in Pinellas County and are fifty-five years of age or older by making charitable contributions to qualified charitable organizations and government entities, which provide help and guidance to those citizens. This funding brings together two foundations committed to addressing the needs of older adults living in Pinellas County. For more information about PCF and SCS, please visit https://pinellascf.org/