(Hanover, PA – January 19, 2022) – PennCares is proud to announce that it has been awarded $21,370 as part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) 2021 Priority Impact Quality of Life grants. Seventeen grants totaling $499,700 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 Priority Impact Quality of Life grants program funds one-to-two-year grants with three increasing levels of grant funding: Respite and Caregiving, Assistive Technology and COVID19: Addressing Social Isolation (Up to $30,000), Nursing Home Transition (Up to $40,000), and Employment (Up to $50,000). Each tier is targeted to focus on a high-priority issue to increase access to services and increase the independence or inclusion of people living with paralysis, their family members, and caregivers.

“I am so pleased to welcome these seventeen organizations to our family of Quality of Life grantees,” said Mark Bogosian, Director, Quality of Life Grants Program, Reeve Foundation. . “The Priority Impact program focuses on areas of deep need within our community of people living with paralysis and their families and caregivers. These areas include respite and caregiving, addressing social isolation, assistive technology, and employment – all of which more than enhance quality of life and are in many ways its very foundation.”

PennCares will use the grant for 10 professional, educational webinars offered from February through December 2022 and will offer free social work continuing education units. The 10 webinars are: The New Age of Anxiety and Depression: Navigating Consumers through Stress During Chaotic Times; Coping with Change and Loss-Regaining Normalcy from the Impacts of COVID-19; One Team and One Mission-Discovering Ways to Collaborate After COVID-19; Isolation in Older Adults-Managing Adjustments after the Losses of the Pandemic; Healthy Thoughts in Older Adulthood: Recognizing and Treating Anxiety and Depression; Care for the Caregiver: Using Selfcare to Combat Compassion Fatigue; Prescription Drug Abuse with Social Isolation in Older Adults; Strategies for Understanding Behaviors when Addressing Social Isolation; Stress Management; and Understanding the Cognitive Stages of Development in Young Adults with Physical Disabilities.

Deborah Allen, Executive Director of PennCares stated she is honored to receive this award and is very thankful to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “We chose to focus on social isolation and COVID-19 with this grant due to the nature of individuals being alone and more vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation, which can affect their health. Studies have shown that loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risks for health issues such as heart disease, cognitive decline, and depression. Our webinars focus in on these topics and will educate our community at large. I encourage professionals, family members, caregivers, individuals with disabilities, and those living with paralysis to visit our website at penncares.org for information and registration details.”

About PennCares

PennCares serves individuals in York, Adams, Franklin, and Fulton Counties through numerous programs, including Early Intervention services for children from birth to age 3, inclusive Child Development Groups and Preschools for young children of all abilities, along with in-home non-medical Personal Care and Community Habilitation Services for adults with disabilities and older adults. PennCares also conducts educational trainings for professionals working in the field of human services as well as caregivers and family members who live/work with older adults. We have offices in Chambersburg, York, Hanover, and Harrisburg.

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.