On September 24, United Spinal Board member Lex Frieden asked for assistance in support of people with disabilities affected by Hurricane Ike. He urged friends and colleagues to provide funding to establish a call center so that people with disabilities can be routed to appropriate services in the affected area. United Spinal’s Board of Directors responded this morning with a $10,000 donation. Please see Lex’s touching account of how the funds will be used and consider making a donation.
Email from United Spinal Board member Lex Frieden:
Dear friends: Under ordinary circumstances, I would never impose on friends to request a contribution to something on which I was working. I know that all of you have your own charitable commitments, and I respect that. However, these are not ordinary circumstances in Southeast Texas.
Though the national media has generally stopped covering the story of Hurricane Ike, more than a million people are still without power, a quarter of a million homes in our city are still without running water, and thousands of young and old people with disabilities are trying to maintain their health and their independence in the face of the most challenging circumstances.
We need your help!
While other public and private agencies are trying to address the less complex needs of the general population, my colleagues and I are trying to address the specific needs of people with disabilities who were affected by Hurricane Ike. We are trying to raise $200,000 to underwrite the cost of a three month project designed to contact and help people with severe impairments and disabilities who sheltered in place and whose independent living situation is at risk of being compromised by the storm.
Also, we aim to help find alternative housing and support services for people whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the storm and who otherwise might have to move into nursing homes or other institutional settings. We already have many commitments for in-kind support, but we need funding to support call center infrastructure costs, core staff and certain urgently needed supplies which may not be readily available in the inventories of donated items.
Please take a moment to consider helping us by contributing to the Disability Emergency Assistance Project at the following link:
https://secure.imodules.com/s/751/index.aspx?sid=751&gid=1&pgid=339&cid=853
Your contribution will be used to help people with disabilities recover from Hurricane Ike. Our collaborating organizations, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TIRR Memorial Hermann rehabilitation hospital, and the City of Houston have waived all ordinary indirect charges and administrative fees so that 100% of the funds which we raise for this purpose can be used for direct expenses. Please help if you can. Thanks, Lex
Response from United Spinal President Paul Tobin:
Dear Lex -
Per the Board’s direction last night, I have made an online contribution to the Disability Emergency Assistance Project in the amount of $10,000.
I figured that this would be the quickest way for you to access the funds.
If there’s anything else that we can do to assist, simply ask.
Best -
Paul
