On Giving Tuesday, TRC raising money for technology to assist people with disabilities during pandemic

On Giving Tuesday, make a gift to help people with special needs stay connected during the pandemic!

December 1 is “Giving Tuesday,” a day when people all over the world are encouraged to make donations to support worthwhile causes. This year, The Resource and the “Dream On” Kathy Seastedt Memorial Fund are focused on raising money to assist people with disabilities whose lives have been turned upside down because of the pandemic.

COVID has forced many businesses, including The Resource Center, to change the way they operate.  And this has created challenges and hardships for people with disabling conditions:

• When our Day Programs were closed in the spring, people with intellectual disabilities lost contact with their friends and support staff.
• When state and federal guidelines dictated we couldn’t let families visit their loved ones living in our homes, it was devastating for the people we support and their families.
• When the initial surge in COVID cases forced us to restrict people coming into our health and counseling clinics, people were at risk of not receiving needed supports. In addition, fear of leaving their homes because of the virus has kept some people from coming to our offices.

In all of these cases, technology helped people stay connected. People used iPads, tablets and other devices to contact friends and family, or to attend counseling and medical appointments remotely via tele-health.  While some people already had technology they could utilize to stay connected, others did not. In those instances, our “Dream On” Kathy Seastedt Memorial Fund has stepped in to provide money for people to buy iPads and other devices.

The Dream On Fund is named in memory of Kathy Seastedt.  She was a 25-year employee of The Resource Center when she passed away unexpectedly in 2008. Kathy’s deep, abiding passion to support people with disabilities inspired us to rename our Community Support Fund in her memory. The fund provides money to people with disabilities who have urgent needs.

Often, a relatively small amount of money can make a big difference in someone’s life. In the case of helping people to acquire technology during the pandemic, the average amount of money provided by the Dream On Fund has been $244.

With our community experiencing another surge in positive COVID cases that threatens to restrict our operations, in the coming weeks and months we will need to provide additional technology to people with disabilities. This includes people living in our homes, as well as folks who live on their own in the community or with their familiesOn Giving Tuesday, please consider making a donation to our “Dream On” Kathy Seastedt Memorial Fund at Filling the Gap, Inc. (Filling the Gap raises money to support The Resource Center’s mission.) Your gift will make a real difference in the lives of people with disabilities as they adapt to the changes brought by the pandemic. Click here to make a donation. Or you can mail a donation to Filling the Gap, 92 Fairmount Avenue, Jamestown, NY, 14701, and write “Dream On Fund” on the memo line.

Thank you! Your support will enable people with disabilities to keep from feeling isolated during the pandemic.