| Dear Disability Community Resource Center Family, As we step into Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to give thanks for the collective effort that brought us through this unprecedented and challenging year – all while primarily teleworking! That we could accomplish this feat was not a foregone conclusion, but now that we’ve done it, I want to acknowledge the efforts of all those who made this possible. First, let me offer a grateful thanks to the Center’s direct service staff and administrative team for rolling up their sleeves and problem-solving to help define what Independent Living services look like in the age of COVID-19. Their creativity and boundless determination to make this work for our members is a testament to what makes our Center so special. Our efforts have saved lives and helped people with disabilities thrive during a pandemic that has disproportionately impacted our community. To our members, I offer them heartfelt thanks as well, as does our Board and staff. Their patience, support, and flexibility has made all the difference. This pandemic has forced a lot on us all, and I’m proud of the way the DCRC family has pulled together to make a remarkable impact in the lives of people with disabilities when the needs have been greatest. Because of everyone’s efforts, we were able to provide effective individual and community advocacy, support groups, classes, seminars and presentations, arts enrichment, benefits enrolment, housing services, personal assistant services, employment services, assistive technology coordination and support, disaster preparedness and response, Census outreach, voter registration, launch of our Digital Bridge Project, food distribution, COVID-19 testing, PPE distribution, and critical public health education. In short, in DCRC’s 44-year history we have been our most productive, engaging and impactful! Few other service organizations in Los Angeles were able to match our level of community engagement – and for that I am extremely proud of our team. Of course, all this work could not be done without the generous financial support of our donors, for which I am also very thankful. If you are able, please make a donation here so that we may continue to help our community face the challenges before us. We have certainly proved that we are up to the task. Though this Thanksgiving holiday will, for so many of us, be different than in years prior, I hope that you get to experience love and shared laughter. Thank you, again, for your care and concern for people with disabilities. Best Wishes, TJ Hill DCRC Executive Director |
