A non-profit Center for Independent Living serving the NRV
On January 21st, 2020, the Community Advocate, Tiffany Allison of the New River Valley Disability Resource Center, attended a luncheon with Pulaski County’s Rotary Club. She was able to share NRV DRC’s Mission and talked with club members about the services we offer to individuals in our community with disabilities.
For those interested, NRV DRC has published it’s 1st Quarter Newsletter. If you wish to submit an event to be published in the newsletter or would like to subscribe to it, please email NRV DRC’s Community Advocate, Tiffany Allison, at tallison@nrvdrc.org.
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On January 15, 2020 NRV DRC staff participated in the Hokie Health & Wellness Fair at Virginia Tech. There was a great turn out and we enjoyed informing people about all of the services we offer at NRV DRC. As an incentive, those who came by our booth and chose to sign up would have a chance to win a gift basket from Chocolate Paper located in Roanoke, VA.
On January 16, 2020 we announced our lucky winner, Janet Murphy. Congratulations Janet and thank you so much for stopping by and entering into our raffle, we hope you enjoy your gift basket!
NRV DRC volunteered to participate in Downtown Christiansburg Inc.’s first window decorating contest. We would like to thank Christiansburg High School’s art class for decorating our windows while incorporating disabilities into our theme. From now until December 22, you can vote for your favorite window on the non-profit’s Facebook page by giving it a like. The one that gets the most likes will win a $250 gift card toward marketing their business.
The New River Valley Disability Resource Center (NRV DRC) is happy to announce that it’s first Amputee Support Group has officially begun. Anyone who is interested in joining our group or would like more information please email NRV DRC’s Office Manager, Caitlin Hanvey, at chanvey@nrvdrc.org or info@nrvdrc.org. (All amputees are welcome).
On November 18th, 2019, Carla Dean with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) came to the NRV DRC office and educated staff about other potential options for consumers. Whether needing home repairs, home modifications, or wanting to purchase a new home, USDA is another great resource NRV DRC can provide to consumers. As with any loan or grant program, there are eligibility requirements. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about the USDA programs, please give one of our Independent Living Coordinators a call at 540-266-1435.
The Community Foundation of the New River Valley announced there were numerous grants being offered to nonprofits in the NRV area. Tiffany Allison (Community Advocate), wrote the proposal for a new program for NRV DRC using the acronym LEAN, which stands for Loan Equipment for Accessibility Needs. Money awarded via this grant will be used to purchase assistive equipment to officially begin the LEAN program for consumer. In other words, anyone who has a disability and a temporary need for equipment, can borrow – free of charge – an item as long as they have plans to obtain their own during that time. Any equipment borrowed must be returned so other individuals can have an equal opportunity to access their environment at no cost.
On November 13th, 2019 NRV DRC’s staff members Theo Rogers and Tiffany Allison attended a luncheon with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley and was awarded a grant in the amount of $1250.00 to go towards NRV DRC’s LEAN program. NRV DRC would like to give a big THANK YOU to the Community Foundation of the NRV for your generous contribution.
This was the second year in a row that staff members of the NRV DRC were able to volunteer with the disAbility Law Center of Virginia (dLCV) on Election Day. Tuesday November 5, 2019 NRV DRC staff surveyed several polling sites in an effort to provide feedback on voter accessibility in the New River Valley. Polling sites included in the survey were in Montgomery County, Giles County, Floyd County, and The City of Radford. The statewide initiative is to recognize challenges voters with disabilities face and encourage continued advancements to allow for increased accessibility at polling stations. Staff successfully evaluated all accessibility areas involved in the voting process for compliance. The disAbility Law Center strives to create a more accessible environment at the polling stations to promote electoral participation for all members of the community. All findings were reported to the disAbility Law Center of Virginia.
Community Advocate, Tiffany Allison, has recently published NRV DRC’s 4th Quarter Newsletter “The Independent”. Our newsletter is to keep consumers and non-consumers informed of any updates and current events happening in the NRV DRC office as well as in the community. If you wish to submit an event to be published in our newsletter please email NRV DRC’s Community Advocate, Tiffany Allison, at tallison@nrvdrc.org.
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Linda Farley may be this year’s fastest “sprinter” in the Olympics of home modification paperwork!
Ms. Farley, needing a walk-in shower for her rented apartment, reached out to NRV DRC for assistance. Independent Living Coordinator Matt Shelor partnered with Ms. Farley to compile and submit information for a Rental Unit Accessibility Modification (RUAM) grant with the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA).
As with any grant process, paperwork is a necessity: gathering the appropriate financial documents and rental agreements, to name a few. Ms. Farley excelled in her communication with the NRV DRC team and delivered the needed documents in record time. And her diligence paid off … Ms. Farley’s grant process went smoothly, and she received her walk-in shower this month. Ms. Farley came by NRV DRC’s office to thank Matt in person for all of his guidance in the application process. It gave Matt the opportunity as well to thank Ms. Farley for her frequent communication and earnest work throughout.
Linda is a great example of enthusiasm. By working closely together as a team, NRV DRC, the Consumer, and our friends at VHDA can achieve great things for renters with disabilities by helping them live more independent lives in the NRV!