St. Petersburg, FL (June 30, 2019) Voices of Hope for Aphasia, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is celebrating the conclusion of Aphasia Awareness Month by announcing the successful completion of its largest ever fund-raising event, amassing a grand total of $50,469.00, during their “Decade of Hope” campaign. The campaign was launched on the first of May 2019 to honor the Founder’s 10-year anniversary since his stroke and concluded with a benefit performance of The Dixie Swim Club at Early Bird Dinner Theater (Clearwater) on the fifteenth of June 2019.
“We are truly grateful for the support we have received during not only this campaign, but over the past 10 years,” said Debbie Yones, Voices of Hope for Aphasia’s Executive Director. “This success is due to the hard work of our staff, our board of directors, our volunteers, and of course our members,” Yones added. “We are all committed to increasing awareness of aphasia and providing an engaging and supportive environment for those in our community who struggle with the loss of language. The result of our efforts will not only allow our organization to expand our existing programming, but also allow Voices of Hope for Aphasia to reach and serve more people in our own community.”
Ken Bado, Chairman of the Board of Directors said, “through the generous donations of 108 individuals, the overwhelming commitment by our Board of Directors, and the hard work and devotion of our staff, and certainly our members, we have surpassed our goal of raising $50,000. Achieving this goal will allow us to open our third Voices of Hope for Aphasia center in the Tampa Bay area, sometime in 2020.”
Though our Decade of Hope campaign has ended, Voices of Hope for Aphasia is always grateful for donations which will go directly to helping people in our community who struggle with the loss of language due to stroke or traumatic brain injury. Voices of Hope for Aphasia currently offers programming 4 days a week, at locations in St. Petersburg and Dunedin. We serve more than 60 people with aphasia making us one of largest community-based aphasia centers in the United States. More information about these programs, about Voices of Hope for Aphasia, and how to get involved can be found at www.vohaphasia.org.
About the organization: Voices of Hope for Aphasia is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting participation, supporting communication, and developing community among individuals whose ability to speak, understand, write, or read was affected due to stroke or other brain injury. The organization was formed in 2011 by founders Mike and Kathy Caputo after Mike’s stroke at the age of 51. Aphasia impacts over 2.4 million people in the US. It is more common Parkinson’s, ALS, or Muscular Dystrophy. One in three people who suffer a stroke will have some form of aphasia and may suffer isolation, frustration, and depression due to the disorder. For more information on our programs – please visit http://www.vohaphasia.org
