Easter Seals West Alabama

13th Annual Holiday Ornament-Bama Theatre featuring the artwork of the late Mike Andrews.

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services

Adult Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Children’s Rehabilitation Service are within the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS). The agency is supported by federal appropriations, state taxes, and local contributions. Commissioner of the Department is Mr. Steve Shivers.

Adult Vocational Rehabilitation Services is dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities who may be unemployed or underemployed to achieve their maximum potential. Any person of legal employment age who has a vocational disability may apply for services. Services include medical, psychological, and vocational evaluation and adjustment. Services are purchased from rehabilitation facilities (such as Easter Seals), trade schools, and colleges. Adult Vocational Rehabilitation is the largest purchaser of Easter Seals West Alabama services. The staff at ADRS works closely with the staff of Easter Seals to ensure quality outcomes for the people we serve.

Children’s Rehabilitation Services provides medical care to children of Alabama who are in need of treatment for certain orthopedic problems, hearing loss, visual impairments, convulsive disorders, severe burns, cleft lip and palate, heart defects (surgical), and certain neurosurgical conditions. Major services provided are hospitalization, surgery, medication, appliances, social services, nursing service, and physical therapy.

Easter Seals West Alabama receives $150,000 grant from the
Johnson & Johnson Community Health Care Program for the Pediatric OT Kids Program.

(L-R) Lea G. Yerby, Health Policy Fellow, Senator Jeff Sessions Office; Leslie Thornton, Doctoral Student, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Elizabeth Haley, Director Outpatient Services, Easter Seals; Loie Sears Robinson, Administrator, Easter Seals; Pat Gregg, Director of Community Relations Easter Seals; Dr. Carol Crow, Volunteer Grant Writer, Easter Seals; Jessica Monroe, Director, State Government Affairs, Johnson & Johnson.

The Johnson & Johnson Crystal Awards Ceremony held in Washington, DC on April 24, 2006 at the Renwick Gallery. Easter Seals West Alabama received $150,000 from the Johnson and Johnson Community Health Care Program for the Pediatric OT Kids Program.

The United Way of West Alabama

The mission of the United Way of West Alabama is to promote the general welfare of the citizens of West Alabama by:

Raising funds, on an annual basis, to assist the effective delivery of health and human care programs an services,

Allocating funds raised on a fair and equitable basis according to the priority needs of the community

Monitoring the expenditures of United Way funds to assure that they are used effectively

Considering the funding of additional programs and services, when appropriate

Assisting, whenever needed, in the implementation of new efforts to meet emerging community needs

Easter Seals West Alabama has been a member agency of the The United Way of West Alabama since 1946. They provide 2% of our budget annually. To learn more visit www.uwwa.org

Alabama Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation

Easter Seals West Alabama has been fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. The Outpatient Rehabilitation Department has faithfully served the patients of Bryce Hospital and Alice Kidd Kidd Intermediate Care Facility for thirty-eight years by providing physical, occupational, and speech therapy services. In addition, the department has also provided those services to the patients at Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center for eleven years. The Board of Directors and staff at Easter Seals West Alabama are proud of these partnerships and our dedication to the citizens of West Alabama.

Alabama Department of Economic & Community Affairs

Improving employment opportunities for Alabamians is the mission of the Workforce Development Division (WDD) of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. WDD focuses on jobs, education, career development and job-training programs as it works to encourage economic development, prepare workers for stable and high-paying jobs and partners with employers. WDD programs help the unemployed and welfare recipients to find work, assist students to prepare for future careers, serve persons with disabilities and aid workers when plants close. WDD coordinates federal job-training programs that give citizens the tools they need to manage their careers and help companies identify skilled workers. Through partnerships with companies, educational institutions and non-profit organizations, Workforce Development offers Alabamians a brighter future.

Alabama Department of Human Resources

Tuscaloosa Career Link- The Tuscaloosa Career Link is a vital partner in the success of our vocational programs. The Career Link is a “one stop shop” for academic training, career exploration, employment resources, and job development for citizens of West Alabama. The Career Link works closely with our program for “at risk” youth to ensure that consumer data is recorded properly. In addition, we now have an employment specialist co-located in an office at the Career Link with a Department of Rehabilitation Services counselor, allowing us to serve consumers more efficiently.

Tuscaloosa Transit

Tuscaloosa Transit's Demand Response service offers transportation services for those individuals living within the city limits of Tuscaloosa with physical and/or mental challenges. All Demand Response vehicles are wheelchair lift equipped. Easter Seals Job Access Transportation contracts with the Transit system to provide trips for customers. Tuscaloosa Transit has partnered with Easter Seals West Alabama from the beginning helping plan for coordination with the Job Access Reverse Commute Program.

Federal Transit Administration

Easter Seals West Alabama received the first Job Access Reverse Commute Grant through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Their Atlanta staff have been an integral part of the success of the transportation program.

West Alabama Regional Commission

The West Alabama Regional Commission is one of the 12 regional councils in the State of Alabama. The councils serve local governments and citizens by coordinating region-wide projects and services, promoting cooperation among local governments, and carrying out state and federal programs on a regional basis. A major component of the commission’s daily activities is technical assistance and various services to member governments such as population, employment and housing data; zoning ordinance regulations, mapping, federal programs and directions, voting district plans and maps, recreation and conservation programs, and grant and loan applications. The West Alabama Regional Commission also provides technical assistance to agencies in Region 2 that receive federal funds for urban or rural transportation. David Norris, Transportation Planning Director, has been a valuable resource to our Job Access/Reverse Commute Transportation Program. David’s technical expertise helped guide Easter Seals through the many governmental processes involved in the initial grant. He has continued to help by providing important statistical data and guidance in the grant preparation. The partnership with West Alabama Regional Commission and particularly David and his staff has been vital to the success of our Transportation Program.

Dr. Rebecca Harvard, Grant Development Partners

Dr. Harvard has written numerous grants for Easter Seals West Alabama during the past several years. Her efforts have led to funding from the Federal Transit Administration to fund our transportation program; funding from the City of Tuscaloosa to renovate the East end of the facility to make it accessible and to add a multi-purpose room; and funding to work with non-custodial parents helping them obtain employment so they can meet their child support obligations. This past year, thanks to her efforts, we received funding from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to fund an At-Risk Youth Program to work with youth ages 16-21 who have aged out of foster care or have dropped out of school; and a Community Development Block Grant from the City of Tuscaloosa to improve security in the building.

Dr. Carolyn Crow

Dr. Crow is a retired Professor Emeritus of Nursing at The University of Alabama. She has served on the Volunteer Steering Committee at Easter Seals since 2003 assisting with the Mall Ball on the Invitation Committee. She volunteers her time to write grants to help Easter Seals secure funding for our new initiative, Pediatric Occupational Therapy. She has written and submitted grants to Easter Seals Growth Fund, Johnson and Johnson Community Health Care Foundation, and The Junior League of Tuscaloosa. We received $150,000 over a two-year period from Johnson & Johnson, which ensured that our Pediatric Occupational Therapy Program got off to a great start. In addition, the Junior League of Tuscaloosa also awarded $4,000 for this program. This funding was made possible because of the commitment Dr. Crow has to Easter Seals West Alabama and our vision and mission. Dr. Crow is also serving as the Evaluator of the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Program to ensure that the programs stated outcomes are achieved. This will help identify the strengths and eliminate the weaknesses so children will continue receiving quality rehabilitation services.

Tuscaloosa Civitan Club

Established in 1924, the Tuscaloosa Civitan Club is one of more than 1,000 Civitan Clubs located throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. The name Civitan was coined from the Latin “civitas”, meaning state or citizenship. Their motto is “Builders of Good Citizenship” and the club is committed to meeting various human needs. For many years Civitan has placed special emphasis on helping people with mental retardation, choosing it as a special objective in 1956. Over the years Civitan International Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to advance the cause of and treatment and care of citizens who are both mentally and physically disabled.

The Tuscaloosa Civitan Club has been a supporter of Easter Seals West Alabama since 1985 when they made their first donation of $1,500 to the Speech/Language Audiology Department. This additional income allowed 18 patients to receive 200 therapy sessions. For the next six years they donated $2,500 per year to this department. Since 1992 they allocate $1,800 annually for this program.

In addition to their commitment of the $1,800 annually, this club hosts an annual charity golf tournament and half of the proceeds are designated to Easter Seals West Alabama. The golf tournament contributes an additional $3,000 annually for our program of services. During this 21-year partnership, the Tuscaloosa Civitan Club has donated approximately $59,000 to Easter Seals West Alabama. Their continued support has helped hundreds of children and adults with disabilities receive the services they need. This club also gives annually to Camp ASCCA-Dadeville Campus.

Alabama Civil Justice Foundation

The mission of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation is to assist in removing barriers to a civil and just society for Alabama families and children. The Foundation achieves its goals by (1) providing financial assistance to worthwhile charitable organizations serving disadvantaged, disabled, and at risk families and children; and by (2) providing information and instruction beneficial to individual consumers and the larger community. The Alabama Civil Justice Foundation has awarded over $20,000 in support of our children’s programs.

Tuscaloosa Exchange Club

The purpose of the Exchange Club of Tuscaloosa Foundation’s Community Grants Program is to meet critical community needs in the areas of child and youth advocacy and the prevention of child abuse for children from birth to the age of 18. In 2006 the Tuscaloosa Exchange Club awarded Easter Seals West Alabama $2,000 to support the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Program.

Jr. League of Tuscaloosa

The Jr. League of Tuscaloosa is a dedicated group of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership with trained volunteers. The Jr. League of Tuscaloosa has supported Easter Seals West Alabama through their Community Grants Program awarding $4,000 to our Pediatric Occupational Therapy Program.

Alabama’s Career Center system

Alabama’s network of 30 One –Stop Centers and 31 satellites are strategically located throughout the state. Job development, occupational and educational training, vocational rehabilitation, veterans’ services, and unemployment insurance information are offered. Employers work with local centers to locate employees with specific skills and the goal is to consolidate the delivery of services at a single location. Many centers are electronically linked with partner agencies such as the Alabama Departments of industrial Relations, Human Resources, Rehabilitation Services and Education, two-year colleges and others.

The Community Foundation of West Alabama

The Community Foundation of West Alabama is a tax-exempt public charity, established by local individuals to meet local needs. It strives to build and strengthen our community by making it possible for a wide range of donors to create permanent charitable funds to meet critical needs. The CFWA evaluates and helps coordinate the needs and services of our community, so that charitable gifts are used effectively to fulfill our community’s most critical needs. The Community Foundation of West Alabama works with families, individuals, estate planners, and attorneys to design gift plans that fit every economic situation so donors can receive the most benefit from their charitable contributions. The CFWA awarded Easter Seals West Alabama a $1,000 grant in 2006 to be used in the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Program.