We are committed to meeting the need for a choice in community and home-based services to individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), including adults and military TBI survivors, to regain their independence and rebuild their lives. The causes of brain injury are varied, and include motor vehicle accidents, strokes, brain surgery, falls, violence, substance abuse, and military combat injuries.

Our organization is working to bring awareness to the community of the effects of brain injury on individuals and their families, while providing services to guide individuals in rebuilding their skills to complete everyday tasks they were once able to do independently. Frequently, survivors are placed in nursing homes at a young age or left without a support system to help them cope with their disability and work toward a plan for rebuilding their lives. Our services prevent people from being inappropriately placed in nursing homes or institutional settings, or from becoming homeless, allowing survivors the dignity of living more independently.

We provide service coordination, independent living-skills training, counseling, and a day program that promotes the development of social and pre-vocational skills through our programs: Wildlife Defenders, Make Your Mark Artists , Connections Café, and W.O.W. (With Out Walls). We serve Yates, Seneca, Wayne, Ontario, Monroe, and Livingston counties.

Wish List

• animal-related items: Iams cat food, kitty litter, kennels/cages, pine shavings, animal pellets, bird seed, feeding/water bowls & bottles, hand sanitizer, wall hand sanitizing dispensers, wall folding paper towel dispensers, cleaning supplies, horse mats, air cleaners.
• arts and crafts items: scrapbooking supplies, jewelry-making supplies and kits, stamp kits, blank note cards with envelopes. soap- and candle-making supplies, all craft supplies
• computer equipment: workstation/laptop computers, color printers, ink cartridges, copier, digital camera, software, games, etc.
• educational items: workbooks on budgeting, math, and reading comprehension; word-find and crossword puzzle books, computer software and games, books in all areas
• cleaning supplies: paper towels, hand/bath towels, bleach, garbage bags, garbage cans, shampooer, vacuum, brooms/dustpans, buckets, mop, sponges, hand sanitizer, wall hand sanitizer dispensers, laundry detergent, dish soap, hand soap, gloves, etc.
• emergency supplies: generator, flashlights, batteries, first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, walkie talkies, hand crank radios, etc.

• gift cards: pet stores, movies, sporting events, local museums, restaurants, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Tops, Wegmans, dollar stores, gas stations, etc; Trac phone cards
• household items: floor lamps, small/mini portable dishwasher, full-size/medium refrigerator (new or gently-used), coffee carafes, plastic utensils, paper plates, coffee, sugar, sandwich/storage bags, plastic wrap, tinfoil, napkins
• monetary donations for emergency funding and program activities
• office furniture: conference room table and chairs, wall partitions, storage cabinets (wood or metal with locking capability)
• postage stamps
• safety/health items: bike helmets, wheelchair with raising foot pedals, portable grab bars, fire/smoke alarms
• social/recreational: video game system with games, large flat-screen TV, DVD player, DVD movies, CD/tape/radio boom box, music CDs and tapes, lockers, Foos table
• vehicle/van: to enable day-program members to access community resources and events, and to provide transportation for those giving school and community presentations.

Volunteers Needed

Board members interested in sharing skills and expertise in achieving our mission.

Student interns and volunteers in areas of human services/social work, psychology, marketing, public relations, music therapy, art therapy, pet therapy, speech therapy, occupational and physical therapy, and fundraising.

Volunteers to plan and implement special events.

Volunteers to share skills with day-program members, either in occasional presentations (such as woodworking, computers, cooking, horticulture, animals, jewelry making, scrapbooking); or in regular mentoring assistance with community outings and classroom activities.