Second Annual Joyful Tidings Giving Campaign image

Second Annual Joyful Tidings Giving Campaign

Combat Loneliness and Social Isolation for People with Disabilities

$3,995 raised

$50,000 goal

Choose your own amount

/ 150

Share:

Joyful Tidings Have a Meaningful Impact

Our mission is a simple one that is designed to impact the people we serve directly. We are combating loneliness and social isolation by reaching out and sending cards, letters, words of friendship, and small gifts to people across the county with disabilities.

Think about how you feel when you receive a birthday card or holiday greeting from a loved one or friend each year. Do you feel loved, valued, remembered, or appreciated? This act is how we spark joy and create a sense of belonging. Our Forget-Me-Not Friends Club program members call it their "happy mail."

The desire to belong and be a part of a group is hardwired into our brains and bodies. Most of us take for granted the ease at which we can socialize and be with friends. We have access to people and places to make connections where we feel a sense of belonging. Connecting might happen at work, school, church, with family, or even virtually on a social media platform. We can jump in a car, take an Uber, or navigate a bumpy sidewalk without worrying about falling to get to an activity with friends.

This need to belong is true for disabled people too. Individuals with a disability face multiple daily challenges that keep them socially and emotionally isolated from others. This exclusion happens for many reasons, from a lack of transportation options, mobility issues, communication impairments, intellectual challenges, and societal confines, making it difficult to go out or socialize without assistance. But you can have an impact and make a difference in their lives today with your donation.

Here are some facts. One in four people lives with a disability that keeps them from attending school, working, playing, or taking care of their personal needs without assistance. That number is growing as 1 in 44 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We know that over 50% of all people with a disability report feeling lonely daily. We also have studies that tell us that over 40% of adults with disabilities do not have a family member or friend in their life to provide them with additional support, care, or social interaction. Unfortunately, it is this group that so quickly becomes forgotten.

Because of your support, our impact over the last two years has been tremendous, and we want to double our efforts in 2023. At the end of our first year in 2021, we served people in 27 states, and now we are in 39 states, including Hawaii! We are mailing more to entire group homes and institutions, and sending out a dozen Welcome Packages at a time is common!

We need your financial support more than ever to continue serving our current Forget-Me-Not Friends group and to grow. Every dollar directly impacts someone with a disability, helps us spread joy, and combats loneliness. Thank you!