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Banner: Walk for Independence
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Rebecca Thacker, MTSTCIL board member
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Mary Stratton, from River Park Hospital and MTSTCIL board member distributing t-shirts
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Family wearing Walk t-shirts at registration table
Are you ready to start walking on Saturday, July 25, 2009!?
Things are heating up and we are getting ready for another great Walk for Independence. Here is an update on the latest Walk news.
We think we already have a winner for the team with the most members - the Dream Catchers of Huntington. Jeanne Daniels, the team captain, is a graduate of the Employment Services Program at Mountain State in Huntington. Jeanne works at the McDonald's at the Route 60 Wal-Mart in Barboursville, WV.
Jeanne has already recruited 24 people to walk on her team. You go Jeanne! Jeanne has been a team caption for the past four years and has friends, family and co-workers on her team. A big high five to Jeanne.
The proceeds from the Walk for Independence benefit the Community Living Services Program. We have prepared a list of the people who are waiting for services through this program - and it is a long one. Mountain State has offices in Huntington, Beckley and Sistersville, and serves 19 counties in West Virginia. We are excited to report that this year we have a team from Raleigh county joining us in the Walk.
In Raleigh County it would cost almost $200,000 to meet the needs of people waiting for services - for things like a ramp that will allow them to live independently in their own homes or bathroom modifications.
Ceretha Burdiss, a Consumer Resource Advocate in Beckley, has been working with a group of people with disabilities who are receiving services through Mountain State in Beckley (referred to as 'consumers'). The group saw the list of people waiting for services in Raleigh County and decided to take action.
Ceretha started a team from Raleigh County and invited any and all friends and consumers in Beckley to join her team. The team decided to take the name the Prince Street Hoofers (the office in Beckley is on Prince Street), checked the Wait List, and set a goal to raise $1,000 for a woman in Raleigh County who has been waiting almost three years for a ramp.
All the Hoofers are Raleigh county residents and are happy to be helping someone in their community.
Tonya Lynn Harold, 31 years old and a resident of Raleigh county, is one of the team members. Tonya is a contender to win the most money raised by one person. Tonya, has cerebral palsy, and sometimes has trouble navigating steps or walking distances. Tonya says, "I know what it's like to have a disability and to have a hard time getting around. And I know what it feels like to not have people to help you when you need help. We are all pleased to be able to help someone in our community in their time of need."
Tonya was determined to collect as many donations as possible and started calling family, friends, church members and even one of her doctors to ask for donations. Tonya has a family member who lives out of state who just graduated from high school and is proud to tell us that she made a $20 donation to the Walk. Tonya has already collected more than $400 and is still going strong.
Tonya tells us that through working with Mountain State she has learned to come out of her shell and to speak up. She can't physically do the walk, but she will be there on the sidelines rooting for her team members and everyone else who participates in the Walk. Be sure and say hi to Tonya when you see her at the Walk.
Another Prince Street Hoofer, Nora Nixon, got several people from her church to make donations. If you live in Beckley, you may know Kermit Barnheart. Kermit's transportation is his feet and he walks around town and talks to his friends and is raising money for the Walk.
Ceretha says "the team has outshined themselves in this endeavor and went whole hog to contact friends, family and community members and have done a fabulous job". Ceretha is so proud of them. As this group continues to receive independent living services, she feels great satisfaction in knowing that she is helping people reach a goal to live on their own. Living on your own can mean living in your own home, but mostly it is learning to make their own life decisions so that they will always have options.
The SouthCentral Labor Council headed by Clyde McKnight in Raleigh County is a Community Sponsor for the Walk for Independence 2009. Thank you for your support!
Come out and join us on July 25 at Ritter Park starting at 8 a.m. and support independent living for all West Virginians.
Proceeds from the Walk for Independence 2009 benefit the Community Living Services Program.
View the current Waiting List (in PDF format) of people who are waiting for services under the Community Living Services Program.
The mission of Mountain State Centers for Independent Living is to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The mission of the Foundation for Independent Living is to create resource development initiatives to provide financial support to Mountain State Centers for Independent Living.
