CRF grant awarded to NextSteps NW!

[Sally's Mom]

This was sent to me via email by NextSteps NW.





NEXTSTEPSNW NAMED RECIPIENT

OF

CHRISTOPHER REEVE FOUNDATION QUALITY OF LIFE GRANT



Grant to have direct impact on people living with paralysis in Pacific Northwest



Redmond, WA – The Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF) announced today that NextStepsNW as been awarded a $5000 Quality of Life grant. The CRF awarded a total of $581,034 in Quality of Life grants to 86 nonprofit organizations around the world. Representing the second cycle of grants for 2005, the $581,034 total does not include an additional $100,000 which the Foundation granted to five Gulf Coast charities in the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The Quality of Life grants program was conceived by Dana Reeve, Chairman of the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founder of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center. Reeve started the program with the goal of helping people living with disabilities in the ‘here and now.’ Grants are awarded to programs or projects that improve the well being of people living with paralysis; particularly spinal cord injuries. Funding is awarded twice annually in thirteen categories, including: accessibility, advocacy, arts, assistive technology, children, counseling, education, employment, health promotion, independent living, practical services, sports and recreation, and therapeutic riding. Since 1999, CRPF has awarded 933 Quality of Life grants totaling $8 million.



“I continue to be impressed and excited by the diverse, pioneering programs that CRF supports through the Quality of Life program,” said Kathy Lewis, CEO of the Christopher Reeve Foundation.



NextStepsNW is a non-profit organization located in Redmond, WA that specializes in the latest technology in exercising paralyzed limbs in people with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders. The closest facility of this type is in San Diego, CA. NextStepsNW will apply the $5000 grant money toward low income spinal cord injury individuals so they can receive specialized exercise therapy for the paralyzed limbs and to maximize their physical potential and overall health and wellbeing.



“I am pleased for our organization to receive this grant. It will enable us to expand our ability to service a wider range of clients in the greater Puget Sound region,” said Al Northrup, Founder.



Health Promotion grants, a special category of Quality of Life grants, are funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Award Number U10/CCU220379). Funding is awarded to non-profit organizations that address the needs of people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries and other diseases and birth conditions that result in paralysis. Health Promotion grants strive to remove societal and environmental barriers that limit the abilities of individuals living with paralysis to participate in life activities. Further, Health Promotion grants promote the benefits of sports, exercise and other recreational activities that improve both physical and emotional health and help to prevent secondary conditions such as obesity and depression for people living with paralysis. Health Promotion grants totaled $430,940 in the second cycle of 2005.



For more information about Quality of Life Program or the grant application process, please contact the Quality of Life Grants office at (973) 467-8270, ext. 7211, or visit the website www.ChristopherReeve.org for a complete list of the Quality of Life Grant recipients.



The Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF) is committed to funding research that develops treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The Foundation also vigorously works to improve the quality of life for people living with disabilities through its grants program, paralysis resource center, and advocacy efforts.



NextStepsNW – A Better Quality of Life through Exercise for people with Spinal Cord Injuries

www.nextstepsnw.org