Will you make a SPECIAL #GIVINGTUESDAY donation?
There are many ways and days you can give this holiday season, but GivingTuesday is special - it's the global day of generosity by people like you who want to transform their communities and the world!
Your donation of any size is welcome and appreciated - every dollar counts, and the more generously you give, the more generously we can give back!
Need some extra #GivingTuesday inspiration?
Read the stories below and watch the videos to see the impact you're making:
NEWLY INJURED SUPPORT
It feels so good to be able to visit people in the hospital again! Each visit from a Triumph Ambassador means so much to the newly-injured patients in hospitals across Southern California. Along with our Care Packs filled with vital resources, we also offer peer mentorship, support groups, and encouragement for the journey ahead.
Meet Tyler
Some people waste no time going after what they want. For Tyler, this meant engaging with Triumph as soon after his injury as he could.
We met Tyler at Casa Colina on the first week we were allowed to make in-person visits again. This was a tremendous encouragement to Tyler and his family as they were on the lookout for someone who had been there & done that and could offer a direction forward.
One of the major limitations he had was his insurance gave him a heavy clunker wheelchair. Triumph made sure he had a lightweight wheelchair that he could maneuver easily. "This chair is just going to make my life so much easier. I can whip this thing around, it's so narrow and nimble. It's just great."
Tyler shocked us when he showed up at our Wheelchair Sports Festival in April, less than 48 hours from when he was discharged from the hospital. It's this kind of determination and drive that will help him take charge of his life and health as he continues to keep moving forward.
ADAPTIVE RECREATION
Physical activity is crucial to a person's recovery and ongoing health and wellness. So we provide adaptive recreation activities and events all year long to promote active lifestyles and community connection with family and friends. From wheelchair baseball, basketball, rugby and volleyball, to handcycling, skiing, archery and SCUBA, our sports programs have something for everyone.
Meet Gia
Of all the superstars who played their hearts out at the Wheelchair Sports Festival, one that shined the brightest was "Super Gia."
Gia came to the festival for the first time this year with her dad and siblings. As soon as she rolled up, she knew right away that she belonged. She immediately started playing in the activities, and by the end, she said it was her #BestDayEver!
First time attendees to our events inspire us to keep moving forward with Triumph Foundation's mission. It is pure joy to serve and create opportunities for children, adults and Veterans to play hard, have fun, and push the limits of their abilities.
GRANTS PROGRAM
Sometimes people need a little extra boost to make that next leap forward in their journey or career. Through our Keep Moving Forward grant and Employment Assistant Award, we're able to help people in strategic ways by supporting their pursuits for mobility, independence, career advancement and even to start their own businesses. It's an incredible feeling to see someone's future open up to them in brand new ways.
Meet Margarita
We awarded Margarita Elizondo with the Employment Achievement Award to support her as she develops an awareness program for schools that helps educate young people on disability issues and promotes the importance of diversity and inclusion in schools and organizations. The training program, entitled “I Am All In Dance & Play,” is a fun package of curriculum and teacher training that teachers and students love. The award will enable Margarita to publish five new children's books to add to her “Rolling With Me & Friends” series bringing the total to ten books!
Margarita's efforts directly support Triumph's effort to build an Inclusive Community, the 5th segment in our Circle of Care program cycle. Her work will increase awareness of the disabled population and provide opportunities for interaction and deeper understanding.
Equipment Exchange
As they say, if you want to do the job right, you gotta have the right tools. And for many of the people we help, the wrong tools are what hold them back and prevent them from moving forward. From our warehouse headquarters in Valencia, we can provide anything from restored wheelchairs and ramps to commodes and exercise equipment free of charge for people who need our help. LEARN MORE
Meet Kurt
"Whatever difficulties I have had to face, I have not had to face them alone."
No matter what trial you're facing, it is such a temptation to believe that you're absolutely alone in the struggle.
We met Kurt in the hospital after he collapsed with a massive herniation around his L3-L5 vertebrae, losing the ability to use his legs. He feared the worst, including the prospect that nobody would stand by him as he navigated a newly unfamiliar world.
"One of the first things Andrew said to me was, 'you are not alone.' Those words are incredibly powerful and affected me deeply," Kurt said.
Kurt is 6-foot-five-inches tall, so his perspective has changed quite a bit since he began making his way in a wheelchair. Not only does he see the world in a different way, he has had to come to grips with his dependence on others.
"The hardest part was the loss of independence and the weight of others having to take care of me," he said. "I’d always want to take care of them, but now I'm working on accepting their help and getting myself better."
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
