Voices for Independence Looking Forward to Upcoming Fundraisers
By Lois Thompson
VFI – Voices for Independence – is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, following the opening of its newly renovated facility on West Maiden Street in Washington, PA. Since that time, Steve Johnson, director of marketing for VFI in both Washington and Erie, has been putting together client testimonials, and he said the one thing mentioned across the board was how VFI's services have impacted their lives.
"But the thing that keeps popping up is that there's still a lot more work to do, with a lot more people to serve." Johnson pointed out that there are a variety of reasons making it difficult to reach everyone currently in need.
According to Johnson, "As a nonprofit working to provide services to the disability community, we look to serve everyone who comes to our door, as quickly as possible, without sacrificing quality. However, for every group of individuals that we are currently serving, there are still many more waiting in line to receive assistance. That's why our fundraising efforts are so important – to allow us to hire additional staff and begin the process of helping more people."
Johnson said that the organization is looking forward to hosting events throughout the rest of the year that will both raise funds and engage the community. "In addition to our upcoming Consumer Pig Roast events that will be held at both of our Erie and Washington offices for the individuals we serve, we are also excited to take part in Miss Rain Day's 'Walk for Hearing' in Rices Landing; host our 4th Annual No Limits Adaptive Fitness Challenge in Erie; and hold our 8th Annual Golf Outing at Lone Pine Country Club in Washington. Many individuals who speak to us have been waiting to receive services for some time, due to things beyond our control, such as red tape, processing times, etc. These events will allow us the opportunity to not only show the community who we are and what we do, but to also raise funds to help expedite those wait times and get people the vital help they need."
Johnson concluded, "We're celebrating our 30th anniversary, and we're so proud of that milestone, but at the same time, there's so much work to do to make sure we're still around for another 30 years. The end goal is for everyone we interface with to not just make ends meet, but to thrive. Proceeds from these events, and donations made to Voices for Independence, will help us achieve that goal for many more in need."
For more information, call (724) 223-5115 or visit www.vficil.org.
Upcoming VFI events include the following:
Miss Rain Day's "Walk for Hearing" – Saturday, July 20, 8:00 a.m., Greene River Trail (125 Main Street, Rices Landing, PA 15357)
No Limits Adaptive Fitness Challenge – Saturday, August 24, 10:00 a.m., VFI Erie Office (1432 Wilkins Road, Erie, PA 16505)
VFI & TRPIL Washington Golf Outing – Monday, September 9, 10:30 a.m., Lone Pine County Club (2755 Park Avenue, Washington, PA 15301)
For more information on all of these events, simply visit www.vficil.org and view the scrolling header images.