During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center created a special grants category (COVID-19: Addressing Social Isolation) for non-profit organizations to address social isolation by providing programs and projects to support the physical and mental health of people living with paralysis.
Social isolation because of the COVID-19 pandemic affected many people. The regulations limited people’s ability to interact with others. However, organizations sought ways to keep their clients engaged in activities and learning experiences.
However, Summit Independent Living of Missoula, Montana didn’t let the regulations get in their way. The organization works directly with individuals with disabilities, enhancing their skills, increasing their independence, and educating them on navigating programmatic and other service systems.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the staff at Summit Independent Living found new ways to keep their participants involved in their community. The Independent Living Center created '’Promoting Fun and Friendship in the Time of COVID-19’’. The program was designed to improve delivery of virtual activities, which fosters inclusion, involvement and community engagement for individuals with paralysis, loved ones, and caregivers. To date, the program serves 141 people across seven counties, with branches in three more counties in Montana.
Because of COVID-19 social regulations, Summit Independent Living developed programs that actively involve participants while helping them cope with social isolation and loneliness. The Program Coordinator, Travis Hoffman stated, “Our goal for promoting socialization and community inclusion among people with disabilities requires taking a whole community approach to normalize disability, promote diversity, and ensure that all individuals have opportunities for social engagement and recreational leisure activities.” He also credited the funding from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation for lessons learned. Because of these lessons, Summit can offer programs that attract individuals with disabilities across the disability spectrum, including those who don’t identify as having a disability.