Photo courtesy of Walking Unidos
Micro-grants
Sometimes all it takes is a place to sit. Landmine survivor Mauricio and his
wife, left, enjoy their new rocking chairs and the micro-grant that helped them
upgrade their farm. Meaningful work matters to everyone. Polus supports people
throughout Massachusetts, in Central America, and in South America with small
business development, technical training, scholarships, helping people identify
their talents and find meaningful work, and educating employers on how and why
to build an inclusive workplace. Projects have supported individuals to become
graphic designers, computer operators, silkscreen printers, boat-builders, and
farmers. Your contribution of $50 will offer economic and social inclusion opportunities for people with disabilities, helping them achieve economic independence and showing the broader society what people with disabilities are capable of.
Your contribution of $50 will offer economic opportunities to people with disabilities.
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Photo by Jan Doody
Shared Living
Shared Living is an alternative to traditional residential service models for
people with disabilities living in Massachusetts. By assisting people to live
in regular homes as part of a family or independently with support, people with
disabilities are able to live, work and enjoy leisure pursuits within their communities.
Since 1991, the Polus Center has helped to establish and support households in Worcester County, greater Boston, New Hampshire and in the Merrimack Valley where people with
and without disabilities live together in mutually beneficial relationships that
are based on positive social values, respect for everybody in the household,
and loyalty and affection for one another. Shared Living encourages each person
to live a rich and meaningful life and promotes highly individualized supports
rooted in relationships. We strive to create homes that are supportive, safe,
and comfortable.
Your $50 donation will help one of the many households currently supported
by Polus throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, USA.
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Photo by Michael Lundquist
Coffeelands
Shown here are three young landmine survivors from a major coffee-producing
region. Tragically, areas with the heaviest concentrations of landmine use and
the best coffeegrowing regions frequently overlap. As a result, good land goes
uncultivated, people lose their homes and farms, and families live in constant
fear. Landmine victims often spend the rest of their lives dealing with the physical
and emotional impact of landmines. In collaboration with partners such as Green
Mountain Coffee, Dean’s Beans, Royal Coffee and the Colombian Coffee Federation,
the Coffeelands Trust helps victims of conflict who live and work in the world’s
coffee communities. The Polus Center works with In- Country Partners to distribute
microgrants and gifts, to provide funding for emergency services, and to connect
the farming communities, individual farmers, and the Trust.
For less than the cost of 10 cups of coffee — $25 — you can support
a victim of conflict through the Coffeelands Trust.
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Photo by Stephen Petegorsky
Give a Goat
The Give a Child a Goat Project elevates the status of children with disabilities and their families. A child with a disability who owns a goat holds a valued position in local Ugandan society, since goats provide families with a sustainable livelihood of food and milk. Caring for a goat gives a child selfconfidence and pride and proves that he or she is capable of being a productive member of the community. Your donation of $45.00 is used to buy a female goat and will provide the necessary follow-up and support to the child, family and the goat. Training is provided for the children and their families on how to care for the goats.
Your donation of $45 purchases a goat for a child in Uganda.
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Photo by Theresa Kane
Food for Thought
El Porvenir is a Nicaraguan village of 270 people, located about 14 kilometers
from the nearest paved road. El Porvenir is devastatingly poor. People live day
to day without electricity, with very little water from a few wells, and hardly
any food. A drought hit this village particularly hard because El Porvenir depends
on farming as a source of food. Volunteers went there and met many families whose
children hadn’t eaten in days. No government, local or international agency
was assisting this village in any way. A new, expanded school was constructed
by a collaborative team of villagers and Polus Center volunteers. The Ministry
of Education committed funds for two full-time teachers. Every child who comes
to school receives breakfast and lunch. Project volunteers are now working to
provide clean water to the school, address health needs of the children, and
provide economic progress for the village. Medical teams from UMASS Medical School
visited El Porvenir recently to work on building latrines and provided medical
care.
Your donation of $25 will provide school lunch for a child in El Porvenir
and continue to give them hope for the future.
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Photo by Stephen Petegorsky
Let it Roll
The wheelchair project supports the PLUSAA wheelchair manufacturing facility,
which employs wheelchair users and other people with disabilities and produces
custom-fit wheelchairs that are given to those who could otherwise not afford
them. PLUSAA chairs are tailored to each individual’s needs, with important
follow-up services like fitting and education around self care and maintenance.
These chairs are specifically designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities
in the developing world by providing proper fit, stability on dirt roads and
the ability to locally repair damaged wheelchairs. Each customized wheelchair
costs $250, which includes the education and follow-up services to use it. This
makes a great group gift! For each $250 donation, you can receive up to 10 gift
cards.
Your donation of $250 buys a custom-built wheelchair. For your generous donation
we’ll send you up to 10 gift cards: Give a $25 gift card to 10 people,
and you’ve paid for a whole wheelchair!
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Nights Out
Do you remember the last band or orchestra you heard in concert, or your first trip to the theater to enjoy a live show? Maybe you play your own instrument, dabble in painting or drawing, or you're learning to ballroom dance or cook Italian food at an Adult Education class. Maybe you like wandering through an art or historical museum, or going with friends to a live pro sports game. For many people with disabilities, access to the arts and educational enrichment opportunities are out of reach. Your Nights Out donation will help a person with developmental disabilities from Massachusetts or New Hampshire to enjoy a special night out, explore a new hobby, sign up for night class or participate in the arts. So many gifts get forgotten; one of these "memory gifts" can last a lifetime.
Your donation of $25 will subsidize arts education or enrichment for an individual with a disability in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, USA.
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