A Note from Executive Director - Michael Bullis
Greetings-
Like you, we here at The IMAGE Center have experienced a year of ups and downs. While we’ve been thrilled to reconnect face-to-face with family and friends after the long years of the pandemic, we’ve also confronted the challenges of a turbulent 2022.
Through it all, The IMAGE Center remains a steadfast and crucial resource for our region’s People with Disabilities. Last year, our dedicated staff served more Consumers than ever before. While the organization continues to make tremendous strides towards independence and equality for all, there is still a lot to accomplish.
We have big ambitions for 2023, so we’ve set an ambitious goal to raise $25,000 before December 31, 2022. Thankfully, we raised 10% of our goal on Giving Tuesday and now we’re asking you to help us get to the top!
With your support, in 2023 The IMAGE Center will…
Reinstate the Teen Connect Program
Sadly, The IMAGE Center may be forced to close our popular Teen Connect program in 2023 due to lack of funds. This critical program offers teens and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to connect with peers and develop skills to support their independence into adulthood. With your support, we will be able to continue Teen Connect in 2023.
Expand the Assistive Technology Lending Library
The IMAGE Center proudly maintains a library of cutting-edge assistive technology and equipment for the local community. Whether one needs a visual magnifier, an ergonomic cooking tool, or an adaptive computer accessory, our staff provide recommendations and demonstrations of devices to suite individual needs. We look forward to expanding this popular resource in 2023 with the latest innovations in assistive tech.
Strengthen the Volunteers for Medical Engineering (VME) Program
VME had a busy 2022! Our team of dedicated volunteer engineers, student engineers, and medical professionals participated in 3 Bike Clinics and spent 8,936 hours building over 40 innovative devices for adults and children with disabilities across Maryland. And we have even bigger plans for 2023, including:
- Grow our roster of STEM partner colleges and universities
- Double our expansion to build bikes for children with disabilities
- Increase our overall custom solution reach by 30%
- Expand collaborative partnerships to benefit the disability community
VME is 100% dependent on community support, so your gift is vital to the Program’s viability.
We hope you’ll join us in achieving big things in 2023. Together, we can empower and strengthen our community for years to come. Please make your tax-deductible donation and help us reach our goal today!
Sincerely,
Michael Bullis, Executive Director
Cell (443) 286-9001
