In addition to new grants, the Mitte Foundation is currently funding the following multi-year projects:

 

The University of Texas Performing Arts Center
Funded by the Mitte Foundation since 2002 with a ten-year, $500,000 pledge, the UT PAC received $50,000 this year for continued support of the ArtesAmericas Program.  The mission of ArtesAmericas is to foster a more comprehensive appreciation for the cultures of Latin America throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, to promote Latin American and Latino artists, and to increase exposure to new audiences.  This annual gift helps to create the education materials needed to introduce the artistes and present historical, cultural, and general information about the Latin American countries.

 

Family Eldercare
Received $122,222.22 as part of a four-year $450,000 leadership gift for the “Building for the Future” Campaign, which will build and equip a two-story, 14,000 square foot facility located within Rathgeber Village in the new Mueller Austin, double the size of Family Eldercare’s current building. 

 

The urgency of this campaign is underscored by a facility crisis, which is hampering Family Eldercare’s ability to expand programs and staff to serve the needs of Austin’s booming elderly population. 

 

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas
After a three-year partnership, the Ronald McDonald House received its final payment of $16,667 for a $50,000 gift, to assist with the building of a second house adjacent to the new Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. 

 

The Mitte Foundation proudly sponsored one room in the fifteen room facility which will also be the future home of the administrative offices.

 

 

 

 

Austin Groups for the Elderly         
$20,000.00
To support outreach and marketing activities to increase attendance of low-income clients who do not qualify for Medicaid at Elderhaven.

 

$5,000.00

To help with the purchase a handicap accessible bus for for the transportation of clients to and from the adult day care center located in Round Rock.

 

Capital Area Food Bank of Texas
$10,000.00
To provide grocery products to supplement the diets of low or fixed-income seniors.

 

 

 

 

CASA of Travis County, Inc.
$20,000.00
To upgrade the volunteer training room and install laptops for volunteer use.

 

 

 

Hospice Austin
$20,000.00 over two years
To support charitycare services for Hospice Austin patients.

 

 

Manos de Cristo

http://www.manosdecristo.org/
$25,000.00 over two years
To provide affordable dental care for the elderly.

 

Prevent Blindness Texas

http://www.preventblindness.org/TX/index.html
$5,000.00
To assist with the expansion of the Adult Vision Screening Program by purchasing of a Humphreys Frequency Doubling Technology Visual Field Screening Machine which will help to screen and detect diseases that can rob the sight of the elderly.

 

Sunshine Kids Foundation
$10,000.00
To support the 2008 Texas Hill Country Adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Citizens of San Jacinto County, Inc.
$2,500.00
To assist with the building campaign to renovate the facility and purchase new vans.

 

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas, Inc.
$15,000.00 over three years
To support staff salaries for the recruiting, training, and retention of Pet Therapy Volunteer Teams.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

Wonders & Worries
$10,000.00 over two years
To support general operations.

 

 

 

 

Aging Services Council

http://www.agingservicescouncil.org/

Some 54,333 older adults live in Austin, making up 7% of the total population. In 2001, the United Way Capital Area, St. David’s Community Health Foundation, Travis County Health and Human Services and Veterans Service, and the Community Action Network spearheaded a community assessment on the conditions of older adults in Austin and Travis County. In response to the group’s report, key stakeholders came together to form an aging services group— the Aging Services Council—in November of 2003. The Mitte Foundation this year provided a grant of $10,000 to support the Council’s efforts to make older adults more aware of their transportation options, simplify the process of finding a ride, enhance older adults’ quality of life, and lessen dependence on personal driving for frail older adults. The funds are being used to broadcast a series of bilingual public service announcements that direct older adults in Travis County to the transportation referral service provided by 2-1-1 Texas. Among the broadcasts are two 30-second PSAs narrated by former Austin Mayor Gus Garcia. The spots, one in English and one in Spanish, address the growing transportation needs of older adults and direct people to call 2-1-1-Texas for assistance in finding rides.

 

Austin Groups for the Elderly
The Mitte Foundation has provided a $10,000 grant to Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE) for expansion of its Elderhaven Adult Day Care program. The grant will be used to underwrite approximately 5,000 additional hours of care for new and currently enrolled low-income clients who cannot afford to attend as often as they would like or should in order to remain independent. AGE provides direct and supportive services for seniors and disabled adults in the greater Austin area. AGE’s mission is to empower caregivers, the elderly and their families through education, advocacy, resources and support.

 

Girl Scouts-Lone Star Council
In 2005, the Mitte Foundation established a gift to provide recognition and financial assistance to the Girl Scouts-Lone Star Council, providing $15,000.00 to be distributed over three years. The funds support five $1,000.00 scholarships each year for registered Girl Scouts graduating from high school and in need of financial assistance to attend a college, university or technical school of their choice.

 

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
Through a grant of $1,767, the Mitte Foundation has funded an on-campus recording site for Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic – the first such satellite operation in the organization’s 59-year history. The facility, centrally located at Rice University’s Fondren Library in Houston, makes it possible for college students and other Houstonarea volunteers to record books without traveling to Austin, currently the only studio in Texas. RFB&D is the leading producer of accessible textbooks in every subject area and grade level from kindergarten through graduate school. The volunteers who narrate the books are recruited primarily for their subject matter skills. University faculty, staff and students are an extraordinary resource for recording of specialty textbooks (i.e., physics, foreign languages, law, etc.). Each textbook takes an average 125 volunteer hours to record. Readers not only read the text, they also read all appendices, glossaries and indices. This new facility will enable more students and community members to get involved in the program and expand the library of work available to the individuals the organization serves.

 

Sunshine Kids
Dedicated to improving the quality of life for children cancer, the Sunshine Kids promotes programs and opportunities that let kids be kids – having fun and celebrating life alongside peers facing similar challenges in their lives.

 

The Mitte Foundation granted $10,000 this year to underwrite the Sunshine Kids’ Texas Hill Country A group of 32 young cancer patients from across country participated in the week-long trip through beautiful Hill Country in June.

 

The trip enabled these young people to temporarily the daily stresses, indignities, and pain of their treatments so they can simply have fun – and meet other children understand their emotions and experiences.

 

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas
Therapy Pet Pals of Texas, Inc. was founded for the purpose of improving the quality of life for the institutionalized elderly and ill through pet therapy, bringing happiness and companionship to people who may be isolated, ill or lonely. In its 22+ years of pet therapy service, TPPT has certified approximately 1,400 dogs and cats as Pet Pals. The group provides recruiting and training of volunteers for work in pet therapy, promoting the human/animal bond through pet visitation programs. Volunteers provide institutionalized patients/residents an opportunity for bonding with pets through weekly visits. The Mitte foundation has granted the organization $5,000 to support the expansion of its recruitment program, which will increase membership and enable the group to reach a greater number of clients in need of loving interaction.

 

Multi-Year Commitments
In addition to these new grants, the Mitte Foundation funds several multi-year projects. The University of Texas Performing Arts Center, funded by the Foundation since 2002 with a ten-year, $500,000 pledge, received $50,000 this year. Family Eldercare received $122,222.22 as part of a $450,000 grant for the “Building for the Future” Campaign, which will build and equip a two-story, 14,000 square foot facility in the new Mueller Austin development. And after a two-year partnership, Junior Achievement of Central Texas received its final payment of $37,500, assisting in the establishment

 

 

Family Eldercare

The Mitte Foundation recently made a commitment for a three-year leadership gift in the amount of $250,000 to Family Eldercare’s “Building for the Future: Expanding Our Capacity to Serve the Elder Boom” campaign. Launched in 2005, this campaign will build and equip a two-story 13,000-square-foot facility—doubling the size of Family Eldercare’s current building. The urgency of this campaign is underscored by a facility crisis, which is hampering Family Eldercare’s ability to expand programs and staff to serve the needs of Austin’s booming elderly population. Thus far, Family Eldercare has secured commitments totaling $2.45 million toward its $3.58 million goal, including a generous $600,000 challenge land donation from community leader, Dick Rathgeber. The new facility will be located within Rathgeber Village—an innovative and highly acclaimed campus of prominent nonprofit social service organizations now being built on the former Mueller airport site—and is scheduled to break ground on the twoyear project in early 2006.

 

Family Eldercare currently serves 4,500 clients annually in Travis and Williamson counties through the Guardianship, Bill Payer, In-Home Care and Respite, Eldercare Consultation and Service Coordination, Summer Fan Drive, Elder Shelter, and Lyons Gardens Senior Community programs. Family Eldercare, which spends 90 cents of every dollar on direct services and maintains among the lowest operating costs in the nonprofit community, has experienced dynamic growth in demand for services, programs and staff over the past decade. Since 1999, the number of clients served by Family Eldercare’s programs has increased by 46%, while program staffing has increased by 58%. During this time, Family Eldercare’s operating budget, currently at $2.97 million, grew an average of 12.85% each year. This growth will continue as Family Eldercare works to keep pace with the community’s “booming” elderly population. The Mitte Foundation is thrilled to be able to play a central role in expanding Family Eldercare’s capacity to provide a full continuum of services that allow elders and people with disabilities to age in place with dignity and respect. Family Eldercare’s mission is to provide services and develop partnerships supporting older adults, people with disabilities, and those who care for them, and to advocate for older adults and people with disabilities so they may remain in their homes and communities. Built on the foundation that “a neighborhood is a great place to grow old,” the agency’s goal of maintaining older adults in their own homes and communities is carried out through a variety of programs that span the continuum of care for the elderly and people with disabilities. Services are provided to the whole community on a sliding fee scale based on need.

 

AUSTIN GROUPS FOR THE ELDERLY
The Mitte Foundation has made a grant of $10,000 to support the Austin Groups for the Elderly, which operates Elderhaven, the only licensed adult day care program in Travis County. Elderhaven is a unique medical model, providing nursing oversight, a day full of activities designed to restore and retain mental and physical abilities, and meals and snacks designed for elderly nutritional needs. This gift from the Foundation will help AGE expand its Elderhaven Adult Day Care Program to serve additional low-income clients, who do not qualify for Medicaid, and will permit existing low-income clients to attend Elderhaven for more days.

 

Attendance at Elderhaven permits seniors to engage in mental and physical therapies and activities, have regular mid-day meals and two snacks, to be transported door-todoor to Elderhaven, and to have regular medical checks and health monitoring. Staff members include licensed vocational nurses, nursing aides, and health supervision by a registered nurse (contracted). Having seniors remain active and independent avoids premature nursing home admittance, and permits seniors to remain with their families. The Austin Groups of the Elderly programs consists of Elderhaven, the Caregiver Resource Center, and SeniorNet©. Elderhaven is the only licensed adult day care program in Travis County. Elderhaven helps families and caregivers maintain their loved ones in their homes, enhances the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of elders, affords family caregivers respite from providing care 24 hours per day, and prevents and/or remedies neglect or abuse.

 

The Caregiver Resource Center (CRC) provides caregivers immediate and ongoing support in the navigation of caregiving solutions. Staff members provide assistance in identifying immediate and longterm needs and exploring possible solutions. The CRC maintains a durable medical equipment closet, and loans this equipment to any senior in need, and without charge. The SeniorNet© Computer Learning Institute is dedicated to teaching computer basics to older adults so that they can participate in use of new technologies. Classes are designed, managed and taught by retired executives from IBM and other local technology companies (all are volunteers), and are offered at low cost to any senior in the Austin/Travis County area. The Institute includes a state-of-the-art computer lab to permit hands-on learning activities.

 

Further information about AGE, can be located on their website by clicking on their logo above. Additionally, the AGE Building at 38th and Cedar Street was built in 1907 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Now an Austin designated landmark, the building was purchased in 1986 by AGE and has been renovated into office space and shared services for small non-profit agencies. Tenants pay belowmarket rates to allow them to concentrate more dollars into programs.

 

FAITH IN ACTION CAREGIVERS
A $10,000 grant has also been given to Faith in Action Caregivers (formerly Partners in Caregiving) to enhance its volunteer transportation program. Faith in Action Caregivers is a coalition of eight non-profit organizations in Travis and Williamson Counties that provides home-based services at no charge to persons over the age of sixty. Though autonomous, the Caregiver groups collaborate to provide a continuum of services using volunteers recruited from the neighborhoods in which the clients live.

 

Trained volunteers transport recipients to medical appointments, physical therapy sessions, pharmacies, and other healthcare related settings. In addition, transportation is often requested for buying groceries, for personal business errands and to social or volunteer activities that add to quality of life. The AGE Building provides services to local seniors, their families, and caregivers. The success of the volunteer caregiver model is in recruiting, training and retaining volunteers. By offering the opportunity for individuals to serve others, Faith in Action Caregivers helps connect volunteers with their senior neighbors. The personalized transportation services allow older adults to stay “out and about” and connected to the community.

 

The volunteer caregiver model—“neighbor helping neighbor”—brings a coordinated network of volunteers together to provide cost effective and efficient services to Williamson and Travis County seniors, that enhance independence and well-being. Volunteers also provide telephone reassurance, home visits, socialization, and minor home repairs. Professional staff provides ongoing needs assessment, case management and information about, or referral to, community resources. In 2004, Faith in Action Caregivers (then Partners in Caregiving) received the national Beverly Foundation Star Award for Excellence as Exemplary Senior Transportation providers. The caregiver groups documented 22,118 point to point rides provided in 2004.

 

This type of personalized transportation, by volunteers, complements the efforts of families, neighbors and friends, and helps fill in the gaps when traditional transit options do not accommodate the special needs of seniors. Please click on their logo to learn more about their services.

 

SUNSHINE KIDS FOUNDATION
The Mitte Foundation is proud to help support for a second year the Sunshine Kids Foundation with a gift of $7,500 to assist in taking young cancer patients ages 11-18 from Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston on the 2006 Sunshine Kids Texas Hill Country Adventure. The purpose of this week-long event is to alleviate the emotional pain of children with cancer, to get them out of the hospital environment, and provide them with positive group-oriented activities that enable them to have fun while connecting with other children who understand their emotions and experiences.

 

Among the activities planned for the 2006 Hill Country Adventure are tubing down the San Marcos River, visiting Shamu and friends at Seaworld in San Antonio, horseback riding, camping, fishing, and visiting the state capital in Austin. The mission of the Sunshine Kids Foundation is to add quality of life to children with cancer by providing them with exciting, positive group activities designed to place them in an atmosphere where they can do what kids are supposed to do: have fun and celebrate life. Their vision is to touch the lives of even more kids with cancer. The Sunshine Kids Foundation provides up to 12 national trips each year, serving hundreds of children from nearly 60 hospitals all over North America.

 

During these week-long events, their participants enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences with other kids just like themselves—provided free of charge to both them and their necessary medical staff. In addition, thousands of Houston-area children and their families enjoy a host of activities throughout the year: teen retreats, plays, sporting events, and parties at the Sunshine Kids House. As with every trip and activity provided, the children have the opportunity to meet other kids who have gone through the same treatments and pain that they have experienced. The Sunshine Kids experience is unique in that the focus of the activities is group-oriented, so that the children may support each other as they go through treatment.

 

The organization, led by well known actor, G.W. Bailey, has always maintained a policy of collaboration with hospitals and with reputable nonprofit organizations, whose staffs assist in identifying children in need of the Sunshine Kids experience. The Sunshine Kids Foundation currently works with more than 60 hospitals nationwide and with organizations such as Ronald McDonald House and Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation.

 

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas is embarking on a $9.5 million Capital Campaign to build a second House adjacent to the new Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. This campaign is in response to the current high level of demand for their services and to address the increased demand that will be created with the opening of the Dell Children’s Medical Center and the expansion of neonatal services at St. David's Medical Center.

 

The second Ronald McDonald House is planned to open in early 2007 with fifteen rooms available for families with the capability to cost efficiently expand to thirty rooms as demand grows. The Mitte Foundation has committed to a three-year $50,000 gift to support this endeavor. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas works to better the lives of children and their families in Central Texas by creating, finding and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. The organization provides a home-away-from-home for families with critically ill or injured children undergoing treatment at Austin area hospitals, and strives to insure that no family will be denied services due to a lack of available resources. With an over 95% occupancy rate, RMHC assists over 300 families each year. Through the support of the community, they are able to offer housing at only $5 a night.

 

Houses feature a large living and dining area, a big family kitchen where two meals a day are provided, two comfortable TV lounges, bedrooms, a playroom for the children, laundry facilities and a fun outside playground with a playscape. Their goal is not only to provide a warm and supportive environment for families, but also to help them maintain strong connections with their support structure back home. To this end, they provide computers with internet access for e-mailing and cell phones. If they are unable to offer a bed, then day passes are provided to the House, so the family can eat a meal, take a shower, do their laundry and ultimately have a few quite moments in a supportive environment outside the hospital. The Ronald McDonald House supports families from the beginning of their journey to the end, no matter how long or what outcome they experience. If a family member does not have transportation, taxi vouchers are provided to enable them to the get to the hospital or to respite activities. If families arrive with only the clothes on their back, they open their closets to them until they can arrange for clothing to be brought to them. If the families find themselves in financial trouble due to mounting bills from the hospital, they provide small financial assistance to help them bridge the gap. And if they find themselves facing the worst possible outcome, they are there to support them with burial assistance and bereavement counseling. The Mitte Foundation is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this worthwhile campaign.

 

Family Eldercare

Family EldercareIn 2001, with a three-year gift of $60,000 for general operational support, the Mitte Foundation became a vital partner in building Family Eldercare's capacity to provide affordable housing for low-income seniors in the Austin community. And, when Family Eldercare's capital campaign was launched for Lyons Gardens, the Mitte Foundation again took an active role. Lyons Gardens is a senior living community which facilitates "aging in place", enabling independent living with support services. In recognition of the Foundation's participation, the center courtyard and playscape area are respectfully named and dedicated to the parents of Mrs. Joann Cole Mitte, Weldon and Adell Cole, and the brother and sister-in-law of Roy Mitte, Charles and Paula Mitte.

 

Family Eldercare is once more a recipient of a two-year grant for general operational support in the amount of $20,000. Funding will be used in underwriting the growing demand for providing services to low-income clients at reduced rates.

 

West Texas Aphasia Center

Established in September of 2001, the progressive West Texas Aphasia Center (WTAC) has achieved a glowing reputation. Modeled after the oldest program in the world, the Aphasia Institute of Toronto, the WTAC implemented its first 10-week introductory program for caregivers and people with aphasia by December of 2003. It is their vision to repair communication and hope to individuals with aphasia by establishing on-going Community Classes. The main mission of the WTAC is to seek to improve the quality of life of individuals and families living with aphasia by overcoming communication barriers.

 

About one million Americans, or 1 in 250 people, have aphasia (a loss of language following brain injury such as stroke). Each year more than 100,000 Americans acquire this disorder. A person with aphasia is
intelligent, knows what they want, and are competent adults trapped by the inability to retrieve words. This inability to ask for help with basic needs is unimaginable but the most devastating impact comes from the reduced opportunity for conversation thus creating days of boredom and isolation.

 

Recognizing the achievement and ongoing work of the West Texas Aphasia Center, the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation is pleased to continue our support this year with a grant of $20,000.

 

Sustainable Food Center

The Sustainable Food Center (SFC) provides benefits for more than 16,000 individuals annually. The people served are low-income families with young children, the elderly, those living with diet-related diseases, farmers, consumers, youths, and gardeners. The basic concept is to create a food secure community by improving access to local, healthy, and affordable food for people in Central Texas. There are three programs that the SFC delivers: cooking and nutrition education, community and youth gardens, and food systems education and farmers markets. A grant by the Mitte Foundation will assist in costs associated with delivering direct services and program evaluation, and the infrastructure improvements at the garden and farm stands.

 

The Sunshine Kids

The Sunshine Kids Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing exciting, positive, group-oriented activities and emotional support for children diagnosed with cancer. A gift of assistance from the Mitte Foundation will aid the 2005 Sunshine Kids Texas Hill Country Adventure. The goal of this week-long trip is to enable children with cancer to temporarily escape the daily stresses, indignities, and pain of their treatments so they can have fun and meet other children who understand their emotions and experiences.

 

Family Crisis Center

A gift from the Mitte Foundation has been given to the Family Crisis Center to support the Center's children's program. The overall goal is to provide prevention and education, crisis intervention, and counseling to children of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

 

The children's program is a school-based educational program that provides anti-victimization prevention education to children and youth in nineteen rural school districts for kindergarten through sixth grade.

 

The second part is the SHAPE program which is Positive Esteem school-based counseling to children in kindergarten through eighth grade who are experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse.

 

Habitat for Humanity International—The Jimmy Carter Work Project

The Mitte Foundation is proud to announce that it will be part of the Jimmy Carter Work Project, a project affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International. Each year, Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States and newly awarded Nobel Peace Prize winner, convenes at a new location throughout the world to organize the building of 100 affordable houses for impoverished communities. Last June 2002, our Senior Vice President of the Mitte Foundation, Scott Mitte, journeyed to South Africa for this mission and because of his influence, the Mitte Foundation will now be venturing to Veracruz, Mexico in October 2004.

 

The Foundation has already committed funds to sponsor 2 houses in Veracruz, Mexico for the anticipated build. The total commitment for sponsoring the houses is $20,000. In addition, we are sponsoring two students from each of our partner universities to join in the build and will be accompanied by several community volunteers as well.

 

Texas Scholars

Approximately 40 percent of our Texas high school students opt to complete only the minimum required courses to graduate, which, in most circumstances, qualify them for only minimum wage jobs. Texas Scholars is a proven, inexpensive and practical program designed to motivate all students to complete the rigorous coursework required in the state Recommended High School Program. The program emphasizes "on level" and above courses in mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts (including languages other than English). Course grade requirements are "passing" or better, with an emphasis on better.

 

Texas Scholars is a community-driven effort involving individuals from the education and business sectors, along with local volunteer organizations. It helps students and their parents understand that good, well-paying jobs go to those who have prepared themselves by obtaining a fundamentally sound academic education. Only by satisfactorily completing these courses can students expect to compete in the high technology, global economy of the 21st century.

 

For the past 2 years, the Mitte Foundation has supported the Texas Scholars Program with annual sponsorships geared to honoring all of the Texas Scholars. We supported the program again this year with a grant total of $5,000.

 

Family Uplift Housing Corporation

Family Uplift Housing Corporation is a 501 (c) (3) organization established for the purpose of making quality, affordable homes available to qualifying families in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area through its Affordable Housing Partnership with HUD. Since its inception in 1996, it has assisted numerous deserving families in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area who might not otherwise have been able to obtain the “American Dream.” Family Uplift is currently involved in meeting the challenge to provide quality, affordable housing to an increasing number of low to moderate-income families.

 

For many years, deserving families have been unable to obtain suitable housing because of lack of familiarity with the home buying process, unavailable resources and difficulty obtaining accurate information. Family Uplift Housing Corporation was formed as a non-profit organization for the purpose of providing the opportunity, guidance and resources to quality housing a reality for all Americans.

 

In an effort to assist Family Uplift, the Mitte Foundation recently contributed a $10,000 grant to assist the organization with restructuring efforts. The purpose of the grant was for the purchase and training of the Home Buyer Management Software and for the purchase of a Records Management System with internet capabilities for off-site staff.

 

West Texas Aphasia Center

Imagine, knowing exactly what you want to say, yet being unable to get the words out. Approximately 20% of the 1 million Americans who suffer a stroke each year will acquire a language and speaking disorder called aphasia.

 

The West Texas Aphasia Center serves this population and their families. A greater number of people have aphasia than have cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or muscular dystrophy.

 

A person with Aphasia may have difficulty retrieving words, yet people with Aphasia are intelligent, know what they want, and are competent adults trapped by this condition. While it is true that an inability to ask for help with basic needs such as food, water, and getting dressed, is unimaginable, it is not the worse part. The most devastating impact comes from reduced opportunity for conversation. Typically, the person who develops Aphasia as a result of a stroke goes from the hospital to an in-patient rehabilitation hospital. Often the person with Aphasia is discharged because insurance has run out or the goals required cannot be met in the timeframe allowed. Because Aphasia is a chronic disorder, discharge can be an overwhelming time for families when there is no “next step” ahead. The West Texas Aphasia Center is the next step with its innovative community program.

The West Texas Aphasia Center aims to change the vision of despair through its educational Introductory Course for families, caregivers and people with Aphasia. In addition, on-going Community Classes such as Skill-Building, Conversation Groups, Art and Music offer on-going social interaction and communication practice. It is the mission of the West Texas Aphasia Center to offer a flexible program where those who wish to concentrate on skill building can come as readily as the person who wishes to have fun while connecting with like-challenged peers.

 

The Mitte Foundation is proud to announce its affiliation and commitment to this program. In May 2004, in response to a challenge grant by the Abell-Hanger Foundation, the Mitte Foundation contributed a $10,000 operating grant to help sustain the Aphasia Community Program in Midland. Because the Center offers a variety of classes each day, people from surrounding communities can also participate as readily as people in the Midland/Odessa area.