Why Donate to ALSO?

Would you like to make a positive impact on the lives of our community members with intellectual and developmental disabilities?

How about sharing in the dream-come-true of helping someone to get their first real paycheck?

What about the excitement of helping a person with disabilities live safely in their own home…for the first time…ever?

Your nonprofit donation will play a major role in all of the above and more.

ALSO stands for Advocates of Life Skills and Opportunity.  We’re very proud of our 25-year history in promoting full community inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) as valued members of our diverse society.

Why Give to ALSO?

Our Premier Disability Support Services

ALSO is a top I/DD nonprofit organization that serves 9 counties in Oregon by providing the following person-centered services.

• Supported Employment Services:  Using an individualized employment approach, we collaborate with community employers to help people with disabilities in obtaining fulfilling and competitive job opportunities.
• Residential and Housing Services:  ALSO direct support professionals (DSPs) are the ultimate problem-solvers in assisting individuals with disabilities to maximize independence in everything from medication management to meal preparation to recreational activities.
• Supported Living Services: We’re strong advocates for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living independently in the least restrictive environment. Services include self-care, home management, community transportation, and accessibility throughout the home environment.
• Children’s Services: We’re dedicated to providing love, security, and support to the whole child. We facilitate countless opportunities to grow and learn, as we simultaneously nurture strong connections to family members, peers, and caregivers.
• ALSO Arts: Since the beginning of ALSO in 1997, we’ve been passionately dedicated to creating joyful intersections between art and life. Our inclusive community arts program is steadily growing throughout Oregon.

Our Continuous Work in Providing Accessible Housing

As the rest of the country grapples with inflation and soaring housing prices, individuals with disabilities are among those hardest hit. In Oregon and Southwest Washington, an estimated 24,000 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are facing housing insecurity.

ALSO advocates are fully committed to the goal of safe, affordable, and accessible housing. Although we continue to make great strides in this area, more work is on the horizon. Many new technologies and home layout strategies are available to individuals with disabilities that make it possible to function safely and independently in their own homes:

• Widened hallways
• Accessible shelving, closets, and countertops
• Wheelchair ramps
• Technologies for communications, security, utilities

The list is really endless! It’s also growing as new and exciting innovations come to fruition!

What Impact Does Your Contribution Make?

At ALSO, we’ve broken down what different contribution amounts can do for the people we support. Here are a few examples:

• $36 – Art supplies for one individual.
• $68 – COVID-19 personal protective equipment for one person.
• $120 – Workplace assistive technology for two adults in our Employment Program.
• $500 – Children’s transportation services for one year.

In addition, personal and online donations help the individuals we support live independently in homes of their choice, find meaningful employment, develop lasting relationships, and experience full inclusion in their communities.

Getting Into the Spirit of Giving This Holiday Season

Oregon is a great place to live, work, and help others! We invite you to join in the global movement of making nonprofit donations on Giving Tuesday, which is on November 29^th, 2022. Choose ALSO as one the nonprofits you make a donation to. Online donations to nonprofits, including ALSO, can also be made through the Willamette Week Give Guide throughout the rest of the year. This is Portland’s easiest path to end-of-year-giving. Our goal is to raise $25,000 by the end of 2022.

Our Heartfelt Invitation

Family members and caregivers often struggle financially to provide the adaptations their loved ones need to achieve their best possible lives.  Funds generously given by nonprofit donors will go where they are most needed in providing expert community-based disability services.
We close with a statement by Sam Ramirez, one of the hundreds of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who we support with innovative adaptations for home accessibility.

“Accessible housing makes it easy to live and feel normal like everyone else without feeling left behind.”

We have hundreds of stories like Sam’s to share that showcase the impact your support makes. From all of us at ALSO, we ask you to consider donating and wish you and your loved ones the very best in the 2022 Holiday Season, and beyond.

Help us reach our $25,000 goal!  Make a Donation