An adult with a congenital heart defect who needs a heart transplant requested assistance with disability benefits from SSA. We were able to help her receive retroactive payments and maintain her benefits, which are vital due to the amount of medical care she must continue to receive.

My family recently had a new deck built on the back of our house. I have a physically and cognitively disabled daughter who loves to sit out on the deck and socialize with her family and friends. With the shape that the old deck was in, it was no longer safe. I reached out to a few places for help with funding for a new deck. I  contacted Access Independence to see how they could help. I explained our circumstances, and within a few weeks, they called with the wonderful news that the new deck was 100% funded. I cannot put into words how grateful we are to Access Independence and the United Way. Without their generosity, we would not have achieved the dream of having a more inclusive space for our daughter to enjoy. My daughter is extremely excited to take advantage of the new deck.

One of our consumers has made significant progress in his employment journey. After struggling to maintain steady work in the past, he has now been successfully employed at his current job for seven months. He has shown increased commitment by volunteering for additional hours and even working seven consecutive days on two separate occasions to support his team during staffing shortages. Although he typically prefers not to work morning shifts, he has taken on several and completed them successfully. Additionally, he has made notable improvements in his personal presentation by maintaining a clean appearance at work—something that was previously a challenge. Outside of work, he has also demonstrated dedication to his health by attending the gym weekly and working toward weight loss goals.