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With daily reports of turmoil around the world, it's easy to forget that there are millions of Americans living quiet lives of decency, even heroism.
Easter Seals, the 85-year-old disability services provider, acting more like an Internet-savvy teenager who has harnessed the power of the Web than a senior citizen, is launching a national online campaign called "Be an Angel of Change."
Easter Seals is calling for people to share their personal stories of an angel in their lives - their Easter Seals story, their connection to disability or their experience as a caregiver or a volunteer.
This high-tech twist on old-fashioned good works features Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, who notes she became an angel of change by volunteering and doing charity work because there were angels of change for her when she needed them.
Stories posted on the Easter Seals Web site, in its "Be an Angel of Change" section, speak of quiet courage, of giving back, of life-changing experiences. They range from simple letters of thanks for all that Easter Seals has done for a son or daughter, to descriptions of how a volunteer experience has made someone a better person and the memories the experience created. Many do not see themselves as angels at all, reserving that honor for those they help.
Nearly 54 million Americans have disabilities; some 6 million are schoolchildren. According to Easter Seals, about 80 million Americans are caregivers - most for their children or their aging parents.
Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical and mental disabilities and other special needs. For more than 85 years, it has offered help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play.
By: Rachel Turner
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