Amputee Coalition

People give to a vision.
A man came upon a construction site where three people were working. He asked the first, “What are you doing?,” and the man answered, “I am laying bricks.” He asked the second, “What are you doing?,” and the man answered, “I am building a wall.” He walked up to the third man, who was humming a tune as he worked, and asked, “What are you doing?,” and the man stood up and smiled, gazing off into the horizon, and said, “I am building a grand cathedral.”

The Amputee Coalition has a vision that “by 2020, we will be nationally recognized as the premier organization for people affected by limb loss and as a leader in limb loss prevention.” We are on an exciting journey into the future to achieve this vision. We are projecting 10 years out with our vision statement and planning in 5-year increments – thus, the 2015 Plan (available now on our Web site) and in 5 years a 2020 Plan. We have, however, defined our destination within the parameters of four strategic pillars that support our mission and our vision – Awareness, Impact, Member Services and Sustainability. Our new vision describes our dreams, hopes and ambitions for the Amputee Coalition.

Giving is about passion.
Harnessing the passion of people who want to make a difference can make a world of difference. We received a fabulous donation from a young girl in Monticello, New York: $18 for our prosthetic parity initiative. She saved up and made a contribution that was as meaningful to her and to us as larger donations may be to others. (See Ripples in this issue)

People give to people.
People don’t give to the Amputee Coalition simply because the Amputee Coalition has organizational needs. People give to the Amputee Coalition because we help people with limb loss find solutions to their needs and help them reach their full potential. People give to people at the Amputee Coalition. We are about the people.

People act from the heart, not the head.
One trip to our annual youth camp and you are smitten with the urge to jump in headfirst to support this absolutely outstanding program. Just ask Marshall Cohen (see his introductory remarks in this issue of Pebbles) or any of the volunteers who saw our camp kids doing amazing things that they would have not thought possible prior to camp.

Giving is a personal act.
People support the Amputee Coalition because they see themselves in the initiative. Anyone who has ever fought an insurance company for fair coverage understands the battle we are waging across the nation to secure fair insurance coverage of prosthetic arms and legs.

The act of giving is immediate.
Donors like the opportunity to act here and now. Take for instance, seeing your dollars at work in the Christina Skoski, M.D., Scholarship Fund, which provides funds each year for a scholarship to be granted to a qualified college student.