Interview with Mary Anne Ruddis
Elevations - A Children's Therapy Resource Foundation
AC: Tell us about your business.
MR: Families of children with special needs struggle to pay the out-of-pocket costs for therapy services that will affect the rest of their children’s lives. Choosing between paying for food/household expenses or paying for therapy services is a crushing decision that families face. Delaying treatment or skipping therapy sessions will adversely affect their child’s future. Too many parents must choose to either delay/cut services or take on crippling debt, putting their family’s future at risk as well as their child’s well-being. We were founded to address this need in our community. We are a 501c3 non-profit that helps to cover these out-of-pocket costs for therapy services and home therapy equipment. We were founded in 2012 and did our first grant funding in 2013.
AC: Who is your target customer?
MR: Our target audience is kindhearted people/businesses who want to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs. Right now we are gearing up for our spring grant awards and looking for people who want to help Grow Grants and plant some seeds so these children can bloom.
AC: What has been the greatest impact of covid-19 on your business?
MR: Cancelling our in-person events created fundraising challenges. Elevations is a community-based non-profit. We rely on the financial support we receive locally and much of that comes from our fundraising events. With COVID, we had to find alternative ways to share our message. We want to ensure that all children can receive the medical services they need when they need them. This makes our entire community stronger.
AC: What are one or two actions you have taken to make a difference?
MR: I am talking with you today.... and I continue to share the message of the work at Elevations. On May 7th we will do our grant awards and I know that whatever we can award (and that will depend on our current Grow Grants fundraiser) will have a lifelong impact on the children we help.
AC: What is one mistake you have made along the way that other people can learn from?
MR: A mistake I made along the way was neglecting to actively provide balance in my life. We all know we need balance and sometimes believe we are achieving it. But when you are passionate about what you are doing, it is easy to put yourself last and not truly taking time away to recharge.
AC: Have you been reading any great books lately, if so what?
MR: Humankind by Rutger Bregman I recently finished The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Egar - highly recommend it.
AC: What is inspiring to you today?
MR: The sunshine!
OFFER: Mention this newsletter with your donation and we’ll also send you an Elevations camera cover for your computer camera lens.
Contact:
Mary Anne Ruddis
509-385-2116
info@elevationsspokane.org
https://elevationsspokane.org/contact/
