HRA 990

Dear Friends of HRA:

What an incredible year we have experienced here at HRA! At the very beginning of 2004, our founding father John Dycus made the bold prediction that “this is the year of HRA” – and he was so right!

This year, HRA has grown and expanded the range of programs and services available to those with disabilities in our community three-fold. In other words, in 2003 HRA provided services through three programs, and in 2004 we have expanded and now offer services through 10 different programs – and that's not all.

In terms of programs, HRA secured contracts to offer three different types of Primary Home Care services, both to adults and children throughout the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex area, so that services are available immediately to those who need them while waiting for more extensive programs to open up. We also became a Direct Service Provider for the CLASS program, and in our home health program, we have obtained contracts with third party insurance providers so that we can now provide skilled nursing and therapies to people with health care insurance.

HRA also now provides homemaker services and attendant care to the elderly of Tarrant County through a contract with the Area Agency on Aging. Services have also been expanded to provide care to those with developmental disabilities such as mental retardation and autism through contracts with MHMR of Tarrant County, and Dallas Metrocare Services.

In 2004, HRA stretched out our arms and hands to reach more people in our community and make them aware of our services. Through weekly “Helping Hands Luncheons”, over 500 new people came through our doors and learned what we do, who we serve, and what we need to do even more, and over 200 people attended our first annual “Hand in Hand” fundraising event, where a record $80,000 was pledged and received from these new friends. These newcomers are bringing their friends and associates to assist in achieving our new mission, “To promote independence and enrich the lives of those we serve” , and many are partnering with us to reach out to people in need.

Some examples of these partnerships are the Wheelchair Foundation, which has provided over 270 new wheelchairs to people in our community free of charge, the First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Worth that awarded a grant to HRA to be used to establish the Senior Emergency Fund to assist the elderly in Tarrant County with emergency needs, AMBUCS of Arlington that is working with us to build the first completely accessible playground for children with disabilities, Arlington Women's Club that provides free household items for our clients, Southwest High School Media Arts students that produced videos of our clients telling their stories – and so many more. It has been through these partnerships that HRA's ability to reach out and touch so many lives has been possible.

Through the dedication and far-reaching vision of the HRA Board of Directors, the support and devotion of our friends in the HRA Advisory Council, and the ever-expanding circle of volunteers that have built ramps, painted houses, redesigned our brochures and written materials, and provided interpretation services, there has not been a challenge that has gone unmet this year.

And yet we have so many dreams…we want the day to come that through continued expansion of the many services available, there will not be a waiting list for those who need us. It is so hard to tell a single mother who is recently disabled and is about to lose custody of her children  because she can no longer care for them that help will be available in about two years – if the state lifts the freeze on taking people off of the waiting list. That mother does not have two years to wait – and neither do we.

Thanks to you and all of the people like you who believe that to give and serve others is what really matters, we are now able to respond and offer a ray of hope. We may not be able to do everything for everyone, but we can do just enough for those who truly need us to make a positive difference in their lives and in the fabric of our community. And that, my friends, is what it's all about.

Blessings to you all,

Vicki Niedermayer
Executive Director