The Self-Advocates group at Bi-County Services, with the support of AWS Foundation, presented $5,000 in donations to four organizations in celebration of Pay it Forward Day on April 28. Self-Advocates are people with disabilities whom BCS serves who work to make their communities more inclusive and accessible.
“They help us, we help them,” said Self-Advocate Sarah Kirkpatrick, who presented oversized cardboard checks along with T.J. Reynolds, Matt Hower and Gary Amburgey.
Members of the group nominated local non-profits organizations who they volunteer with, who provide services to them, and who make a positive impact in Wells County.
A check for $2,000 was presented to the Feeding Tomorrow’s Future Today Weekend Backpack Program for Hungry Kids, $1,000 to Forgotten Children, $1,000 to The Closet at Family Centered Services, and $1,000 to Friends of the Wells County Animal Shelter.
“Bi-County Services has so often benefitted from the generosity of others,” says Patti Hays, AWS Foundation CEO. “The idea of celebrating Pay it Forward Day in this way is to allow those with disabilities to experience the joy and internal satisfaction that comes from giving to others.”
Pay it Forward Day was started in 2007 to show that a small act of kindness can make a big impact. AWS Foundation tasked Self-Advocates with selecting non-profits in their communities that have made an impact on their lives to make a donation.
Bi-County Services serves adults with intellectual disabilities in Adams as well as Wells counties. Some clients live with their families, others live in group homes or with housemates, and still others live independently in their own homes or apartments.
Fort Wayne-based AWS Foundation supports a wide range of organizations and service agencies in northeast Indiana, working to develop a community in which people with enduring intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities are engaged fully and meaningfully in all aspects of community life.
