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Your Gift Will Make a Difference
Thanks to all who donated to Achieva's Online Giving Day!
Because of your generosity, we have secured the $5,000 match and surpassed our goal!
The Blanco Fund for Advocacy and Family Support
Your donation is supporting The Blanco Fund for Advocacy and Family Support was established by Achieva's Board in honor of Marsha Blanco, Achieva’s past President and CEO. The fund supports the work of Achieva's Advocacy team, helps countless people receive the assistance they need now, and will continue to help more people well into the future.
For more than six decades, Achieva’s disability advocates have been working with families and self-advocates to ensure that:
To learn more about Achieva's Advocacy work and resources, please click here.
Liz Humphrey
Liz Humphrey is an inspirational speaker and advocate for all people with disabilities. Having a disability herself has not stopped her from becoming a key figure in the disability field. Liz’s journey to becoming an advocate for people with disabilities started with her own personal experience of speaking up and advocating for herself.
In 2018, Liz found herself in a rut. She felt as though she didn’t have much control or say in her day-to-day life. That changed when she spoke up and requested changes in the supports she was receiving. Liz discovered person-centered planning and was able to create a custom plan for her supports. She says that “person-centered planning makes her feel like she can do so much.” Since 2018, Liz has made it her mission to teach and educate other people with disabilities and those that work alongside them.
Liz met Julie Trbovich, Achieva’s Director of Advocacy and Family Supports, on a Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association "Capitol Day" bus trip in which the main focus was the value of and better compensation for Direct Support Professionals. That pivotal day led Liz to become an active member of Achieva’s Empowered Voices Leadership Group and a new Board Member for The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh. "Liz is a force to be reckoned with, when she speaks, people listen," said Ms. Trbovich. Medical students from the Schweitzer Fellows program working with the self-advocacy group commented that Liz is quite insightful and presents real world solutions to daily tasks.
Liz loves her current job working in an office setting. However, when asked about what her dream job is, she says, “helping is one of my favorite things, but doing it from an advocacy lens would be great.” She would love to work full-time as an advocate, helping people with disabilities and their families everyday. Her experiences include advocating for her housemates and friends, an internship with the LEND program at the University of Pittsburgh, where she is helping to train the staff of Community Supported Living programs, serving as an interviewer for the “Meet the Candidate” series, and speaking about daily living and challenges at several different conferences.
In addition to pursuing her passion of advocacy, Liz is looking forward to making additional strides in her personal life. In the near future, Liz hopes to leave her group home and find a place of her own through Achieva Home and Community Supports. Thank you for supporting Achieva and programs, like Empowered Voices. Because of you, people like Liz can pursue their passions and live lives of personal significance!
Achieva is southwestern Pennsylvania’s largest provider of lifelong services and supports for people with disabilities and their families. Achieva is a nationally-renowned leader in the field of disabilities, an organization known for its innovative programs and steadfast dedication to children and adults with disabilities and their families.
Achieva Provides the following Services:
From early intervention therapies and in-home support, to older adult protective services for medically fragile senior citizens, Achieva is the only agency of its type in our region that provides lifelong supports. We are committed to advocacy, innovation, and support for the people that utilize our services.
Thank you for supporting Achieva!
All proceeds benefit the Blanco Fund for Advocacy and Family Supports. A copy of your receipt will be emailed to you.
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