Will to Walk Foundation

“Advertising and Promotion 1,314”

“Administrative Expenses 2,809”

“IT Expenses 3,572”

“Conferences Meetings 138”

“Insurance 1,397”

“Donor Outreach Events 1,680”

“Becoming disabled can have a large, negative impact on educational attainment as well as job opportunities and these things, in turn, have a negative impact on a persons quality of life. We know that mentoring provides the most benefits to at-risk youth, so mentoring special at-risk populations, such as youth with spinal cord injuries is particularly important.Improvements to medical treatment and rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries has provided the medical field to turn its attention to improving thequality of life for people with spinal cord injuries instead of just treating acute symptoms. Returning to work and school are often seen as markers of successful rehabilitation. However, rates of employment for people with spinal cord injuries in the U.S. are low, and these injuries can be particularly devastating for youth and young adults between 16 and 26. Predictors of return to work after injury are pre-injury employment history and level of education, but if youth are injured before they have a chance to finish school, work or go to college, it makes it harder for them to pursue employment or higher education. Accessing what resources do exist can be difficult for young people, and many people do not receive the services they require. Will2Walk is addressing this service gap in our Wheels Up Youth program.”