November 16, 2017

by: Renee Canfield

Thank You to Medical Mutual

As the department in charge of fundraising, my team is tasked with raising the much-needed funds to ensure our programs can provide our clients with the services that they need to become more independent.  Each year we raise over $1,000,000 in philanthropic dollars that support different aspects of programming, including expert therapy for children; kind, caring case managers for families; music, art and wellness activities for both adults and children as well as outings in the community and employment opportunities for adults.  I am grateful for the private and corporate partners who step up to make sure UCP continues to be a thriving, stable organization in our community.  I am especially thankful for Medical Mutual of Ohio’s support over the last two years as our Presenting Agency Partner.

Our relationship with Medical Mutual extends well over 10 years and has provided $278,600 in philanthropic support. In 2016 Medical Mutual became our 2016-2017 Presenting Agency Partner, pledging a total of $150,000 to UCP programs over two years. This major partnership supports growth in both our OakLeaf Partners Employment Programs, as well as our children’s LeafBridge Therapy Services.

OakLeaf Partners has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of adults referred to the agency for employment services and OakLeaf Job Placement Specialists will place more than 100 adults with disabilities into jobs at community businesses during 2017! The number of referrals for this program is expected to grow each year. As a Presenting Agency Partner, Medical Mutual supported the expansion of our staff capacity to meet the growing need for experienced employment placement staff. At LeafBridge, we have also seen growth in our extended school year programming, which transitioned into a summer camp model, Camp LeafBridge, this year. This program provides transitional programing over the summer to assist students with disabilities to continue their educational growth and work toward their personal Individual Education Program (IEP) goals during the summer months.

In return for this generous two-year support, UCP of Greater Cleveland provided Medical Mutual with prominent brand exposure, which included logo impressions through agency publications, social media and our four major fundraising events. Thank you Medical Mutual. Together, we are empowering children and adults with disabilities to advance their independence, productivity and inclusion in the community!

---