ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Progress
As a beneficiary of this prestigious gift, the Golden West Chapter will participate in the inaugural ALS Collaborative Cohort. This Cohort consists of six US-based organizations that will work together to address issues of access and inclusion across the country faced by the ALS community. With the help of this philanthropic support, the Chapter will assess and address inclusion and access issues faced by families with ALS who live in traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities in Los Angeles County.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal, neurodegenerative illness that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. As the disease progresses, people with ALS lose the ability to move, speak, swallow, and, eventually, to breathe. People who have served in any branch of the military are diagnosed with ALS nearly twice as often as the general population. As with most neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, currently there are no effective treatments or cures for ALS.
As the disease progresses, people with ALS need multiple interventions designed to meet the challenges of daily living. People with ALS are dependent on caregivers, ALS experts, and accurate information, education, resources, and medical equipment to maintain health, safety communication, and quality of life. The Golden West Chapter exists to provide access to comprehensive, customized multidisciplinary community and clinic-based care services that help people live meaningfully longer and better with ALS and to advance the search for effective treatments and cures.
In many regions, the Chapter is serving more than 100% of the predicted ALS population. However, in Los Angeles County, one of the largest and most diverse counties in California, the Chapter serves less than 70% of the predicted ALS population. The Tambourine grant will help identify barriers to access to care and delivery of services, as well as help to develop strategies to improve results in the region. Ultimately, the results will include a model for achieving increased inclusion and access for the ALS community in the Los Angeles region and beyond as the Chapter shares its findings with other organizations facing similar challenges.
“On behalf of the families facing ALS who we serve, we are grateful to Tambourine for their generous support” said Fred Fisher, President and CEO, of the Golden West Chapter. “This important funding will allow us to improve the quality of life for hundreds of families facing ALS, both today and in the future.”
About the Golden West Chapter of The ALS Association
The mission of the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association is to discover treatments and cures for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest. Our vision is to create a world without ALS. The Golden West Chapter serves people with ALS and their families in 31 counties throughout California and in the state of Hawaii. Everything we do advances the search for effective treatments and cures for ALS.
The Golden West Chapter is proud to have earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator - for the eighth consecutive year. This is the highest rating possible, and recognizes the Chapter for its ongoing commitment to sound fiscal management, accountability and transparency. Only 5% of the charitable organizations rated receive this exceptional distinction four or more years in a row.
For more information about ALS and the Golden West Chapter, please visit our website at www.alsagoldenwest.org or email us at info@alsagoldenwest.org. You can also find us across social media channels at @alsagoldenwest.
As a beneficiary of this prestigious gift, the Golden West Chapter will participate in the inaugural ALS Collaborative Cohort. This Cohort consists of six US-based organizations that will work together to address issues of access and inclusion across the country faced by the ALS community. With the help of this philanthropic support, the Chapter will assess and address inclusion and access issues faced by families with ALS who live in traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities in Los Angeles County.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal, neurodegenerative illness that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. As the disease progresses, people with ALS lose the ability to move, speak, swallow, and, eventually, to breathe. People who have served in any branch of the military are diagnosed with ALS nearly twice as often as the general population. As with most neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, currently there are no effective treatments or cures for ALS.
As the disease progresses, people with ALS need multiple interventions designed to meet the challenges of daily living. People with ALS are dependent on caregivers, ALS experts, and accurate information, education, resources, and medical equipment to maintain health, safety communication, and quality of life. The Golden West Chapter exists to provide access to comprehensive, customized multidisciplinary community and clinic-based care services that help people live meaningfully longer and better with ALS and to advance the search for effective treatments and cures.
In many regions, the Chapter is serving more than 100% of the predicted ALS population. However, in Los Angeles County, one of the largest and most diverse counties in California, the Chapter serves less than 70% of the predicted ALS population. The Tambourine grant will help identify barriers to access to care and delivery of services, as well as help to develop strategies to improve results in the region. Ultimately, the results will include a model for achieving increased inclusion and access for the ALS community in the Los Angeles region and beyond as the Chapter shares its findings with other organizations facing similar challenges.
“On behalf of the families facing ALS who we serve, we are grateful to Tambourine for their generous support” said Fred Fisher, President and CEO, of the Golden West Chapter. “This important funding will allow us to improve the quality of life for hundreds of families facing ALS, both today and in the future.”
About the Golden West Chapter of The ALS Association
The mission of the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association is to discover treatments and cures for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest. Our vision is to create a world without ALS. The Golden West Chapter serves people with ALS and their families in 31 counties throughout California and in the state of Hawaii. Everything we do advances the search for effective treatments and cures for ALS.
The Golden West Chapter is proud to have earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator - for the eighth consecutive year. This is the highest rating possible, and recognizes the Chapter for its ongoing commitment to sound fiscal management, accountability and transparency. Only 5% of the charitable organizations rated receive this exceptional distinction four or more years in a row.
For more information about ALS and the Golden West Chapter, please visit our website at www.alsagoldenwest.org or email us at info@alsagoldenwest.org. You can also find us across social media channels at @alsagoldenwest.
