Leesburg-based disabilities services nonprofit ECHO is asking the community for its support in its efforts to serve adults with disabilities during the COVID–19 crisis.

For 45 years, ECHO has offered life-long support to adults with disabilities. The nonprofit seeks to help people with disabilities to achieve or continue to lead independent lifestyles within the community. Their mission is to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve their best level of personal, social and economic success. That includes clean and safe places for those they serve, and a transportation fleet to take their clients to and from their homes and places of work to put family members’ minds at ease.

But the nonprofit, like many others, has felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of the recent restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the virus, including the governor’s advice to shelter in place, ECHO has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of people taking part in their programs. That has also affected its funding—ECHO’s reimbursements are based on headcount.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit’s operating and overhead expenses remain largely unchanged.

The nonprofit’s leaders have sounded the call asking the community to help ensure those services will still be available when the pandemic passes.

Funds donated during the campaign will help cover the costs of maintaining the transportation fleet, employment programs, day support, the medically fragile unit, the ECHO Assessment Center and the ECHO Academy, which provides assessment and life skills and vocational training.

Donations can be made at echoworks.org/donors or mailed to P.O. Box 2277, Leesburg, VA 20177.

For more information contact ECHO Director of Development Robert Pizzimenti at 571-707-8249 or [email protected].

https://loudounnow.com/2020/04/01/hit-by-pandemic-echo-asks-for-community-support