Cleveland Hearing And Speech Center

Prior to my knowledge of Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, in Cleveland, Ohio, I knew very little about communication challenges. Not only did I have very little knowledge of communication challenges, I took communication for granted. I've never had a communication challenge personally and therefore I have spent my entire life never really thinking what it would be like to have difficulty communicating with the people around me.

Through my involvement with Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, I have come to understand that communication is vital for connecting with family, friends, and the world around us. In addition, I have been privileged to meet a few of the incredible clients the organization serves, like Paislee in the photo. Needless to say, my experience with Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center has been life-changing.

Communication is the most fundamental connection we share as humans and it drives our success in the workplace, in school, in the community, and at home. Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center believes that all people have the right to live to their full potential and that requires communicating effectively.
I have recognized that one of our greatest challenges the agency faces is getting our community to understand what it is like to live in a world when you are unable to communicate effectively. Most of us take our communication abilities for granted. It is safe to say that most of us do not remember when we began to communicate and yet, daily, we depend on our ability to communicate with those around us. Our abilities to effectively communicate significantly shape the quality and outcomes in our lives. For many of us, we have been able to successfully graduate from high school, further our education through college and, possibly, obtain higher degrees, and we are able to fully live independently. Communication barriers significantly impact the possibility and quality of such outcomes for persons with communication impairments.

I very much believe in the mission of Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. The organization is in the process of expanding services in Northeast Ohio and selecting this charity of choice will make an incredible immediate impact on this initiative.

Thank you in advance for your friendship and support!
Sara Thomas

As a social worker I saw firsthand the impact that Speech delays have on the social, emotional, and educational lives of young children. For years I worked with preschoolers who were expelled from child care centers for hitting and biting to get their way, when they were unable to speak instead. After working with several families who were experiencing the same problems, I came across one family who received Speech therapy services from the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center. This child made amazing gains in the clarity and use of her speech and was able to excel in her preschool classroom. Over the years I referred many families to CHSC for hearing and speech services and have consistently seen positive results.
I joined the associate board two years ago during a time in my life where I was feeling that I needed to invest more time in worthwhile causes. CHSC was the first thought in my mind when I began looking for board service. I am now the president of the New Partners associate board and work with a group of amazing young professionals to raise awareness and funds for the Center. We leverage our personal and professional connections, create partnerships with other boards, and put on an amazing fundraiser each year called the Cleveland Big Wheel relay, where teams of four race adult sized big wheels in a race to raise funds for the center. This is the most fun fundraising I have ever been a part of and I am confident that my support of CHSC allows them to positively impact hundreds of lives each year.

For more info visit www.chsc.org or https://www.facebook.com/clevelandhearingandspeechcenter/