2020 Mission Report

2020 started as most New Year’s do…full of hope, new ideas for a new decade, and excitement for the possibilities that lay ahead. We often take for granted how much we rely on routine, structure, and predictability, and in March 2020, when those assets disappeared, our only option was to embrace change, creativity, and spontaneity. We pushed ourselves this year, beyond what we thought we could achieve. The world may still be a confusing and unpredictable place, but we know staying focused on the three pillars of our 2020 successes - renewal, reinvention, and readiness - will help us grow into a stronger organization to serve you in 2021.

___

We’re renewing our commitment as an Association to achieving our mission by making deeper connections within our community. We’ve increased our communications to provide more updates and information, prioritized creating new resources to address social isolation, self-care, and health tips, and highlighted personal stories to spread positivity. What we heard from the community in response reaffirmed how our pursuit to provide help, hope, and healing is unstoppable, even when faced with the unexpected. “I would have given up,” said one caller, “but you guys gave me hope!”

We’re reinventing many of the programs we offer to support the brain injury community. We fully embraced the virtual event space with 2 conferences, 1 Caregiver Forum, and 14 support group meetings all happening online, and launched 3 online peer communities for members in 2020. We created a gift card program to provide some financial relief for individuals needing assistance for basic needs like groceries. These initiatives and more are sure to shape our programming for many years to come. Camp Bruce McCoy will look different this year and we are enhancing our Information and Referral program to meet the needs of the community and give access to our services in a variety of ways.

We’re ready to take on new challenges. The changes we made over the last year also came with a newfound sense of confidence that when navigating the unexpected, BIAV, our staff, and our community will prevail. Not only are we ready for what 2021 has in store for us, but we are excited to take it on. However, we would not be so optimistic if it weren’t for your generosity and support. From our event attendees to social media ambassadors, donors to individuals needing information and referral support, and everyone in between, we are so grateful for and inspired by your resilience.

The way things were will never again be the way things are. For BIAV, that means our purpose, vision, and commitment to our work will help pave the way for a new future where anything is possible.