Tina wanted the chance to live independently, make friends, and find a community where she belonged.

After their mother passed away, Tina moved in with her sister, Beth, but Tina still wanted a place of her own. After more than a year of waiver denials, a friend connected their family with Bobby Dodd Institute. BDI helped Beth work through the paperwork and court process and connected Tina with services, including Just People. Today, Tina lives with a roommate, spends time with friends, and is thriving in a community she loves. Her story shows what can happen when families, programs, and community support work together. Most people never think about how complicated disability benefits can be until they or someone they love needs them. For many people with disabilities, understanding the rules can mean the difference between keeping life-saving healthcare, personal assistants, and other supports they rely on every day or losing access to them. Every day, BDI's team spends hours learning the details of these systems so people can get the benefits they qualify for and understand how work may affect the support they depend on. Today, BDI helps over 4,000 people access the support they need. But many people just don't know this help exists. When people cannot get the right support, the impact doesn't stop with them. Problems that could have been solved early often become much bigger and much more expensive to fix, putting more pressure on the systems that we all depend on. We can't do this work alone. Keeping this support available takes more than expertise. it takes people who want this kind of support to be there when life takes an unexpected turn. None of us knows when we or someone we love might need help. Your donation today helps make sure this help is there when needed. https://bobbydodd.org/ways-to-give/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=ongoing&utm_content=donate&utm_term=benefits%20navigation#donate-now