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The holidays are a perfect time to think about how you can help the less fortunate. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is normally when individuals and families donate time, money, or goods to charitable organizations that need our help. Why not concentrate this year on hearing loss charities and organizations that focus on hearing health?

 

Hearing Loss Charities from HCOA

Hearing Charities of America (HCOA) is a massive organization that has dedicated itself to raising awareness about hearing loss and garnering assistance for people with hearing loss who need some extra help. HCOA has many programs that focus on advocacy, awareness, and scholarships and grants for people who have hearing loss. Take a look at the programs below to decide which one(s) you might want to donate to!

 

The Hearing Aid Project

This branch of the HCOA is committed to helping distribute hearing aids to Americans who need them but cannot afford them. They consolidate organizations across the country who are working to give out or collect hearing aids and assist them in their mission. If you want to help low-income individuals get access to hearing aids and hearing healthcare, this is the charity for you!

 

Celebrate Sound: Don’t Walk in Silence

This is HCOA’s premiere fundraising effort. Much like the Race for a Cure or Light the Night races, Celebrate Sound is a walkathon event that is designed to raise money and awareness for HCOA and their hearing health mission. If you are interested in getting involved, you can contact Celebrate Sound for a toolkit that will help you get started.

 

SafeEars!

This program aims to emphasize the preventable nature of noise-induced hearing loss. Excessive noise exposure is the most common cause of hearing loss and can be avoided with proper precautions or lifestyle changes. SafeEars starts in grade school and teaches young children about how to prevent hearing loss throughout life.

 

A Sound Investment

HCOA invites philanthropic individuals or companies to help expand the installation and use of induction loops in the US. It’s becoming a common thing in many sites in the UK and the rest of Europe, but induction loops are still not widely-used in this country. HCOA connects you with successful looping projects that are already underway and will help you start your own community looping!

 

In addition to their own charities, HCOA also has the Adopt-An-Agency program, where they partner with smaller hearing loss organizations to share their resources and research. Program participants get access to grants and all HCOA program materials. If you run a hearing health charity, think about getting involved with HCOA!

 

HCOA also provides scholarships for students with hearing loss and students who study audiology and speech-language pathology. HCOA wants to encourage both students who suffer from hearing loss and students who are working to treat hearing loss. If you or someone you know qualifies, apply here.

 

Take some time to consider hearing loss charities this season, especially if you are hard of hearing or wear hearing aids. Hearing loss awareness and hearing aid research are funded by charities such as the ones above, so it’s important to support the good work they do!

By: Elena McPhillips