Dear Friend,

As we all prepare to gather around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends to share food and fellowship and count our blessings, I’d like to ask you to consider our most vulnerable citizens.

Through no fault of their own, people with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) are in peril as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has cut the funding for services by $100 million for this fiscal year. For Skills of Central PA alone, that means the cut for this year’s funding is expected to exceed $2.2 million.

These cuts are devastating and will threaten the viability of many private providers in Pennsylvania, many of which, like Skills, have provided service for over 40 years.

Because it is impossible to recover the total loss of Commonwealth funding through other sources, we are asking our friends, advocates and families for support at this crucial time. Gifts made to the Skills Foundation through this appeal will go toward bridging the gaps in critical services as government funding diminishes. Your gift is tax deductible.

Please pledge your support of Skills by making a gift to the Skills Foundation today. It‘s never been easier to give. Online giving is available on our website. Visit skillsofcentralpa.org and click on the “Donate Now” button, or you can send a check with the envelope provided.

No gift is too small and your support has never meant more.

On behalf of the Skills staff and all whom we serve, I wish you a peaceful and bountiful holiday season.

Sincerest Regards,

David M. (Mike) Rice Ph.D.
President/CEO
Skills of Central PA, Inc.
encl.

The Skills Foundation · 341 Science Park Road, Suite 6 · State College, PA 16801
phone: 814-238-3245 ext 321 · fax: 814-238-5117