Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging (DEIAB) statement can be found here.
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In this newsletter, you will find:
Watch: Saturday Education Series: MASS PCA Program w/ Justin Graceffa
Upcoming SCIboston Events
SCIboston's Friendsgiving
SCIboston's Virtual Thanksgiving Open House
Advocacy Update
Peer Mentor Spotlight - Meet Our New Peer Mentors!
A Good Read - In Berlin by Eric Silberstein
Virtual Support Groups
SCIboston's Travis Roy Legacy Grant Program
Thank You to Our Sponsors and Supporters
SCI Transition Program - Do You Know Someone In A Nursing Home?
Resources
The Steven F. Riley Educational Memorial Scholarship
Community Tidbits: A Caregiver Survival Guide, Aging with SCI Webinar
We rely on donations, sponsors and grants to fund our peer programs. If we made a difference in your life or that of someone you love, consider a donation to allow us to continue to assist others as we assisted you.
SCIboston is recognized by the IRS as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
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SCIboston’s Saturday Education Series: Massachusetts Personal Care Attendant Program
On Saturday, October 18th, Justin Graceffa, Vice-Chair of the MASS PCA Workforce Council, hosted an informative Zoom session on the Massachusetts PCA Program. This interactive presentation provided an overview of how the PCA program works, what it means to be a consumer employer, and tips for building a great working relationship with your PCA. Topics included: posting job opportunities, conducting effective interviews, and building strong communication skills. Click the button below to check out the recorded presentation and Q&A!
On November 1st, the federal government will suspend the disbursement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps) funds to states due to the ongoing government shutdown. As of right now, more than half of all states have announced that they are unable to use state funds to cover the program.
What does this mean for you?
If you are in New England, you will not receive your SNAP benefits beginning November 1st. You will not receive your SNAP benefits unless:
The shutdown ends
There are changes to federal guidance, such as the decision to use the SNAP contingency fund
Your state legislature and Governor decides to use state funds to pay for SNAP
Once the shutdown ends, you will receive your SNAP benefits and any delayed SNAP benefits should be paid retroactively. Please continue to apply for SNAP benefits if you are in need. Once approved, benefits will be back dated to the day you applied.
If you are living in Massachusetts – and as long as you have at least $1 on your EBT card – you will be able to access the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which allows you to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. Additionally, the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC), universal free School Meals, and adult congregate care programs will continue to be funded. Check out the MA Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) webpage for more information and further updates. The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute also has a good resource outlining the impact of the government shutdown on SNAP.
Worried about losing SNAP benefits?
Contact Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333. The hotline is available in multiple languages and is open Monday through Saturday. They can help you find a food resource close to you.
Some food pantries, community meals, or other food related services have policies that may make accessing their programs impossible for you. However, many food resources will work with you to meet your needs. You can request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by contacting the organization and explaining your needs. All food resource entities are covered by the ADA, unless they are religious organizations. Please contact Vita at vita@sciboston.org if you have any questions, need assistance, or have a resource to add – don’t hesitate to ask for help.
If you can, please consider donating – food banks and pantries are facing an unprecedented rise in need and rely on community support. And as always, check in on those in our community; together, we can help everyone get through this time.
Are you ready to vote?
Elections will be held on Tuesday, November 4th. Not sure if your municipality is holding an election? Click here for a list of upcoming elections.
Check your polling location to make sure it’s accessible.The Massachusetts Office on Disability has a full list of accessibility requirements and rights as a voter with a disability, including a right to accessible voting registration and polling places, have your service animal accompany you inside, and assistance from a person of your choice.
Voting in Person? Every polling location in Massachusetts is required to have at least one AutoMARK machine that is accessible to voters with disabilities. This machine can assist you in independently marking your ballot, and features a touch screen and keypad to make selections. Once marked, the AutoMARK prints your ballot for submission. The AutoMARK also has ports for sip and puff or foot pedal assistive devices, if you would like to bring your own.
Are you or a family member looking to connect with one of SCIboston's trained peer mentors? Many people find it helpful, reassuring, and hopeful to talk to a mentor about adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury. Topics of conversation could include getting back to work or school after a sci, adaptive sports, relationships and intimacy, bladder and bowel management, and more. We match individuals with peer mentors based primarily on gender, injury level, age, interests, and family life, amongst other considerations. SCIboston's mentors also lead many of our virtual support groups, as well as attend them to provide support to others. SCIboston Peer Mentors have completed SCIboston and United Spinal Association Peer Training Program, completed HIPPA training, passed background checks, and are, in many cases, certified Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital volunteers. If you'd like to hear more about the program or wish to connect with someone, please contact SCIboston's Peer Mentor Coordinator, Diane, at diane@sciboston.org to learn more today.
To learn more about our Peer Mentor program click here to watch our Saturday Education Series about it.
A Good Read
SCIboston would like to Thank Eric Silberstein for his outreach to our community to gain insight from people with lived experience with paralysis when finalizing his novel In Berlin. Eric was grateful for support from SCIboston Peer Mentor, Tony Horne, and Empower's Director of Strategic Development, Tim Brown for their insight.
Eric's book In Berlin is a story about a young woman who experiences a spinal cord injury due to a spinal stroke. It is an excellent read and can be purchased through this link.
Update to SCIboston’s Support Groups:
Virtual Support Groups
Join us for any of SCIboston’s virtual support groups that meet your needs as an individual or family member impacted by a spinal cord injury or disorder. Our support groups offer opportunities for questions, open discussion, support, resources, and more. All of our facilitators are trained SCIboston Peer Mentors who are there to structure the meeting, guide conversation, and help meet the needs of attendees. We want our attendees to feel comfortable and know that any level of participation is welcomed, even if you would just like to listen. No need to RSVP, meeting links are the same each week.
Younger Adult Group
Women's Group
Men's Group
Newly Injured
Spanish Group
Family Groups
SCI/D Discussion Group
And Nutrition Group
Click the button to access more information and the zoom links!
Our Grant Program assists individuals with a Spinal Cord Injury or Disorder (SCI/D) who demonstrate a financial need. These grants can help assist with obtaining either Durable Medical EquipmentorVehicle Modificationsup to $5,000.
Examples of Eligible Items:
Upgrade and maintenance of wheelchairs, home ramps and lifts, computers, commodes, standing frames, shower chairs/benches, vehicle hand controls, wheelchair locking systems, and more.
To learn more about the eligibility requirements, what our grants cover, and to fill out the application, click the button below!
Watch Stacie and Rory tell their story at our 2024 Gala HERE.
Spinal Cord Injury Transition Program
Stacie Selfridge - TRANSITION PROGRAM LIAISON
Stacie oversees SCIboston’s SCI Transition Program, which aims to assist individuals who live in nursing homes to get back to living independently. Stacie brings twenty-plus years of knowledge and experience as an Occupational Therapist to our SCIboston community. We are pleased to announce the SCIboston Spinal Cord Injury Transition Program has had some great successes during it's first two years and we want to continue helping individuals with their independence.
Do you know someone with an SCI that is living in a nursing home? We are looking for new candidates who are motivated to move back into the community.
Please contact info@sciboston.orgfor more information or to recommend a candidate.
Resources Page
Our resource page was curated by our staff with information provided by our mentors, group leaders, and other members of the SCI community that includes information about:
Caregivers Getting Back to Work Housing, Sports & Recreation Complex Rehab Technology Transportation and so much more!
The Steven F. Riley Educational Memorial Scholarship
Applications are now open for the first Steven F. Riley Educational Memorial Scholarship, which will be awarded in January 2026. Thanks to the generosity of Linda and Stacey Riley, this opportunity has been created in Steven’s memory and offered through SCIboston to honor his perseverance and compassion. The scholarship supports individuals living with paraplegia or quadriplegia/tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury or disorder.
Beginning in 2026, two scholarships will be awarded each year—one in the Fall and one in the Spring semester—to help recipients pursue higher education or certified training. The deadline for this first round of applications is October 31, 2025.
For full details, eligibility, and application, click here.
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Community Tidbits
A caregiver's survival guide: Advice from people who've been there
If you're a caregiver for an ill or elderly adult, you're not alone. Millions of others are right there with you. They know how rough it can be, and they want to share their wisdom.
When NPR asked caregivers to share their stories, nearly 600 responded with practical advice, hair-raising stories and plenty of hard-won expertise.
This interactive session will bring together clinicians and persons with lived experience to share insights and strategies for staying healthy with SCI. We will highlight best practices in preventive care and explore how individuals with SCI can partner with their healthcare providers to advocate for accessible, high-quality care.
Featured Speakers:
Ashley Traczuk, MD – Internist (Hospitalist), Jefferson Health
Susan Solman, DPM, PharmD – Podiatrist, Pharmacist, and Disability Healthcare Advocate, Florida International University
Planning Committee:
Kim Anderson, PhD – Case Western Reserve University
Jeanne Zanca, MPT, PhD – Kessler Foundation
Michael Stillman, MD – Thomas Jefferson University
Leslie Morse, DO – University of Miami
Co-Hosted by: Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) Division of General Internal Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Guided by the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Knowledge Translation Committee Community Advisory Board, a diverse group of individuals with lived experience with SCI from across the country
We hope you will join us for this important conversation on health, advocacy, and empowerment.
Did you miss a newsletter? All our past newsletters can be found here:
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
6:00 – 8:00 pm (ET)
Virtual via Zoom 