Eleos the Care Network Inc. a.k.a. Lift Disability Network
Elevating Life in the Disability Family
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The need for the services of Lift Disability Network is significant. The US Census Bureau estimates 19% of the population lives with some type of disability. These people deal with higher levels of loneliness, poverty, helplessness, and hopelessness.
First, loneliness can result from social isolation, as physical and emotional resources are insufficient. Second, stress due to poverty may be ongoing, because demands can outstrip resources available to meet those demands. Third, feelings of helplessness may overwhelm people when disability seems to dictate life. Finally, hopelessness can occur each time a family advances to a new life stage and normal outcomes are not met.
These families often lack adequate opportunities designed to meet their needs, access to resources, and the support required to preserve the family unit. For these reasons and more, this ministry is crucial to the disability families and individuals of our community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Breakaway Summer Retreat
Breakaway is a 4-5 day summer camp program of LDN geared toward families and individuals living with disability. Currently this program is offered in Central Florida and the St. Louis, Missouri area. A typical program attracts 40-80 participants per location plus crew members. Each Breakaway includes overnight accommodations, a meal plan, group programming, indoor and outdoor adaptive recreation and activities, caregiver, youth and children's groups, chapel services, and themed evening programming.
Volunteers serve as crew leads or buddies. Each individual with a disability is assigned a personal buddy with a typical ratio being one-on-one. Families attend the program together, but caregivers have the ability to connect with each other as volunteer buddies serve their family members. Additionally, church, community and corporate groups are offered the opportunity to sponsor and serve at one or more programming events.
Boost
BOOST is a 2-hour monthly program of LDN geared toward families and individuals impacted by disability. Currently this program is offered in multiple locations in Central Florida (and St. Louis, Missouri). A typical program draws 30-90 people per location each month. Each BOOST includes a free meal, adaptive recreation or activities, and a time of inspiration.
BOOST is a primarily volunteer managed event; volunteers serve as crew leads or buddies. Each individual with a disability is assigned a personal buddy for the evening with a typical ratio being one-on-one. Families attend the program together, but caregivers have the ability to connect with each other as volunteer buddies serve their family members. Additionally, church, community and corporate groups are offered the opportunity to sponsor and serve at one or more monthly events in order to serve and to learn from the disability community.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of partner churches
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Imagine hearing the words, "Your child has a disability." Or picture receiving a call from your son's college informing you that he's had a car accident and is in the hospital unable to walk. These things happen to people every day. In some measure, every individual will face a debilitating experience in their life, perhaps even several times throughout their human experience.
Since the inception of Lift Disability Network (LDN), our vision has been to Elevate Life in the Disability Family. We strive to bring wholeness to families and individuals living with disability in five arenas of health: relational health, emotional health, financial health, physical health, and spiritual health. We resolve to place the emphasis back on "life" by refusing to allow disability to steal the attention.
First, LDN seeks to help families and individuals living with disability to move from loneliness and isolation to relational health. Lift creates opportunities for people impacted by disability to make critical relational connections and to participate in rewarding environments to encourage, empathize with and challenge each other.
Second, LDN desires to help families and individuals living with disability to establish financial health, moving them from poverty to adequate resourcing. Lift seeks to help people assess their financial need and to connect them to resources to help them move toward financial health and prepare for the long-term needs of a family member living with disability.
Third, LDN wants to help families and individuals impacted by disability to move from a sense of helplessness and hopelessness to full emotional health. Because the emotional reserves of people living with disability can become depleted, Lift strives to create supportive environments. As necessary, Lift makes referrals to professionals who can aid people with emotional health.
Fourth, LDN wants to help families and individuals impacted by disability to move from unhealthy habits and physical limitations to improved physical health. Lift offers a wide variety of adaptive recreation and activities. Lift seeks to help both children and adults to work toward their optimum personal physical health.
Finally, LDN aims to help families and individuals living with disability to move from spiritual emptiness to spiritual health. Lift offers times of inspiration and spiritual growth in a non-denominational Christian setting. Lift aims to help people far from God to move toward spiritual wholeness.
Disability changes people's lives with experiences they did not expect. Since Lift Disability Network operates under the leadership of people who experience disability every day, LDN is uniquely poised to meet the challenges of the disability community. By linking arms together with others of like experience, disability can be put in its proper place and life can be elevated.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Lift Disability Network employs four distinct strategies for achieving long-term impact.
1. Breakaway Summer Retreat Program
Breakaway is a 4-5 day summer camp program of LDN geared toward families and individuals living with disability and is offered in Central Florida and the St. Louis, MO area. A typical program attracts 40-80 participants per location plus crew members. Each Breakaway includes overnight accommodations, meals, group programming, adaptive recreation and activities, caregiver, youth and children’s groups, chapel services, and themed evening programming. Volunteers serve as crew leads or buddies. Each individual with a disability is assigned a personal buddy.
2. BOOST Monthly Event Program
BOOST is a 2-hour monthly program of LDN geared toward families and individuals impacted by disability. Currently this program is offered in multiple locations in Central Florida and St. Louis, MO. A typical program draws 30-90 people per location each month. Each BOOST includes a free meal, adaptive recreation or activities, and a time of inspiration. Volunteers serve as crew leads or buddies. Each individual with a disability is assigned a personal buddy.
3. Wholeness Circle Care Program
The Wholeness Circle Care Program is a program of LDN currently under development. The Wholeness Circle Care Program includes family services designed to build personal wholeness and health for people living with disability in five key arenas. Lift Disability Network will offer: 1) individual case management service, including an assessment tool and referrals, and 2) direct services, including education.
The goals of the Wholeness Circle Care program are:
1. Relational Wholeness - To provide relational opportunities for caregivers and people living with disability to engage in a supportive community.
2. Emotional Wholeness- To help families and individuals increase their potential by coaching them how to move past their self-limiting definitions of disability.
3. Financial Wholeness - To help families discover and utilize resources to build and maintain financial health and to prepare for the long-term care needs of individuals living with disability.
4. Physical Wholeness - To offer adaptive recreation and activities to people living with disability.
5. Spiritual Wholeness - To help families and individuals living with disability to discover a life-changing faith journey.
4. Volunteer Leadership Opportunities
LDN offers volunteer leadership opportunities throughout the year. Individuals with or without disability develop their leadership skills through volunteer opportunities. Every individual who shows leadership potential is developed and encouraged. Because LDN knows many times those who have lived with disability can be the strongest influence on those seeking help to live with a disability, LDN takes care to ensure people living with disability have opportunities to lead, support and encourage others with disabilities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Lift Disability Network is a growing non-profit organization operating in Central Florida and the St. Louis, MO area that has gained over 20 years of expertise in relational disability ministry. LDN has demonstrated an ability to execute the mission statement: to help families and individuals living with disability to discover a new vision for their future. In addition, LDN has a proven track record as a viable and financially solvent organization.
Organizationally, LDN hires people who understand disability, because they are disabled themselves or because they have immediate family or long-term friends who are living with disability. This experience-based approach to staffing leads to outcomes of trust, access and relational comradely with participants and volunteers, and ultimately this access leads to positive life-changing outcomes for families and individuals impacted by disability.
Within the community, LDN partners with individuals, small businesses, other non-profits, churches and corporations. These partnerships have strengthened the community, and they have increased positive outcomes for those served by LDN.
Financially, LDN has consistently increased donations and thus likewise has increased services for many years. Through individual donations, corporate gifts, in-kind gifts and grants, LDN is poised to continue to grow.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Lift Disability Network engaged with a long-term strategic planning process during 2017. The following seven goals were developed for the next 5-10 years of LDN: Staffing - to build a strong staff culture with
enough people in well defined roles. Funding - to fully fund Lift and its expansion. Marketing - to increase participants, crew and visibility. Volunteers - to build a vibrant, connected volunteer culture. Camp Expansion - to expand our camping program by evaluating extra weeks, states, demographics. Monthly Events - to develop a unified plan for monthly events. Care Plan - to develop a care plan and process for participants.
Ministry Life Center - to establish ministry hubs in every state where Lift exists or will exist. In 2017, the following goals were attained:
Staffing - organizational structure defined, job descriptions clarified, six-stage staffing plan created.
Funding - funding team developed, five major repeatable funding campaigns developed.
Marketing - marketing templates developed, five major repeatable marketing campaigns developed.
Volunteers - volunteer appreciation developed, spiritual growth processes upgraded.
Camp Expansion - camp DNA identified, camp policies and procedures updated, camp leadership and organizational structure redefined, new activities piloted.
Monthly Events - monthly event strategy defined, common themes identified.
Care Plan - grant achieved for start-up funding. Ministry Life Center - no formal activity in 2017. In 2018, the following goals have been identified:
Funding Team - to build a staff and volunteer team who work on funding 24/7.Staffing Reset - to realign the staff and make the critical hires.
Programming Development - to intentionally develop programming and create standard, reproducible operating procedures.
Care Plan - to develop a care plan and process for participants (concept development and pilot program).Public Relations - to develop strategic partners and attend strategic events.
Central vs. Area Offices - to define leadership and management synergistic practices.
Space - to find space for the FL offices.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Eleos the Care Network Inc. a.k.a. Lift Disability Network
Board of directorsas of 10/26/2023
Jim Hukill
Lift Disability Network
Rhonette Hukill
Lift Disability Network
Jim Hukill
Lift Disability Network
Kerry Moynihan
Jodi Row
Sharlina Mitchell
David Rychwalski
Michael Lewandoski
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
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Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.