December 22, 2023 by Angela

Why Your Support Matters

A Special Message from Dr. Gary Abrams

photo of Dr. Abrams I am a Professor of Neurology at the University of California San Francisco and have worked in the neuro-recovery field for 40 years. I am delighted to serve as a volunteer member of Schurig Center’s Board of Directors because their programs play an essential role in helping people heal and fill gaps in the continuum of our health care system.

As many of you may know, our health care system provides only limited support for patients beyond the early rehabilitation phase of treatment after a traumatic brain injury, concussion, stroke, and other types of brain injury. However, the journey to reaching one’s full potential is often a prolonged process and most effective with access to continued support and community re-integration.

With your generosity, this is where Schurig Center helps.

The enriched environment of Schurig Center picks up where health care leaves off by providing long-term restorative therapies, personal growth activities, and opportunities for social engagement. I have long recognized these are critical components for optimal recovery, but they are often difficult to access in our community.

Without a place like Schurig Center, many people end up isolated, depressed, declining in their abilities and health, and potentially, back in the hospital system.

The need for organizations like Schurig Center cannot be over emphasized.

Schurig Center is the only place I know of that helps address this need by offering an array of supportive “whole person” services and a community that cares for both survivors and their families. Staff work with a talented group of medical advisors who consult on program design to ensure services are high quality and effective.

I’m reaching out to you today because it’s critical for the center to have support from community members, like you and I, to carry forth its mission. Schurig Center is a nonprofit that does not receive medical reimbursements or federal funding.

I can’t stress enough how much your giving matters. Through your generosity, you have the power to help ensure your fellow community members living with a brain injury don’t fall through the cracks in our health care system. Please join me in helping to ensure this vital community resource continues to be available.

If you are in a position to help, please donate today and give as generously as you can.

On behalf of the people whose lives your caring touches, thank you. I can assure you your gift will be used wisely and will go far in helping hundreds of people this year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Gary Abrams, MD
Schurig Center Board of Directors
Professor of Neurology, UCSF

July 6, 2021 by Angela

Schurig Center’s Board President Honored with Picnic Table in Larkspur

National Association of Realtors^® singled out Schurig Center’s volunteer Board President Kim Strub as one of their national Good Neighbor Award recipients in 2019 and provided a $20,000 grant for the organization at that time in partnership with Wells Fargo Foundation. They also decided to dedicate a picnic table to her in recognition of her decade-plus of volunteer service to Schurig Center. The NAR Good Neighbor Awards recognize REALTORS who make extraordinary commitments to improving the quality of life in their communities.

The picnic table dedicated to Kim and Schurig Center is located on the walking path along Corte Madera Creek by Bon Air Center in Larkspur. The public is invited to enjoy the table. An inaugural picnic was held at the new picnic table in June 2021. In attendance from the Schurig Center were Executive Director Patricia Gill and Board member and Larkspur city councilmember, Catherine Way.

“I’m thrilled that the work of Schurig Center continues to be recognized for the important role we play in helping individuals and families rehabilitate after traumatic brain injuries. The center looks forward to reopening our doors to in-person classes in the fall, while our remote support continues to be offered,” said Strub. “We are hopeful that the picnic table can be enjoyed by the public and brings awareness to the need for the services we provide in our local community.”

Since the organization’s founding in 1985, Schurig Center’s mission has been powered by community support. We are deeply grateful for the loyal support of our community of friends, like Kim, who have been helping us improve lives and abilities for over 35 years.

If you’d like to join us in celebrating Kim’s service to the community, we hope you’ll consider making a donation to Schurig Center in her honor today.

Congrats, Kim!

February 23, 2021 by Angela

Help Raise Awareness About Brain Injury

Join the #MoreThanMyBrainInjury Campaign

At least 5.3 million adults and children in the U.S. are living with brain injury-related disabilities.

That’s one in every 60 people.

If you know someone who is living with brain injury – or if you have one yourself – you know that brain injury is not an event or an outcome. It’s the start of a misunderstood, misdiagnosed, underfunded neurological disease. Brain injury is often called the “silent epidemic” because public recognition of the injury is low despite the high number of people who are injured each year. The effects of brain injury are also often invisible to an unknowing observer.

Join the #MoreThanMyBrainInjury campaign to help:

Educate others about what it’s like to live with a brain injury
Increase understanding of brain injury as a chronic condition
Reduce the stigma associated with having a brain injury
Showcase the diversity of injury and the demographics of the community
Improve care and support for individuals with brain injury and their families

Ways You Can Help

Donate or fundraise to help ensure no one is alone after a brain injury.

Despite the pandemic, people are still experiencing brain injuries. There are few services available to help people adjust to the significant life changes that can happen after a brain injury. This year, Schurig Center has seen an increase in people contacting us for help, and the number of people we serve living on a low income has increased to 75% of our clients. With your help, we hope to raise $20,000 in March 2021. Your donation or personal fundraiser today will help provide access to continued rehabilitation, education, and support to hundreds of survivors and their family members this year. You help improve lives and abilities. Thank you!

Share your story.

If you or a loved one is living with the effects of a brain injury, share your story on your social media accounts using the hashtag #MoreThanMyBrainInjury.

Know the facts.

At least 3.6 million people in the U.S. sustain brain injury each year. Want to learn more? Click here to learn more about brain injury.

Connect.

Talk with someone with a brain injury and listen to their story. Invite someone you know living with a brain injury to social gatherings or for a fun day out. Humans are hard-wired for connection with others. Isolation and loneliness are common for people living with the effects of a brain injury. Even a simple gesture like a phone call or email to say “hello” can send a meaningful message to a friend living a brain injury that they are not alone.

Speak out.

Advocates like you are our greatest asset. Why not write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper explaining to your community why they should care about brain injuries. Write a positive review about Schurig Center’s programs on Great Nonprofits, Yelp, Google, or Facebook. Your kind words will help more survivors discover and benefit from our healing services and connect us with more potential donors to help fund our mission.

Why #MoreThanMyBrainInjury?

Many people with disabilities have their lives defined for them. The More Than My Brain Injury campaign gives individuals a chance to overcome those definitions, allowing them to tell their own stories and change the narrative of their lives. If you haven’t seen it yet, we invite you to watch “New Normal,” an 8-minute film by filmmaker Andrew Hida about Pam and Jeff’s stories.