"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead

Roberta J. Elman, Ph.D.

The Aphasia Center of California is truly fortunate to have a dedicated and ever-expanding group of people who share our mission of enhancing both the communication and psychosocial well-being of individuals having aphasia, their caregivers, and their friends.

The efforts of our Board of Directors, professional staff, volunteers, participants, and donors are making the Aphasia Center a successful example of how a nonprofit organization can achieve its goals. Our first newsletter provides us with an opportunity to inform you about our current accomplishments, introduce participants in our programs, and share our dreams for the future.

We all take pride in how much we've accomplished since officially opening our doors as an independent nonprofit organization in September, 1996. In addition to providing more than 1,400 group communication visits to over 75 individuals with aphasia, the Aphasia Center is also serving the community at large by providing telephone information and referrals for professionals and citizens who have questions about all aspects of aphasia.

We are fortunate that both national and local media have featured the Aphasia Center in recent publications. One story, published in a national periodical for speech-language pathologists, generated numerous inquiries about our program from around the country, and resulted in invitations for us to speak about the Aphasia Center at several professional meetings.

Our future challenges are also our opportunities. We plan to expand our current programs to include even more individuals with aphasia and their caregivers. Center participants have also requested that we form classes aimed at improving reading, writing, and computer skills.

We are hopeful that corporate and private foundations, in addition to individual donors, will support such expansion efforts. As we look to the future, we remain committed to taking program direction from our participants--they know best which needs remain unmet.

We are also dedicated to educating the community about aphasia. During a recent Internet session, I searched the archives of many city newspapers. It was astounding that many of them had never written a story about aphasia. It's no wonder that the word "aphasia" as well as the disorder largely remain unknown.

We hope that you will join us and the committed individuals that are helping the Aphasia Center provide services for individuals having aphasia, their families and friends, and the community in which we all live. Together we can change the world!