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Travelers Protective Association (TPA) Hearing Trust issued 35 grants, totaling $22,100, to applicants requesting assistance during the second quarter of 2020. Established by TPA in 1975, the mission of the TPA Hearing Trust is to provide aid to individuals that are deaf or hard of hearing for resources that will allow them to achieve their full potential.

One of the grant recipients this quarter is Micah “Alex” Brock, 13, of Mt. Hermon. Alex plans to use this funding towards cochlear implants that are needed for him to process human speech. Without them, his world would be total silence. He also enjoys football and soccer and is an avid engineer with Legos and electricity.

“Even though he has ‘magic ears’ to hear sounds with, he is a typical teenage boy,” said his mother, Patty. “As Alex was the 2019 TPA Poster Child, he was again recognized with a scholarship this year to help with his cochlear expenses. He works hard and puts in much extra efforts to keep up with his hearing peers.”

To date, the trust has distributed over $2 million, benefiting more than 5,900 individuals. Recipients utilize the funding from these grants to obtain the assistance and resources needed to advance the skills of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, including technology, assistive services, specialized education and classes, note takers, interpreters and much more.

“Over the last year the TPA Hearing Trust has been hard at work providing financial assistance to families across the country who have deaf and hard of hearing members,” said Albert Shoemaker, TPA’s Chief Administrative Officer. “Roughly 20 percent of Americans are deaf or hard of hearing, and we want to make sure they are getting the support they need and the respect they deserve.”

Grants this quarter varied in size from $200 through $900, benefiting recipients from 25 states and ranging in age between 2 and 92 years old.

An independent 501(c)(3) organization, the TPA Hearing Trust accepts tax-deductible donations from TPA members, posts and divisions; nonmembers, businesses, foundations and all other legal entities.

To learn more, make a contribution to the TPA Hearing Trust or to apply for aid, please visit www.tpahq.org/scholarshiptrust.