As we enter the holidays, I am giving thanks…for the opportunity to be with friends and family for the holidays again, for a return to some sort of normalcy in life and for a return to “normal” work schedules. I am also grateful that we were able to have a hybrid Annual Meeting this year and I was able to see old friends and colleagues in person. It was wonderful to once again see up close the impact that can be made by people who are giving their time, their talents and their resources, whether it is to our patients, our research base, our communities or our organization. The ASHT volunteer community was present both live and virtually and the impact was seen in every detail. Through the Share the gLOVEs campaign, we were able to donate as an organization to a worthy local charity. And once again, the American Hand Therapy Foundation has been busy with the Happy Hour with a Scholar and the silent auction to raise funds for our hand therapy community and research.
As we near GivingTuesday, a global movement to do good and give back, we have an opportunity to reflect again on how we can transform our passion, gratitude and talents into opportunities to do good for our hand and upper extremity therapy community.
Volunteering for ASHT in even the smallest capacities can make a big impact. Time is one of our most precious commodities. There is no amount of time given to ASHT that is too small!
If you are passionate about education in hand and upper extremity therapy for therapists at all levels, consider a donation to the Annual Meeting Sessions Fund or the Awards & Scholarships Fund. A gift to the Annual Meeting Sessions Fund supports the growth of ASHT's evidence-informed programming and learning opportunities to help meet the demands of clinical practice. A gift to the Awards & Scholarship Fund supports the training of the next generation of hand and upper extremity therapy professionals.
If you are passionate about making sure our voices are heard when legislation may have an impact on our everyday practice and the quality of care we can offer to our patients, a gift to the Vision Fund supports ASHT's efforts to educate our nation's legislators on the issues impacting the provision of hand and upper extremity therapy services. In addition, portions of gifts to the Vision Fun also support research in hand therapy, advancing the field of hand and upper extremity therapy and ensuring we have a strong scientific basis to our practice.
Supporting ASHT’s initiatives on GivingTuesday is easy and convenient.
- Make a contribution online at ASHT.org
- If you are an ASHT member, you can add your contribution to your annual dues invoice or online dues renewal
- If you prefer to make a gift through the mail, please fill out this form and return to ASHT at:
ASHT
1120 Route 73, Suite 200
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Use social media to spread the word! Talk about how you give back to your hand and upper extremity therapy community and ASHT and encourage others to do the same.
I am thankful this holiday season (and all year long) for you, our members and volunteers, who truly are the backbone of our organization.
Kimberly Masker, OTD, OTR/L, CHT
ASHT Secretary Treasurer