Success Story: Maria

The Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) registered Not For Profit, Lyme Disease Resource Center, Inc. The resource center concept was inspired by a local cancer resource center I discovered in 2007.

The Lyme Disease Resource Center was established in 2011, with the encouragement and creative financing solution proposed by staff of New England Business Associates.

The desire to share information about Lyme disease and available resources, with other chronically ill Lyme and tick borne illness patients, was the inspiration and motivation to create and develop the center.

I was referred to neba by my Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission counselor, Holyoke, MA, to assist in the creation of a business plan. Ultimately, I moved my Ticket to Work to neba as they had an established self-employment and business development program and provided post-employment supports.

The Lyme Disease Resource Center (LDRC) has been a registered 501(c)(3) not for profit since 2013. LDRC operates an ADA accessible office space in Northampton MA. The Center offers free services including:

• 2 monthly support groups
• Holistic therapies program 8+ Practitioners
• Home Visitation
• Information at local events
• Private peer counseling
• Lending library
• Peer support
• Workshops

The Center has a growing number of donors, clients and volunteers and plans to move from all-volunteer to paid staff. The Board of Directors plan to expand outreach and program capabilities over the next 3 years to a broad-based, regional population.
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Learn more about Lyme Disease Resource Center: www.lymedrc.org