Join Barber National Institute on Erie Gives Day 2025!

Join us on Erie Gives Day, August 12!

Imagine a place where love isn't defined by blood, but by the people who choose to stand by you. For so many individuals living with disabilities, home isn't a childhood house or a relative's embrace - it's the place they've built with caregivers and housemates who have become their family.

At Barber National Institute, we know that a safe and welcoming home is the foundation of a thriving life. For our community group home residents, these foundations are more than just walls – they are the bedrock of comfort, independence and belonging.

Ways to Give Check Donation FormLearn More About Erie Gives Day

 

For the adults with intellectual disabilities we serve, our community residencies are more than just buildings. They are homes where routines are built, relationships flourish, and independence is supported. Aging in place shouldn’t be a privilege – it should be a right for everyone.

Why We Need You

Public funding helps us provide essential care, but it does not cover the critical renovations and safety upgrades needed to keep these homes secure and accessible. Electrical updates, emergency generators, lift systems, floor plan modifications and other physical adaptations ensure our residents can remain safe and comfortable in their homes.

The Impact of Your Gift

By contributing to the $1M Strengthening Foundations campaign, you’re not just fixing a room or widening a door, you are:

  • Preserving a sense of home for someone who has lived there for 20+ years.
  • Making it safer for someone to move around with a walker or wheelchair.
  • Giving peace of mind to families who know their loved ones are cared for in a secure, well-maintained home.
  • Investing in permanence – a tangible legacy.

Join us on Erie Gives Day, August 12, with an online gift of a minimum of $25, which will receive a pro-rated match making your gift have more impact.

Together, we can strengthen our foundations.

 

Across Pennsylvania, 303 adults live in 93 community group homes – 55 homes in Erie, 32 in Philadelphia and 6 in Pittsburgh. Residents range in age from 19 to 95 and many have complex medical and behavioral needs that require specialized care, consistency, and a familiar environment to thrive. 

Aging in place means investing in accessible kitchens and bathrooms, lift systems, floor plan modifications and other physical adaptations to ensure they can remain safe and comfortable in their home.

But, as with any home, time brings the natural need for updates.

Most of Barber National Institute's housing stock was purchased more than 25 years ago. Many of our homes require costly renovations to their living spaces. Barber National Institute is committed to helping our adults age in place with dignity, but the reality is that public funding falls short of what's needed.

Our Strengthening Foundations campaign will renovate our community group homes throughout PA to improve safety, accessibility and comfort.  With your help, we can make these upgrades possible. 

Your gift to the $1M Strengthening Foundations campaign will enable us to complete essential renovations that directly impact health and safety: 

  • Widened doorways and accessible bathrooms aren't cosmetic upgrades -they are necessities for individuals who rely on wheelchairs and mobility aids
  • Lift systems and adaptive equipment aren't conveniences - they are lifelines that prevent injury and ensure direct support professionals can provide the best support possible

These modifications are the key to helping adults maintain their independence and age in place.

This $1M project is an enormous financial burden and we can't do it alone. Please consider making a gift today to help us strengthen these foundations.  Every contribution – no matter the size- can make an immediate difference. Your generosity can help ensure adults age in the place they call home, surrounded by the people who love and care for them.

Donations can be made safely and securely online or you may contact Tammy Roche, Barber National Institute interim director of giving at 814-969-8027 to learn more. 

Together, we can build a future where every resident has a safe, supportive place to call home. Thank you for making dreams come true, one home at a time.