H.B. 191 adds National MS Society to list of Contributions to Special Funds on state tax form
On June 4, 2009, the 145th General Assembly of the State of Delaware introduced House Bill 191 to create a check-off for Delaware taxpayers who want to designate contributions to the Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Entitled “An Act to Amend Title 30 of the Delaware Code Relating to Personal Income Tax,” HB 191 needs to pass both the state house and senate before being presented for the governor’s signature.
Needing the funds raised by tax-form contributions, the chapter is urging MS advocates across the state to tell their legislators to vote “Yes.” All the contributions raised by the state tax form will help pay for the programs and services needed by more than 1,500 Delawareans with MS and their families.
“The need in Delaware is great,” notes the chapter’s program director, Katrina Holloway. “While we at the chapter may be operating with a leaner budget, we are staying focused on what matters because Delawareans with MS and their families will continue to turn to the National MS Society—perhaps more so now than ever before.
“We are so lucky to have the support of so many people for this bill,” continues Holloway. “This bill is the work of State Representative Deborah Hudson [R-Fairthorne], and we are pleased to also have the support of state senators Blevins, Peterson, and Hall-Long.”
“Our voices were heard in Dover,” adds Marie Eldreth, the chapter’s programs and advocacy coordinator, “because of the effort made by the chapter’s MS Advocacy Group. This group was formally introduced to the legislature on April 1, when we presented personal testimonials as well as the issues that are important to people with MS. One of those issues was adding the MS Society to the list of Contributions to Special Funds on the state tax form.”
About the MS Advocacy Group
The MS Advocacy Group consists of well-trained and highly motivated MS advocates who have been busy in the last six months working with state and federal legislators. As individuals who want to do something about MS, they gain strength and momentum by working together to help address the needs of more than 1,500 Delawareans with MS and their families. The chapter runs a training program for individuals who want to become MS advocates. For more information on becoming an MS advocate, call Marie Eldreth at (302) 655-5610, ext. 16, or email your quiry to marie.eldreth@MSdelaware.org.
About multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often-disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS.
Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and more than 2.1 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving; the National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2007 alone, through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted more than $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested more than $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS—NOW.
Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about the options by talking to a health-care professional and then contacting the National MS Society at nationalMS society.org or at 800-FIGHT-MS (800-344-4867).
In Delaware, call (302) 655-5610. Or visit http://www.MSdelaware.org.
Photographed below
The MS Advocacy Group comprises the chapter’s program director, Katrina Holloway, plus (seated L to R) Vickie George, Barb Meyer, and Darnell Trower; standing are Marie Eldreth, Gail Jasionowski, Diana Caine, and Amy Vittori. Thanks to their efforts, the 145th General Assembly of the State of Delaware introduced House Bill 191 to create a check-off for Delaware taxpayers who want to designate contributions to the Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The contributions are earmarked for the programs and services needed by more than 1,500 Delawareans with multiple sclerosis and their families.
Attachment: MS group shot 2.JPG (Downloaded 1 time) Last edited on Tue Jun 9th, 2009 10:17 pm by National MS Society
|
