Help Shandra Get Hearing Aids
Donation protected
Help Shandra afford her hearing aids.
Shandra is a social worker, community organizer, and non-profit director, and is getting a pair of hearing aids after not using them for over ten years. Masks during COVID-19 have made communication more challenging for everyone, but as member of the Deaf community with severe hearing loss who relies on lip reading, its even harder for Shandra. For the last year understanding people while masked has become close to impossible, which made Shandra decide that it was time to use hearing aids again. The type of hearing-aids that she needs for her type of hearing loss cost $8,000 and her health insurance will not cover any of it.
Shandra works tirelessly for her community, from running Art Access, a Salt Lake City arts and disability nonprofit, to her advocacy work for survivors of sexual violence at the Rape Recovery Center and her organizing of the Salt Lake City COVID-19 Mutual Aid network. This set of hearing aids will make a huge difference in her life and reduce the immense amount of work it takes to understand and communicate with everyone around her.
This GoFundMe was set up by Shandra’s friends who believe in her and the work that she does for her community. Anyone who has ever met Shandra will tell you that is one of the most giving, selfless friends you could ask for. She has done so much to support her own community and the people in her life. Please help us support her in return by donating towards this very necessary item!
From Shandra:
I used hearing aids from the age of 2-19 years old. The last pair of hearing aids I had I got when I was 16, and I hated them. They gave me horrible headaches, and I got sick of them. So when I became an adult and was responsible for buying my own hearing aids I decided to forego them. Going without hearing aids for over ten years has taken its toll on me, even without the major challenge of the pandemic and use of masks. It wasn't until I went to the audiologist last week and went through all of the speech tests that I realized just how hard I have been straining and working to understand and communicate. Hearing aids have improved and advanced so much since I was 16, and the pair I tried on was honestly mind-blowing. I didn't want to take the hearing aids off and give them back at the end of the appointment. Like many Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people, my health insurance doesn't cover a single dollar of hearing aids, and the hearing aids have to be paid for in full up front. I can't tell you how grateful I am for my amazing friends and loved ones helping me to make it possible to get these hearing aids, and how honored I am to have your support and generosity.
Shandra is a social worker, community organizer, and non-profit director, and is getting a pair of hearing aids after not using them for over ten years. Masks during COVID-19 have made communication more challenging for everyone, but as member of the Deaf community with severe hearing loss who relies on lip reading, its even harder for Shandra. For the last year understanding people while masked has become close to impossible, which made Shandra decide that it was time to use hearing aids again. The type of hearing-aids that she needs for her type of hearing loss cost $8,000 and her health insurance will not cover any of it.
Shandra works tirelessly for her community, from running Art Access, a Salt Lake City arts and disability nonprofit, to her advocacy work for survivors of sexual violence at the Rape Recovery Center and her organizing of the Salt Lake City COVID-19 Mutual Aid network. This set of hearing aids will make a huge difference in her life and reduce the immense amount of work it takes to understand and communicate with everyone around her.
This GoFundMe was set up by Shandra’s friends who believe in her and the work that she does for her community. Anyone who has ever met Shandra will tell you that is one of the most giving, selfless friends you could ask for. She has done so much to support her own community and the people in her life. Please help us support her in return by donating towards this very necessary item!
From Shandra:
I used hearing aids from the age of 2-19 years old. The last pair of hearing aids I had I got when I was 16, and I hated them. They gave me horrible headaches, and I got sick of them. So when I became an adult and was responsible for buying my own hearing aids I decided to forego them. Going without hearing aids for over ten years has taken its toll on me, even without the major challenge of the pandemic and use of masks. It wasn't until I went to the audiologist last week and went through all of the speech tests that I realized just how hard I have been straining and working to understand and communicate. Hearing aids have improved and advanced so much since I was 16, and the pair I tried on was honestly mind-blowing. I didn't want to take the hearing aids off and give them back at the end of the appointment. Like many Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people, my health insurance doesn't cover a single dollar of hearing aids, and the hearing aids have to be paid for in full up front. I can't tell you how grateful I am for my amazing friends and loved ones helping me to make it possible to get these hearing aids, and how honored I am to have your support and generosity.
Organizer and beneficiary
Mary Thompson
Organizer
Salt Lake City, UT
Shandra Benito
Beneficiary