Our Partnering
organizations
organizations
The list of partnering organizations below include local & national organizations that serve people with physical & mental disabilities, chronic illness & other special needs. By purchasing & wearing Embrace The Difference® jewelry & apparel, you are supporting the community by spreading a message of kindness & acceptance as well as financially supporting your charity of choice.
Access CNY
AccessCNY offers person-centered services that empower individuals of all ages and abilities to reach their full potential as part of our shared community.
ACEing Autism
ACEing Autism is on a mission to help children with autism grow, develop, and benefit from social connections and fitness through affordable tennis programming, uniquely meeting individual needs while filling a national void for this growing and underserved population.
ACEing Autism aims to be the preeminent thought leader on how tennis and sports develop children with autism spectrum disorder. We work to reach 50% of the 1M+ families in the autism community and help them become aware of ACEing Autism, to impact a greater percentage of the population with our unique programming.
Alberti Center
The mission of the Alberti Center is to reduce bullying abuse in schools and in the community by contributing knowledge and providing evidence-based tools to effectively change the language, attitudes, and behaviors of educators, parents, students, and society. The center will be a national resource on the prevention of bullying and other forms of school violence among schoolchildren, as well as provide research and information that address these behaviors.
ali's rally
The Ali's Rally Foundation raises money to support the Unyts Donate Life student education program.
Alzheimer's Association WNY – The Longest Day
The Alzheimer's Association is outshining the darkness of Alzheimer's with The Longest Day. Funds are raised year-round for our free care and support services, for people living with the disease and their care partners, and to advance crucial research efforts. This fundraising culminates on the summer solstice - the longest day of the year.
Western New York Chapter
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer.
Angelman Syndrome Foundation
The mission of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation is to advance the awareness and treatment of Angelman syndrome through education and information, research and support for individuals with Angelman Syndrome, their families and other concerned parties. We exist to give all of them a reason to smile, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.
Artists Unlimited
Artists Unlimited provides opportunities for individuals with developmental, physical, or intellectual disabilities to participate in the performing arts.
Aspire of WNY
At Aspire of WNY, we are driven by the core belief that children and adults with developmental disabilities have the right to realize their full potential and live as independently as possible. Aspire compassionately and relentlessly works toward facilitating this end.
Our total commitment to the development of innovative, individualized programs, continual integration of the developmentally disabled within the community and to providing full-service solutions to the populations it serves, makes Aspire of WNY the leading agency of its kind and a true asset to the Western New York community.
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is dedicated to creating an inclusive world for all individuals with autism throughout their lifespan. We do this through advocacy, services, supports, research and innovation, and advances in care for autistic individuals and their families.
Bornhava
Our mission is to nurture and educate differently-abled children through play, creating the foundation for them to thrive.
Camp Good Days
The mission of Camp Good Days & Special Times is to enrich the lives of children, adults and families who have been impacted by cancer or sickle cell anemia, through summer recreational camping experiences and year-round support services.
C.A.P.S.
We provide a safe and fun year-round sports and social program ran by all volunteers for exceptional physically and mentally challenged individuals.
Buffalo Chapter
Catholic Charities
We help people from all walks of life, including those in need and or most vulnerable - children, adults, older adults and families - without regard to religion, race or age. Our goal is optimum emotional, mental and physical health for all. Through our many programs, we protect, strengthen and empower, all in the name of bringing HOPE to those in need.
CHC Learning Center
CHC Learning Center is a program of The Center For Handicapped Children, Inc. As an approved New York State Education Department (NYSED) private school, CHC serves students with special needs and provides caring support for their families.
Compeer
Compeer Inc. develops, delivers and supports model programs that inspire and engage communities through the power of volunteer friends and mentors of our Compeer affiliate programs to improve the quality of life for adults, children, and families who strive for good mental health.
Cradle Beach
Cradle Beach unites individuals and families, with a focus on empowering children with special needs and the underserved to become their best selves. We create opportunities for life-changing experiences in a safe and inclusive environment.
C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association
C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association exists to provide emotional, educational, social, and financial assistance to Rochester-area families whose children have cancer or a blood disorder.
David's Refuge
To provide respite, resources and support to parents and guardians of children with special needs or life threatening medical conditions where they will be refreshed, restored and renewed in their role as caregivers.
Danceability
Danceability is an individualized dance, fitness & movement program serving the special needs community. Our studio is led by qualified staff and dedicated volunteers who create a nurturing environment that empowers our students to flourish and grow while promoting a healthy lifestyle….and we have a little fun along the way!
Western New York Chapter
Down Syndrome Parents Group
DSPG seeks to raise awareness of Down syndrome while enhancing the lives of people with Down syndrome. The organization’s informational and social events provide a broad range of opportunities for families to support and encourage each other.
Envision Wellness WNY
Envision Wellness WNY Behavioral Health is dedicated to establishing nurturing and sustained relationships with individuals, families, and community stakeholders to foster growth, self-efficacy, and independence by providing innovative evidence-based treatment focused on a whole person recovery model. Each participant’s personal experience and needs guide the roadmap for intervention allowing for stability, acceptance, and an improved quality of life while engaging as an active member of an inclusive community. It is our passionate belief that embracing individuals with compassionate treatment instills hope, restores dignity, and rebuilds lives while enriching the community in which we all reside.
Erie County Chapter
Family Justice Center
The Family Justice Center of Erie County provides services and support to individuals in unhealthy relationships, and the education our community needs to break larger cycles of relationship abuse. Our comprehensive and collaborative service model tears down barriers to service, enabling our clients to heal and cultivate hope.
Fantastic Friends of WNY
Fantastic Friends of WNY recognizes the need for a safe, comfortable space and friendships for individuals of all abilities. A place of understanding without judgement. We will continue to provide these environments.
Furever Friends of WNY Dog Rescue, Inc.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity made up of all volunteers. We are a New York State Registered Shelter/Rescue. Registration No RR021
Fox G1 Research Foundation
It is the mission of the FOXG1 Research Foundation to accelerate research to find a cure for FOXG1 syndrome.
Buffalo Chapter
Gigi's Playhouse
GiGi’s Playhouse was created to change the way the world views a Down syndrome diagnosis and send a global message of acceptance for all.
El Paso Chapter
GiGi’s Playhouse
GiGi’s Playhouse was created to change the way the world views a Down syndrome diagnosis and send a global message of acceptance for all.
Syracuse Chapter
GiGi’s Playhouse
GiGi’s Playhouse was created to change the way the world views a Down syndrome diagnosis and send a global message of acceptance for all.
The Girl Friends Fund, Inc.
The Girl Friends Fund, Inc. (“The Fund”) provides financial awards annually for up to four academic years, depending on availability of funds, to qualified high school seniors who have been accepted to a four-year institution.
Girls On The Run
Over the past 25 years, Girls on the Run has been inspiring girls to know and activate their limitless potential and boldly pursue their dreams.
Grace Guest House, Inc.
Grace cares for the whole person, supporting patients and their families by providing a haven and place of respite when receiving care at regional healthcare facilities.
Happiness House
In the late '60s, parents of children with Cerebral Palsy in Geneva banded together to start Happiness House. The New York State Elks Club and the Women's Club of Geneva raised the money necessary to open the first childcare program in a house on North Street, serving five children with disabilities. Happiness House was then chosen to become the Finger Lakes affiliate of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of New York State.
Western New York Chapter
Headway
Headway of Western New York is a support and advocacy agency for persons with brain injuries and other disabilities.
Hits Foundation
The mission of the HITS Foundation is to provide financial, facility and program support for underprivileged children and adults. We offer opportunities for recipients to participate in activities that would otherwise be unavailable to them. The HITS Foundation enhances their quality of life and enriches the lives of the families and friends that support them.
WNY Chapter
Home of my Own
Our mission is to create apartment communities tailored to independent individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who desire to live in a safe, social and integrated community with lifelong sustainability.
Dragon Boat Team
Hope Chest Buffalo
Hope Chest was created through a friendship and a shared interest in exercise. The founder and her close friend, Nina, aspired to become personal trainers. Despite a diagnosis of breast cancer, Nina continued to exercise whenever possible and was determined to make a difference in the lives of breast cancer survivors. Together they created a wellness program called Hope Chest, which began in January 2000.
Hope RPM for Autism
The mission of HOPE RPM is to create a world where EVERYONE has a VOICE. No one should be left out of the conversation. HOPE RPM gives non-speakers and unreliable speakers the tools to communicate and join in the conversation around them.
Horizon Health Services
Horizon Health Services has been an established provider since 1975. Horizon is a proven leader in behavioral health and addiction treatment.
Hospice Buffalo
Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo (HPCB) cares for individuals suffering from serious illness, as well as their families and caregivers. We provide an integrative, holistic (physical, emotional, social, and spiritual) approach to care that focuses on the whole person rather than on individual symptoms. We are here through a continuum of care, spanning the course of the disease through bereavement. Our knowledgeable, compassionate staff helps patients make choices about their care, support those who are grieving, and educate the professional and lay communities on optimum end-of-life experiences.
Western New York CHAPTER
Independent Living, INC.
Centers for Independent Living are community-based, cross-disability, non-profit organizations that are designed and operated by people with disabilities. CILs are unique in that they operate according to a strict philosophy of consumer control, wherein people with all types of disabilities directly govern and staff the organization.
INTandem
Providing quality support & services to people with developmental disabilities & behavioral health concerns in Cattaraugus & Niagara Counties.
JDRF
At JDRF, we're leading the fight against type 1 diabetes (T1D) by funding research, advocating for policies that accelerate access to new therapies, and providing a support network for millions of people around the world impacted by T1D.
Jewelers for Children
Since 1999, Jewelers for Children has donated more than $57 million to help children who are the victim of catastrophic illness or life-threatening abuse and neglect. We have reached this goal working with our charity partners.
Joyful Rescues
To operate as a no-kill rescue (never euthanizing for space or time served).
To take in cats, dogs, puppies and kittens in need, within our means (“In need” meaning abandoned/owner surrenders, saved from high kill shelters, strays from animal control officers or removed from puppy mills).
To provide safe housing, quality food, medical care (including vaccinations, de-worming, flea treatment and spay/neuter) and love to all pets in our care until suitable, responsible and loving, permanent homes can be found through a strict screening process.
To educate the public on the importance of spaying and neutering which controls the pet overpopulation, responsible pet ownership, and the humane treatment of animals.
To educate the public on the horrors of puppy mills and pet store/internet puppies for sale.
To assist in spaying/neutering pets for low income families, as funds allow, which will aid in population control.
Kaelys Kindness Foundation
Kaely’s Kindness Foundation helps teens with cancer with their unique emotional, physical and practical needs.
Kallie’s Krusade
Kallie's Krusade is a community effort to "fight like a girl" against pediatric cancer and other childhood illnesses. We will support the fighters, admire the survivors, honor the taken, and never, ever give up hope.
Kevin Guest House
Our mission is to provide a comfortable and supportive home away from home for patients and their families traveling for medical care.
Kids Escaping Drugs
We are dedicated to ending the drug epidemic in Western New York by empowering families to live a life free from the disease of addiction through community outreach, education, and as the only residential treatment facility for adolescents ages 12-23.
Western New York Chapter
Learning Disabilities Association
The mission of The Learning Disabilities Association of Western New York, Inc. is to provide high-quality individualized, comprehensive, and innovative services, which support, educate, and empower all individuals with learning and/or developmental disabilities.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is at the forefront of the fight to cure cancer. We are the largest nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers. Since 1949, we’ve invested nearly $1.3 billion in groundbreaking research, pioneering many of today’s most innovative approaches.
Make-A-Wish
This one belief guides us in everything we do at Make-A-Wish. It inspires us to grant life-changing wishes for children going through so much. It compels us to be creative in exceeding the expectations of every wish kid. It drives us to make our donated resources go as far as possible. Most of all, it's the founding principle of our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child.
Make LemonAide Foundation for CP
Established in 2013, the Make Lemon Aide Foundation for Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation aimed at raising awareness for CP, fostering acceptance, inclusion, and kindness, creating a loving, supportive community, and providing cutting-edge, effective therapy.
Mary Cariola Center
We are the regional leader in personalized, interdisciplinary, evidenced-based education and life skill solutions that inspire and empower individuals and the families of those with complex disabilities.
METUP
METUP is committed to changing the landscape of metastatic cancer through direct action. We protest and demonstrate; we meet with government and health officials and researchers; we support research into metastatic disease; and we speak out against the sexualizing of breast cancer.
The Motion Project
We provide funding for medical equipment, home or vehicle modifications, intense therapy rehabilitation, advocacy, or other services and activities to improve lives of individuals with a spinal cord injury and show there is hope after tragedy.
National Down Syndrome Congress
The National Down Syndrome Congress is dedicated to an improved world for individuals with Down syndrome. We are the leading national resource of support and information for anyone touched by or seeking to learn about Down syndrome.
Educate. Advocate. Empower. Inspire.
Upstate New York Chapter
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The Upstate New York Chapter works to improve the quality of life for people affected by MS in New York and raise funds for critical MS research. Join the movement toward a world free of MS.
Ovarian Cancer Project
Founded in 2012, our mission is to provide education on the symptoms and risk factors of ovarian cancer and to provide supportive services to women with ovarian and gynecologic cancer and their families.
Parent Network
Supporting families and professionals to empower individuals with disabilities to reach their full potential.
People Inc.
People Inc. is Western New York's leading non-profit human services agency. Through a variety of services, including residential, employment, community outreach, health care and recreation programs, we help families and people with disabilities, as well as seniors, live more healthy, independent and productive lives.
Rollin’ Athletic Club Inclusion Network
The mission of the Rollin’ Athletic Club Inclusion Network (“RACIN!”) is to improve the physical, social and emotional lives of people with developmental disabilities through regular physical activity and involvement in the local racing scene. Together, we run, walk and roll!
Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue
We are a 501 (c)(3) organization located in Western New York and our goal is to provide a refuge for draft horses. The focus is to rehabilitate, retrain and re-home draft horses that are in slaughterhouses, feedlots auctions or have been surrendered to the rescue. For those horses that are not adoptable, Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue will be their forever home.
Western New York Chapter
Ronald McDonald House®
The mission of RMHC of WNY is to create and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. The programs and services offered keep families with sick/injured children together and near the care and resources they need.
Roswell Park Cancer Center
Ronald McDonald House®
Ronald McDonald House Charities of WNY, Inc. (RMHC of WNY) is part of a global network of Ronald McDonald Houses and programs that serve nearly 6,000,000 children and families annually. Since 1974, our network of local chapters have been making children happier and healthier by keeping families together and giving them a place to rest and heal.
Roswell Park
Your donation will fuel cutting-edge research and advance promising new treatments for patients at Roswell Park and across the globe, bringing us one step closer to creating a world without cancer.
SABAH
Formed in 1977 as a Buffalo-based not-for-profit educational corporation, SABAH is dedicated to the mission of enriching the quality of life for individuals challenged by physical, cognitive, and/or emotional disability by providing education and therapeutic recreation, promoting fitness, and developing social and communication skills.
Sadie’s Safe Harbor Canine Rescue
Sadie’s Safe Harbor Canine Rescue is a 501c3 not for profit organization passionately dedicated to the rescue of canines from local shelters, out of state shelters and direct surrender from owners who can no longer care for their dogs.
Sasi
Transforming lives through creative opportunities and excellent supports for people with disabilities and special needs.
Save the michaels of the world, inc
Save the Michaels House of Hope and Community Resources supports families during their loved one's journey through addiction and into remission. We provide a nurturing and supportive environment to parents, grandparents and spouses of addicted individuals. We practice compassion and promote education, self-help and wrap-around care before, during, and after treatment.
Second Chance Sheltering Network
Second Chance Sheltering Network, Inc. is made up of a group of deeply dedicated animal lovers who foster the animals in their homes until they are ready for adoption into pre-screened, approved homes.
Senior Wishes
Senior Wishes enriches the lives of deserving seniors by granting them a meaningful wish. The goal of the program is to honor and recognize the lifelong contributions of Seniors and promote their quality of life by granting them a wish that brings them joy.
New York Chapter
Special Olympics
Special Olympics New York provides inclusive opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to discover and unleash the champion within.
Buffalo Chapter
Special Spaces
Special Spaces is a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) organization creating dream bedrooms for children with cancer.
St. Mary’s School for the Deaf
St. Mary’s School for the Deaf serves the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community from all eight counties of Western New York.
John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital
Stone’s Buddies
Stone’s Buddies is an Oishei Children’s Hospital program that supports families coping with chronic and life-threatening illness. Created in memory of former patient Stone Filipovich, the mission of the program is to provide a network of resources, support, friendship and fun for the many “frequent flyers” that regularly use our institution.
The Summit Center
With a staff of 500 professionals and expertise in autism and social/emotional development, The Summit Center is Western New York’s leading provider of evidence-based educational, behavioral health, adult, and community programs to 1,350 children and adults each year with developmental, social and behavioral challenges.
TRC Foundation
The Mission of The Resource Center is to support
individuals with disabilities and other challenges
in achieving maximum independence, contributing
to their community, experiencing lifelong growth,
and enjoying quality of life.
The Variety Club of Buffalo
Variety – the Children’s Charity of Buffalo & WNY has been serving the needs of WNY’s sick, disabled, and disadvantaged children for over 80 years.
For Ukraine
UNICEF
Embrace The Difference® is collecting donations for UNICEF in support of the children of Ukraine. UNICEF's humanitarian work in Ukraine focuses on meeting the most critical urgent needs for safety, health care, safe water and nutrition, protection while also safeguarding children's rights and long term well-being.
More support is urgently needed to help fund UNICEF's response in and around Ukraine as the situation for children and families continues to deteriorate.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Education Center
The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War.
Visually Impaired Advancement
VIA is a nonprofit rehabilitation and social services agency committed to people who are experiencing vision loss. Our mission is to assist people who are vision impaired and blind to achieve their highest level of independence by providing rehabilitation, tools, education, adaptive job training & placement and support to them and their family.
WNY Women's Foundation
The WNY Women's Foundation creates opportunities for each woman to learn, earn, lead, and thrive.