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CLEMMONS — Travelers Protective Association (TPA) Hearing Trust issued 35 grants, totaling $22,100, to applicants requesting assistance during the second quarter of 2020. Established by TPA in 1975, the mission of the TPA Hearing Trust is to provide aid to individuals that are deaf or hard of hearing for resources that will allow them to achieve their full potential.

One of the grant recipients this quarter is Cami Self, 18, of Clemmons. Self plans to use this funding towards a Kanso upgrade kit for their cochlear implant.

To date, the trust has distributed over $2 million, benefiting more than 5,900 individuals. Recipients utilize the funding from these grants to obtain the assistance and resources needed to advance the skills of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, including technology, assistive services, specialized education and classes, note takers, interpreters and much more.

“Over the last year, the TPA Hearing Trust has been hard at work providing financial assistance to families across the country who have deaf and hard of hearing members,” said Albert Shoemaker, TPA’s chief administrative officer. “Roughly 20% of Americans are deaf or hard of hearing, and we want to make sure they are getting the support they need and the respect they deserve.”

Grants this quarter varied in size from $200 through $900, benefiting recipients from 25 states and ranging in age between two and 92.

An independent 501(c)(3) organization, the TPA Hearing Trust accepts tax deductible donations from TPA members, posts and divisions; nonmembers, businesses, foundations and all other legal entities. To learn more, make a contribution to the TPA Hearing Trust or to apply for aid, go to  www.tpahq.org/scholarshiptrust.