Allen Weiss Completes Advocacy Video For RHA Howell, Inc

To support the non-profit's grassroots advocacy, awareness, and fundraising campaign. End Quote

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) July 16, 2011 - Raleigh photographer/director/cameraman Allen Weiss, of Allen Weiss: Works on Film & Paper in Raleigh, has completed a new a video to support RHA Howell's grassroots advocacy, awareness and fundraising campaign in light of federal and state budget cuts.

RHA Howell is a non-profit, statewide organization that has been serving children and adults with disabilities and their families for nearly 40 years. RHA Howell operated solely on public funding for 30 years, but Medicaid reimbursements can no longer keep pace with the cost of the quality of care the organization provides through its residential facilities and other programs, especially as federal and state budget cuts take place.

"We want to give viewers a true sense of the challenges these families face and how important RHA Howell is in their lives," said Weiss, who worked closely with RHA Howell's Grassroots Fundraising Coordinator Debbie Valentine, on the project. "We also want to celebrate the accomplishments, choices and opportunities that these children and adults enjoy because of RHA Howell and its team."

Weiss' video was first seen at RHA Howell's 2011 Epicurious Vino Challenge fundraiser in June, where it received a resounding ovation. It presents a realistic view of select families, and their loved ones, who talk about how their lives have been enriched by RHA Howell's innovative programs. To interview these families, Weiss and Valentine traveled to Wrightsville Beach, Goldsboro, LaGrange and other locations.

"The video serves to remind any public and private entities not only about why they support RHA Howell, but also about just how badly these funds are needed for non-profits across the country," said Valentine. "We are committed to providing the very best support and opportunities because closing programs would leave many with nowhere else to turn. But we need help from our communities and our legislators to continue to do that."

The video is being distributed to community leaders, potential donors, legislative policy makers "and any place else we can to make our point that RHA Howell's services are not a luxury for children and adults with disabilities," Valentine said. "They are a dire necessity."

The advocacy video can be viewed on Vimeo at vimeo.com/26237759.

Allen Weiss is an accomplished filmmaker/videographer with many public service announcements (PSAs) and short films to his credit. Among other works on film and video, he created an AIDS-related PSA that won Best in Show at the Addy Awards, a major fundraising short film for the Methodist Home for Children, a PSA for the NC Holocaust Memorial, the KidsVotingNC PSA before the 2008 election, and a promo piece for the North Carolina Symphony.

For more information on Allen Weiss, visit www.allen-weiss.com or visit the Allen Weiss: Works on Film & Paper Facebook page.

For more information on RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for nearly 40 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell program. RHA Howell is a pioneering force in the field of human services for children and adults across North Carolina with the mission "Opening the world for people with disabilities and in turn, enriching the lives of everyone they touch." For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.

###

space

Other Related Press Releases