To Our Community, Partners, and Friends,

​

This month, Thrive Together Today proudly celebrates 26 years of serving Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing, and individuals with hearing loss across Iowa. We also celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation that affirmed the right to equal access and helped shape the work we continue today.

​

As I reflect on the past year, I am filled with gratitude.

​

This year also marks my 19th year serving as Executive Director of Thrive Together Today. When I joined the organization in 2007—then known as Deaf Iowans Against Abuse—we were a much smaller organization. Today, we have an incredible team of dedicated professionals and volunteers who are committed to ensuring Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing, and individuals with hearing loss have access to advocacy, communication, and support throughout all 99 counties in Iowa.

​

While our organization has grown over the years, our mission has remained the same: to ensure that Deaf, DeafBlind, hard of hearing, and individuals with hearing loss are never left to navigate trauma alone.

​

Every day, we work alongside survivors, domestic violence and sexual assault programs, law enforcement, healthcare providers, attorneys, prosecutors, interpreters, and countless community partners. We provide advocacy, education, housing support, prevention, and training because we believe every survivor deserves to be heard, understood, and treated with dignity and respect.

But the truth is, our work is far from finished.

​

Communication barriers still prevent many Deaf survivors from accessing services. Too often, survivors are forced to navigate systems that were never designed with them in mind. Equal access is not simply about providing an interpreter—it is about creating environments where people can fully participate, make informed decisions, and feel safe enough to ask for help.

That is why partnership matters.

​

Over the past year, I have had the privilege of watching communities across Iowa embrace the idea of co-advocacy. More organizations are recognizing that no one agency can meet every need alone. When we work together, we strengthen services, remove barriers, and create better outcomes for survivors.

​

As Helen Keller wisely said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

​

Those words continue to guide everything we do at Thrive Together Today.

​

As we celebrate 26 years, I want to thank every survivor who has trusted us, every volunteer who has given their time, every donor who has invested in our mission, every community partner who has welcomed us to the table, and every professional who continues to stand beside us in creating a more accessible and equitable Iowa.

​

Whether you've supported Thrive for years or are just learning about us, thank you for believing that communication access, collaboration, and inclusion matter.

​

The work ahead is significant, but so is our hope. Every barrier we remove, every partnership we build, and every survivor who finds safety reminds us why this work matters.

​

Together, we will continue breaking barriers.
Together, we will continue building partnerships.
Together, we will continue ensuring that every Deaf survivor has access to the services, support, and justice they deserve.

​

Thank you for being part of this mission.

​

With gratitude,

Jennifer Kalina Upah, MBA
Executive Director