Salt Lake City- Sonic Innovations, Inc., a U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer, is donating over 44,000 hearing aid battery cells to three Minnesota nonprofit groups - Minnesota Hands & Voices at Lifetrack Resources, Lifeworks Services, and The Lutheran Home: Belle Plaine. Sonic will make a formal presentation to the agencies at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23 at the Sonic Innovations Manufacturing Center located at in the Eagandale Tech Center at 1303 Corporate Center Drive, Eagan, Minn.
"Sonic Innovations is happy to donate these battery cells. We can no longer ship these to customers due to the proximity of their expiration date and the length of our warranty periods, but they could still be beneficial to people with hearing aids," said Sonic Innovations President and COO Joe Lugara. "Once our team discovered the extent of the situation, they approached me with the idea to donate the batteries to local causes and help the people in their community. This donation is a great example of how our team saw an opportunity to give back, and we are excited to help support these three nonprofit organizations in their valuable endeavors."
Pictured from left to right: Andrew Jennings (Sonic), Erica Sweet (Sonic), Candace Lindow-Davies (MN Hands & Voices), Kathy Landon (Sonic), Erin Reichert (Sonic), Joe Ranasinghe (Sonic)
Sonic Innovations Western Inside Sales Representative Andrew Jennings and Central Inside Sales Representative Erica Sweet were selected to coordinate the donation of the batteries. Jennings and Sweet selected two of the organizations based on their own personal experiences with them. They each witnessed the significant impact that those two organizations had for so many individuals and families, which made them both choice candidates to receive the batteries. The third organization was chosen based on its notable work helping families with children who are deaf and hard of hearing within the community, across the nation and other countries.
Minnesota Hands & Voices is a private not-for-profit program at Lifetrack Resources with a mission to provide a variety of support services to families of children who have been recently identified as deaf or hard of hearing, as well as families further along in their journey. "Minnesota Hands & Voices at Lifetrack Resources is grateful to Sonic Innovations for the generous donation of 44,000 hearing aid batteries," said program coordinator Candace Lindow-Davies. "As a parent-to-parent support organization for Minnesota families with children who are deaf and hard of hearing, we know first-hand the value of these resources. By being a chapter of Hands & Voices, together, we are able to put these batteries in the hands of parents and consumers across the United States and British Columbia. On their behalf, we wish to express our appreciation."
Lifeworks Services is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals with disabilities live fuller lives that are integrated into the flow of community experience. The organization serves 3000 people with developmental disabilities and their families across the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota. "On behalf of all of the people supported by Lifeworks, I extend our heartfelt thanks to Sonic Innovations. Your donation of hearing aid batteries will ensure our clients have a critical tool they need to live their lives to the fullest" Mary Lenertz, vice president of services, Lifeworks Services.
Pictured from left to right: Andrew Jennings (Sonic), Erica Sweet (Sonic), Michael Klatt (The Lutheran Home: Belle Plaine), Kathy Landon (Sonic), Erin Reichert (Sonic), Tammy Bender (Sonic), Joe Ranasinghe (Sonic)
The Lutheran Home: Belle Plaine is part of The Lutheran Home Association, a not-for-profit corporation owned and operated by a national association of Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregations. The facility offers specialized skilled nursing care, memory care and a Wellness and Rehabilitation Center. "We thank Sonic Innovations for the generous donation. These batteries will help support our mission by enhancing our residents' quality of life," states Dennis DeCosta, administrator for The Lutheran Home: Belle Plaine.
More information about Minnesota Hands& Voices can be found at www.mnhandsandvoices.org. Information on Lifeworks can be found at www.lifeworks.org. For more information on The Lutheran Home of Belle Plain, visit www.tlha.org.
ABOUT SONIC INNOVATIONS:
Sonic Innovations is a US-based manufacturer of hearing care solutions that provide exceptional patient benefit, unparalleled service, and superior quality. In conjunction with its distributor partners, Sonic Innovations has provided more than 1 million hearing instruments to patients in more than 25 countries. Sonic products are renowned for their superior sound processing, noise reduction, directional capabilities, and award-winning design. Since November 2010, Sonic Innovations is a wholly owned subsidiary of William Demant Holding (www.demant.com). You may learn more about Sonic Innovations on the Sonic Innovations web channel on AudiologyOnline.
