Our Misson
The mission of Person to Person: Citizen Advocacy (PPCA) is to reduce the risk of social isolation for adults with developmental disabilities. PPCA programs respond to these needs by fostering the growth of meaningful relationships rooted in community support and one on one connections.
What We Do
The PPCA staff recruit’s community volunteer advocates for people of all ages who have a developmental disability and some form of unmet need. People with developmental disabilities live in every neighborhood. We are a community of neighbors helping neighbors. With support from the PPCA team, matches between advocates and individuals with developmental disabilities are created to form impactful friendships that make a meaningful difference in the lives of the folks we serve.
How It Works
The PPCA staff make a match between a protégé (a person with a developmental disability) and an advocate (community volunteer) in which both share their gifts, talents, and friendship. The match is formed by mutual agreement between the advocate and protégé and exists as long as they both are satisfied. There are no minimum requirements or expectations on the duration of a match, when and how often the advocate and protégé are together, or what activities take place during their time together.
Our History
Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger originated the concept of Citizen Advocacy in 1967. He believed that people who were more advantaged in life should advocate on behalf of those who were less advantaged, focusing mainly on those with a developmental disability. The first program modeled on his concept began in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1970. The ideas soon spread across this country, Canada, Great Britain and Australia.
A group of local residents in the Syracuse area began meeting in 1978 to establish a Citizen Advocacy office within Onondaga County. With the assistance of Syracuse University’s Center on Human Policy, a program began in August 1980. By late 1981, PPCA received it’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. In 1994 the organization expanded to include Cortland and Oswego counties.The Board of Directors have consistently included citizens from all sectors of the community. Historically, Person to Person: Citizen Advocacy has received financial support from a variety of sources, including public grants and individual donations.