Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a challenging chronic neurological disability that affects the central nervous system, impacting individuals often in the prime of their lives. While there’s no cure, personalized support and resources can profoundly improve quality of life. At CLASS, our MS Services provide support in-home to empower individuals to navigate life with MS and thrive within their communities.

Lisa’s Testament 

Meet Lisa H., a resilient 55-year-old Pittsburgh resident living with MS. Before connecting with CLASS, Lisa grappled with the uncertainties of her condition. Today, she proudly shares that CLASS’s MS Services have not only helped her understand MS better but also enabled her to grow stronger. Living with her loyal Pitbull mix, Duce, Lisa finds joy in everyday activities, now enhanced by her newfound strength. She can walk longer distances, perform more daily activities, and, in her words, “feel more like myself.” Her inspiring goal is clear: to get back to her “old self.”

Lisa describes the program as awesome for people with MS. She has embraced a daily exercise regimen that includes walking and deeply values the weekly home visits from CLASS’s MS staff. These visits provide a crucial opportunity to talk and learn more about MS, offering invaluable insights and consistent professional support. Lisa’s journey is one of continuous progress, fueled by her commitment to “continue on course to get stronger and understanding MS better,” highlighting the program’s profound impact on every aspect of her life with MS.

A Legacy of Support: MS Services at CLASS

The mission of the Multiple Sclerosis Service Society, which became a program of CLASS in 2010, is to provide vital assistance to those diagnosed with MS. Our goal is to help individuals, their families, and the community better understand this complex condition. MS Service at CLASS offers a variety of in-home exercises to help individuals maintain their current level of function safely and comfortably. Under a doctor’s orders, we provide instructional exercise, emotional support, and evaluations for equipment and assistive technology living devices.

Understanding the Unseen Gaps in MS Care

Living with MS presents a complex array of challenges, from deliberating physical and cognitive symptoms to significant emotional and financial burdens. Many individuals find themselves in precarious in-between stage after diagnosis, where fluctuating symptoms can disrupt daily life and employment, yet they don’t qualify for intensive long-term care or essential disability benefits, leading to isolation, anxiety, and profound financial strain due to costly out-of-pocket expenses for medications, therapies, and equipment. Without crucial early intervention and consistent support, this gap often results in rapid functional decline and premature institutionalization. This highlights the vital role of affordable programs like MS Services at CLASS, which offer personalized, community-based care to bridge these critical service and fiscal gaps, by promoting independence and preventing unnecessary institutionalization.

Your Impact: Bridging Gaps, Transforming Lives

JAlby Oxenreiter, Tournament Chairman and former Sports Director for WPXI, hosts the Annual Alby Oxenreiter Golf Outing benefiting the MS Services at CLASS. 

“Because of the staunch support of many loyal friends, our event has provided vital assistance to CLASS and the Multiple Sclerosis Service Society. The money we raise helps with therapy and equipment for those battling multiple sclerosis in our area. I’m extremely proud that we’ve helped our western Pennsylvania neighbors who are living with the challenges of MS.”  It’s about helping people stay independent and continue to live their lives to the fullest despite the challenges that MS may bring.

Take Action: Play, Sponsor, or Donate

The Alby Oxenreiter Golf Outing is our largest fundraiser benefiting MS Services at CLASS.  It is a fun way to make an impact on an important program.  Register your foursome or become a sponsor today at aogc18.eventbrite.com. 

Empower Independence: Your Donation Makes a Difference

Beyond the greens, your direct donation ensures vital personalized MS Services remain accessible and free for participants like Lisa.  At $75 per hour, the cost of personalized MS Services adds up. But the impact? It’s priceless. With an annual goal of $75,000, we can ensure that every participant, like Lisa, receives these vital services at no cost.

Your contribution, no matter the size, makes a tangible difference.

• $10/month: Helps provide educational materials and support tools.
• $25/month: Funds ongoing personalized sessions, empowering individuals with MS.

Donate to support MS Services at CLASScommunity.org/support-class/donate