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Organization
The Stroke Network
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Please read the information below to obtain a comprehensive understanding of what our organization is about. Questions should be directed to Steve Mallory, smallory@strokenetwork.org Our on-line stroke support community initially began in 1995 on AOL as informal chat sessions with stroke survivors. I was a regular at the chat meetings and volunteered to formally create schedule stroke support chat sessions and continue as host. I did this for AOL for at least 3 more years One of the issues that came up was that several stroke survivors in our chat group felt that on-line stroke support needed a focal point. We wanted to get ourselves organized and thought that possibly a web page might prove to be the focal point that we needed. I volunteered to get things organized and figured out how to make and publish a web page. Besides being webmaster, I wrote practically every word on every page of the web site. I got things organized so we could keep track our membership, setup forums, chat rooms, blogs, write newsletters, organize links, articles, etc. Over the years, since February of 1996, the web page has evolved from just one web page to five networked websites with over 50 pages making it what is today, The Stroke Network. Originally, we started with three volunteer staff members. Today, we have over 40 unpaid volunteer staff members and 12 volunteers on our board of directors. The web page was formerly called Stroke Support & Information and was located for several years on my personal web page with AOL at http://members.aol.com/scmmlm/main.htm. Our web site was renamed to The Stroke Network, with its current URL, http://www.strokenetwork.org, in January 2000. Also, I knew we needed constant funding so I found a lawyer that would help legitimize our organization. We were incorporated in September 2001 and we received approval as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in March of 2002. I should note that when I founded my website in 1996 that the Internet was extremely raw and not well formed. I founded our website because I came across so many stroke survivors and stroke caregivers that could not attend a local stroke support group, including myself. There were no other on-line stroke support groups until I published my web page. Our website has the privilege of being the very first on-line stroke support site on the Internet! Also, we were amongst the first on-line 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, as well.
Our mission is to provide on-line support to survivors of stroke and stroke caregivers. We also want to educate you about stroke and to provide as many resources and other types of information as we can. We want to bring support to the stroke survivors and other members of the stroke family that want to use the Internet as a medium for bringing a support group right into your home. We are aware that not everybody has the luxury of having a Stroke or Caregiver Support Group close to them or at a time that is convenient nor does everybody have the transportation to travel when you want. Our hope is that we can provide on-line assistance to the stroke survivor and their loved ones and help them transition from a life of being able-bodied to one of living with the disabilities that stroke can cause. If you have a computer and are on-line we hope that we can help you.
10 good reasons why you might want to register: 1. Do you have a local stroke support group in your area? 2. Do you want or need stroke support 24/7? 3. Do you live in an inconvenient location from the stroke support group? 4. Do you have to arrange transportation special in order to make it to the group meetings? 5. Are the meetings held at an inconvenient time? 6. Are you embarrassed to speak in a group setting? 7. Can you talk? 8. Did your stroke adversely affect your speech making it difficult to communicate with others? 9. Do you have aphasia and have difficulty with communication? 10. Do you need to communicate with others at your own speed?
The Stroke Network, Inc. consists of several sites which make up a network of sites, thus the organization. We are making these sites available in hopes that we can provide the best stroke support and Information available on the Internet. We recognize that stroke resources are necessary also, especially immediately after a stroke. You can read our information about stroke and also find all the support that you need, survivors and caregivers, right here on our network.
Our organization has planned and completed several local and International community Outreach Projects. It is our goal to reach out to the community and to provide whatever we can and in as many ways as possible. The following are a list of our community outreach projects:
Rated as a top 5
stroke information web site by:
Our organization takes the responsibility to educate our society about stroke very seriously. We want to raise stroke awareness and provide educational information about stroke. To do this we have developed a web site that is dedicated to stroke awareness. We have also opened an on-line store and have discounted our prices for all stroke awareness items.
Our headquarters is located in Maryland. Our mailing address is: The Stroke Network, Inc. Steve Mallory
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The Stroke Network has no boundaries and has members on-line
from all over the world. Every continent is represented.
We are truly an International organization. No matter
where you live we are there for you! Stroke is not just located in one
region but rather it draws no borders and affects anyone, no
matter where you live. Nobody will be excluded from The Stroke Network, north,
south, east or west...black, white, brown, red or any color.
Anyone in cyberspace that is in the stroke family is welcome
here. We are all brothers and sisters of stroke. 
