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10 spectacular. It will be held at the beautiful Granite Links Golf Club with its breathtaking views of the Boston skyline. In addition to attending, you can support this event by donating directly to the live and silent auctions. In-demand auction items include trips, airline tickets, vacation homes, concert tickets, backstage passes, exclusive tours, one of a kind experiences, gift cards and more. Sponsorship packages are also available and offer highly desired business exposure to the South Shore market. All of the money raised goes directly to the programs and people served by RTR. "People are truly helping their own neighbors," says Belo. accessible transportation vans were destroyed in a fire. This was a devastating loss for RTR and the individuals who rely on the vans for transportation. Insurance only covered about 20% of the depreciated value of the vans. RTR needed to come up with an additional $80,000 quickly to replace these highly specialized vehicles. RTR was "overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support," says Belo. People set up crowd-sourcing websites, hosted fundraisers and gave directly to RTR. One boy donated money from his piggy bank to help replace the vans. Due to the community's support, RTR was able to replace both vans in less than eight weeks! The South Shore's acts of kindness and generosity took "the sting out of an awful situation," White said. The individuals helped by RTR face significant obstacles. "We serve people who are very challenging and they are the people we love the best," says White. "We change lives for people who would otherwise be in institutions or on the streets." The vast majority of RTR individuals have been terminated by at least one state program. One man had run away from his school and was literally living in the woods when RTR found him. He violently and vehemently resisted attempts to develop a relationship or help him in any way. But White and RTR simply would not give up. Now, he lives in Marshfield, has friends and is part of a community. White says that RTR can successfully support people that other organizations cannot because "we're stubborn and determined and have developed an integrated clinical approach that really works." Trained clinicians, consultants and management teams collaborate to find the best services and to meet the needs of the individual. The team is in constant communication with each other and works to find the best course of care. RTR is a large nonprofit that operates on a tiny margin. Philanthropic and volunteer support are crucial to its daily operations and long term success. RTR receives a mixture of public and private funds, but the private funds create the flexibility that provides top-quality support and truly transforms lives. For example, during the recent March storms, 25% of RTR's residential homes were without power for days. The individuals and staff had to be moved into other homes or to the corporate offices in Marshfield temporarily until the power was restored. "When people need to leave their homes in a quick period of time, it can cause a lot of upheaval and is very stressful," says Belo. A simple generator at these homes would have made a huge difference, but they are not covered by state funding. Private funds help to provide generators, Hoyer Lifts, durable medical equipment, adaptable technology, access to community activities and so much more. RTR's main fundraiser is the Making Lives Better Gala scheduled for Friday, September 21, 2018. This year's event will feature a cocktail reception, dinner, a high-end raffle and live and silent auctions. With 30 years of service to celebrate, this year's gala will be