Since I started SEEDs, December has always been a very difficult time for me personally. The key player and most important person in my life for whom I started this program for, my brother Paul, would have been celebrating his 50th birthday this December 5th, and December 10th is the date he passed away. So, my heart is always filled with bittersweet joy, pain and determination as we get ready for the Open House.
For those of you who are unaware, my husband Randy and I initially started the program to run only two days a week so I could continue to work and run my own business the other days and generate income to support SEEDs funding, staffing, etc. It was a great plan, but unfortunately my brother Paul was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer short months after we started the program, and I outsourced a lot of my personal work to friends while I spent the remainder of Paul’s life flying back and forth to be beside him those short precious last months.
I vividly remember talking to my husband on the phone saying- “I don’t know how we can keep this going, maybe we can have a sale to sell some of the items they’ve created, and generate some funding source.” At that time, there were only 10 students in the program. So the two staff members at the time; Janie and Jennifer, (who admirably were keeping the program alive in my absence), along with my husband and some of the parents put together a sale, and created the reason for our very first Open House. I will never forget Randy texting me and keeping me up to speed with how many people were coming and shopping, and how we were doing with sales. It was truly such a melancholy time of heartfelt agony and joy all at the same time. To hear the support and amount of money raised (at that time it was a lot to us), and know that people were rallying behind the program with such robust enthusiasm, was truly an emotional day.
Fast forward, this year we are celebrating our 9th Open House, in our third location, with 52 students currently in the program (we have worked with over 220). There are now 17 employees, 3 of whom have been participants in the program. I only ask that anyone who receives and reads this will share our victories and our triumphs, and invite your friends to celebrate the legacy of my brother Paul Foti, and what we have worked so hard to build. Determination is a powerful thing, and SEEDs for Autism has many more lives to touch, as the students genuinely revel in seeing their community come to support them, and purchase the beautiful products they’ve worked so hard to learn to make.
Mary Ann LaRoche
Executive Director / SEEDs for Autism
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SEEDs for Autism
Holiday Sale & Open House
Saturday, December 8, 2018
10am - 3pm
3420 S. 7th St. Phoenix, AZ 85040
Our annual Holiday Sale and Open House is an exciting time for SEEDs participants, and they are looking forward to sharing their talents and skills with the entire community! In addition to creating all of the beautifully hand-crafted items you will find at the Holiday Sale, SEEDs participants will also be performing demonstrations, processing payments and providing excellent customer service during the event! Please join us December 8th at SEEDs for Autism and shop with purpose this holiday season!
NATHAN B.
On December 8th SEEDs for Autism will be hosting our annual Holiday Sale and Open House where parents and other guests can come and check out what we've been working on all year. Not only will there be all of our products on display for guests to purchase, but also many other things to do as well. The Holiday Open House is not only an opportunity for SEEDs to make some money for our program, but also for SEEDs to branch out to the community. There will be make and takes for the guests to participate in, holiday treats and live demonstrations. I hope that all who are reading this article will come on December 8th and check out SEEDs for Autism!
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Join us Saturday December 8th for the SEEDs for Autism
Holiday Sale and Open House event!
CLICK ON THE LINK TO VIEW OUR VIDEO!
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At SEEDs for Autism, we celebrate as our participants mature, grow and continue on their individual life's journey. In Brandon's case, we also celebrate when they return! As a part-time instructor, Brandon takes his knowledge and experience and gives back to each and every SEEDs participant he works with. He is an inspiration to all of us! Here, Brandon shares his personal story of Growth and Strength.
“Anything is possible! If I can do it, so can you!”
- Dani Bowman
I was born at a time before autism was accurately declared, and for a time I was in special education programs in elementary school. I eventually discovered I had Asperger's syndrome. Soon, I was slowly transitioning into main-stream classes with occasional guidance meetings. Around high school I was officially assimilated into the core school system, having a few periodical check-up sessions. I did make some friends and soon I graduated from high school. Afterward, I decided to join the Army National Guard under the pretense of being able to stay at home, keep a job and still get a higher education. My service as an infantryman lasted for three years, and with that I had some job experience and went to college.
I continued my education through Mesa Community College in the spring of 2008, spending four years there and earning three Associate's degrees plus an Arizona General Education Curriculum certification. It began with doing part time with night classes and working up to a full schedule later. About a year passed on with applying for services from the Arizona Department of Economic Security along with finding work and I was introduced to Vocational Rehabilitation where they were getting me on a track for job training and placement. This service helped provide me a chance at being a client at SEEDs for Autism for a year and attending Arizona State University during the next three.
Brandon instructs SEEDs participants on a film project for the Media Lab
It started as half time while going to the university, my attendance at SEEDs cut short to every Monday and Wednesday until going to classes every day. Despite this, I continued coming to SEEDs every summer for their camp programs as part of the volunteer staff. My education was a combination of lecture, studio and online classes for the School of Art's Intermedia program. This allowed my wanting to expand my knowledge as an artist. In no time it got to where I had to do full time so I can keep my grant funding, going as far as fifteen or more hours to keep on track of my degree plan. I had received academic excellence citations under the Dean's List. When I was on the edge of graduation, I was allowed to receive the Cum Laude distinction by graduating within the 3.5 GPA requirement. Afterward, I was welcomed in as a teaching assistant for the Media Lab class with my experience in video filming and editing.
Brandon provides assistance and encouragement to the participants in our summer program
This journey was difficult with many people helping me along the way. The process itself is a combination of growth and strength - the growth of knowledge and experience to become a better person, and the strength of carrying an intense passion to lead and inspire others. The new experience awaits now that I'm learning to teach from actual experienced teachers and specialists as an apprentice, learning by doing the skills instead of formal training. Many people helped me along this path, and so it is time to give back so future generations can achieve their dreams. As Debby Boone once said, "Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream."
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Free Workshop for Ages 14-22
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At SEEDs for Autism, our ongoing series of workshops provide new opportunities to empower our participants and encourage them to GROW! These talented young adults gain confidence as they engage with peers, cultivate new experiences and interact with the community as they assist our staff during these educational and inspirational events!
CAMILLE (Seeds Participant and co-facilitator)
At the Canvas, Cactus, and Creativity painting party at SEEDS, I helped and taught people to paint a cactus garden on a canvas. I showed everyone the steps to designing a cactus garden, by drawing the cactus shapes, planter, and the ground. When some people were having a difficult time, I had to help and make sure they had their supplies. I felt happy and relaxed because I knew what to do and I felt confident. I am looking forward to teaching another painting class at SEEDS for Autism.
CHRIS
My project for SEEDS was painting a canvas cactus garden that was being taught by lead instructors Michele and Richard and their assistant Camille. I enjoyed working on my canvas painting even though I was worried about how much time I had and I was getting hungry for lunch.
The first step in working on the cactus garden project was to draw out the look with a pencil. The second step was painting the sky. Then the third step is coloring the ground and garden planter. And finally it’s coloring the cactus themselves and adding some details.
I added a couple of saguaro cactus, 2 short rounded cacti with thorns, and some tall cactus for my canvas garden.
I feel that I was pretty good and that painting the canvas reminded me of when I first started when I stayed in California. I felt the final results were well-received by my Mom and friends that were there, even though my Mom was in Scarf making at the time. Overall, I acted positively with the people who were around me and I enjoyed the experience.
KYLE
I had a good time painting. I painted a cactus on canvas. I used green red and brown. I felt happy. Painting is fun.
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At SEEDs for Autism, we strive to provide opportunities for our participants to SHINE as they continue to develop and grow within our program. During our Marbled Scarf Workshop, Sonja demonstrated focus, attention to detail and excellent communication skills as she guided workshop attendees through the process of creating their own colorful marbled scarves!
SONJA (Seeds participant, staff member and co-facilitator)
In November Seeds hosted a workshop making marbled scarves. I introduced the class and my co-leader Linda. I was excited to be able to teach people a new fun craft they can make at home and can wear too. We began by showing examples of scarves we made the day before the event to give people an idea of what kinds of colors you can mix together and create. Next each participant picked out a white scarf and soaked the cloth in vinegar so the colors absorb better into it. The way we dyed the scarf was using a special tissue paper when wet and patted down becomes the color of the cloth. It was a great experience for everyone and each got to go home with a beautiful scarf to wear for everyday!.
RESPONSES FROM WORKSHOP ATTENDEES:
"This year we celebrated my daughter's Birthday by attending the Silk Scarf workshop. We had a lot of Mother/Daughter fun sitting around the table as we pieced together the colors for our scarves. This truly was a great craft to do even if someone does not consider themselves 'crafty'. All materials were set up and ready to go when we got there; the directions given were simple and clear - and Sonja was there to skillfully provide any and all additional help where needed. She did a fantastic job presenting and assisting! Our scarves turned out beautiful! And, not to forget, this included a delicious brunch as well. We had a great time and will be looking forward to other workshops in the future."
Claudia & Carrie Weemes
"Right before Thanksgiving, my very favorite holiday, I attended the silk scarf workshop at SEEDs. We had great fun! So many colors to choose from-I was cautioned that selecting too many would make a brown blob, not the look I was going for. Sonja helped me chose complementary colors for an autumn combination and coached me through the process-who knew what could be done with just a few simple ingredients! I used oranges, red, yellow and was impressed how nice it turned out. Many of us also bought kits so we can make another scarf at home. As I'm not particularly crafty, my friends and family were dazzled when I proudly wore my scarf on Thanksgiving Day. Thank you to Sonja and the other instructors for a great workshop!"
Barbara
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Although the holidays are such a joyful time of the year, moments of stress are often inevitable. At SEEDs for Autism, we help our students develop coping skills which empower them to better handle stressful situations. We asked SEEDs participants if there are any parts of the holiday season that they find hard or difficult. If so, how do they handle them?
BRIANNA
For me, the part of the holiday season that is difficult is to find the right gift for someone in my family. I handle it by going early in the month, and that gives me plenty of time to do some thinking. I ask them what do they want and write it down!
MATTHEW
It’s always hard trying to live up to other people’s expectations and find a present that they’d really enjoy. Sometimes you just don’t want to hand over too much money. So I try and find something that would be related to what they need or are interested in, and can be bought at an affordable price. Something that would actually show some appreciation towards them.
JAKE
The hardest part of the holiday season is the anticipation of the gift giving and receiving. I get really anxious toward getting the right gifts for people. I also get anxious about the types of gifts people might give me. To deal with this I ask my parents to not put my presents under the tree until after Christmas Eve.
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Your tax donation gives our participants direction for a brighter future. The beauty is, your gift comes with a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Arizona income tax return!
- A tax credit can reduce what you owe in state taxes by $800 (married couples) or $400 (single filers).
- Even a teen with a part-time job, by filing a simple form is able to redirect their taxes.
- Tax payers may combine several tax credits each year: Working Poor, Private School and Public School, and Arizona Foster Care.
What was formerly known as the Working Poor Credit is now officially known as the Credit for Donations made to Qualifying Charitable Organizations. Approved charities’ names are listed on the Department of Revenue’s website.
How do I file for the credit? A line is included with your state tax form that you or your accountant will complete. Donations need to be made by April 15th.
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Contact us at admin@seedsforautism.org if you would like to hold your very own trunk show where you can invite your friends to purchase SEEDs products, have refreshments, and meet some of the artists. |
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