I don’t know how many of you have ever experienced being involved with a big event and planning it, so let me share what it is like here at SEEDs as we get prepared for one of them.
As the event is in the planning stages, a team gets together to discuss the logistics of what we want the experience to look like for our guests. We bounce off ideas for the theme, and what type of creative and engaging spaces we can put together. Then when ideas are agreed upon, everyone starts researching, making calls, starting lists, and defining who can do what, and where will we acquire all the necessary people, items, equipment, and spots that they will happen at.
These types of moments require great communication, delegation, teamwork, planning, and as the days get closer, lots and lots of energy, patience, and stamina to bring all the ideas and needs together for the grand experience.
At SEEDs, it is at this time that we see how all the regular programming, hard work, social skills training, and experiences have resonated with the students. We see how they take pride in the work that they do, and how they too want the event to be a success. Our students get excited to pitch in, do their best, become leaders, step up, and genuinely want to help with whatever it takes to make the events fun and engaging. As staff, it is our responsibility to make sure all the pieces come together, but it is also a time to be mindful of how much they want and have the main stage. We help them all year to find their voices, teach them, mentor them, and it is at these events that they TEACH US, that they have succeeded, they have listened, they have learned, and they have GROWN. It is at these Open Houses that we come to the event to have fun, shop and have a great experience, but it is at these events the true purpose is to celebrate, and take a moment to stop, watch, listen, absorb what these amazing adults have accomplished, and personally witness how much they have dramatically grown since the first days they came to us. It isn’t just that they have tables of fabulous hand made products that they have learned to make and to sell, it is that they are engaging with the community, they are with purpose, and they are making so many parents, siblings, grandparents, and teachers- past and present proud! They are accomplished, they are creators, they are customer service representatives, they are visible, they are successful, and they are eagerly awaiting YOU to come and share in their celebration of life, as they are living it right now!!!!!
We all can’t wait to see you all at the ART JAM 2019!!!!! Warning: smiles will be free, and highly contagious!
Mary Ann LaRoche
Executive Director / SEEDs for Autism
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SHOPPING
SEEDs participants produce a wide variety of high quality home and garden products which will be available for purchase at our annual Art Jam and Open House! Luxurious soaps, colorful ceramics, unique jewelry items, textiles and so much more! There is something for everyone at this wonderful family-friendly event.
ARTISAN MAKERS WORKSHOPS
Once again, SEEDs for Autism is excited to present Artisan Makers Workshops at our 2019 Art Jam! These hands-on classes will take place during the event and provide a wonderful opportunity for us to share our skills with the community! Work side by side with SEEDs participants and local artisans as they guide you through the steps of making a variety of beautiful hand-crafted gift items.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS
Tickets will be available for purchase during the Art Jam. These mini-workshops last from 30-45 minutes and will be held throughout the event. Walk-ins welcome! Experience something new and unleash your inner artist! SEEDs participants will teach you the skills you need to create these amazing projects!
Blacksmithing Learn to use the forge and other tools as you bend and shape metal into a beautiful design
Woodworking Use a lathe to fashion and shape your own wooden bottle stopper
Leather-working Work with stamps and a selection of inks to create a unique leather key ring
Printmaking Use hand-carved stamps and colorful inks to create a set of beautiful greeting cards
Decorative Wire Wrapping Create a hummingbird feeder using copper wire and decorative beads
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Our Annual Art Jam & Open House is an exciting time at SEEDs for Autism as we open our doors and welcome the entire community to shop, share experiences and celebrate with us! Every year SEEDs participants look forward to the Art Jam as an opportunity to engage with customers, meet new people and have FUN! We asked some of our participants to share their excitement and tell our audience why they should come to the Art Jam.
CHRIS M.
People should come to our Art Jam so they can buy items that are on sale as well as learn about SEEDs. Our Art Jam has a variety of activities such as supporting SEEDS for Autism, learning to do projects like leather-making and making your own wooden bottle stoppers to take home.
This year’s Art Jam is called Cars, Crafts and Cuisine and will feature a lot of choices for people who come here, including garden-themed Make & Takes, a Classic Car Show, Food Vendors and Blacksmithing demonstrations. All these events happen at the Art Jam so people can bring their families and see SEEDS participants at work.
The food trucks that will provide lunch this year will include BuzzNBees, a Southern-style chicken provider, and Nitro Live Icecreamery, which uses liquid Nitrogen to freeze their ice cream.
Hope to see a lot of people coming to this year’s Art Jam!
NATHAN B.
You should come to our Art Jam because it’s an opportunity for everyone in the community to come see the products that we have made at SEEDs. Plus this year there will be classic cars and food trucks as well.
BRIAN D.
You can get something for Mother’s Day!
ANNA
There are several reasons I am excited for the Art Jam. The first reason and to me the best reason to be excited is that we sell our products which means many people will come to buy the stuff we make. Everyone here worked hard to make these products and they are all well made. Seeing that makes me proud of the work I and other students do at SEEDs. A lot of people have the misconception that people with autism can’t do things like making beautiful jewelry or fantastic ceramic pieces. Our Art Jam will break apart that misconception.
Next is the wonderful food that we will have. Also, my dad is coming to the Art Jam and having him see the products I made and teaching others how we make them makes me very happy because he can see all the work I've done. I think it will show him how much I've been trying to be more of an adult and responsible ever since I came here.
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SEEDs participants produce a wide variety of high quality home and garden products which will be available for purchase at our annual Art Jam! When you buy one of our products not only do you get a high quality item, you are also lifting the spirits and providing encouragement to the artist who created it! For these talented young adults, investing time, creativity, hard work and dedication to transform basic materials into a thing of beauty is a life-changing experience. We asked SEEDs participants to share their thoughts on how it feels when someone buys one of their creations.
ALEX V.
When someone buys something I made at Seeds it makes me feel happy because I am proud of myself.
JESSE DEAN
Of course when someone buys a product, it feels good and exciting for the business. It always feels exciting for the person who made the product, because it means that they did a good job on making it. People put a lot of hard work into it, so when it’s sold, they get excited and they feel good for having success.
CHRIS M.
When I know that a customer has bought a product from SEEDS that I had made, I feel proud of myself for doing such a good job. I also feel proud when our staff congratulates me for being successful whenever someone buys an item I’ve made. It may take time to sell an item, but the end result is very rewarding.
TALIA
When someone buys something I made at Seeds it makes me feel happy because I like to do hard work at Seeds.
CAMILLE
When someone buys something I made at SEEDS, it makes me feel content because I put a lot of work into the items I make.
MATTHEW
While I’ve never seen for myself someone actually buying a product at our store, part of me still feels proud that I helped contribute, even a little bit, to making something that can be sold and make a profit for a charitable group.
CHARLEY
When somebody buys one of the products I made it makes me feel like my work is really appreciated.
KERI
It is great when someone buys one of the products I made at Seeds. I think it makes me feel special too.
SEEDs for Autism is a non-profit organization teaching life skills, social skills and work skills to adults on the autism spectrum. All proceeds from the Art Jam benefit our participants directly and help support this life-changing program.
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"Customer service is not a department, it's everyone's job."
-Ken Blanchard
At SEEDs for Autism, one of the most unique aspects of our program is providing real life opportunities for participants to turn the skills they learn into ACTION! During our annual Art Jam, SEEDs participants will be conducting tours, assisting customers and providing instruction to the community through a series of exciting workshops. We asked some of our participants to share their thoughts on how they provide excellent customer service.
CHRIS M.
During my time working at SEEDS for Autism, I started learning to check out items for customers who buy them. They were purchasing each item and I helped with scanning the item to see how much it costs, letting the customer know how much the item costs and then I took the payment using a square reader.
All that time, I was acting in a positive and professional mood, asking the customer questions about the payment, doing the job with a smile and asking for assistance when I needed help.
I felt like I did a nice job on my first time as a cashier at SEEDS and think I can get a paid job at a store one day thanks to what I’ve learned at SEEDS For Autism.
SONJA
Customer Service is important because it shows you care about the customer and want them to come back to buy more of your product. A good example of customer service is when I did an event over the weekend with SEEDs. I said hello to customers and told them about our products and what we do to help the autism community.
JESSICA
I deal with customers on a daily basis, and how to provide a good customer experience is to greet them with a smile and say have a good day.
NATHAN B.
Customer service is important because it lets customers know that they matter and that purchasing our stuff is appreciated. A good example of giving good customer service is by greeting people and asking if they need help with anything. Another example would be to help them out with whatever their needs are. That is why customer service is important.
JAKE P.
5 Ways to Give Good Customer Service:
1 Look at the customer.
2 Smile.
3 Be friendly.
4 Be Helpful.
5 Be flexible.
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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 share their skills with others, engage with the community and assist our staff during these inspiring interactive events. Earlier this month, SEEDs participants Keri and Brianna co-facilitated a pair of exciting Side by Side workshops which were open to the community.
KERI
I helped teach the workshop on fused glass at SEEDs for Autism. It was really fun. I helped tell people what to do like how to put the frit on the glass and how to cut the glass too. I also helped them with their designs and how to put the glass in a container because it was going in the kiln. Everyone will be going home with a necklace and earrings. The class was very successful. It was a lot of fun to do too. I would like to teach the class again because it was really cool and it was excellent.
JOEL
I went to the fused glass workshop. I used white, black, yellow and clear glass. I made a necklace. I had fun. I would like to go to more workshops at Seeds.
SONJA
On Saturday the 13th of April Seeds held a Fused Glass workshop. We were making glass pendants with a pair of earrings. The instructors showed us the process of making fused glass and the many colors you can use to make it your own. I felt relaxed having fun with my mom and the other participants involved. We used special molds to pour the frit, a special glass used in fused glass. We wrote our names on the bottom to know which one was ours. We also used glass cutting boards and glass cutters to shape the glass into what we want. I hope to do another workshop soon.
BRIANNA
I was one of the helpers at the Charcuterie Board Workshop. Katie who used to be a culinary instructor at SEEDs was the instructor for the event. There, I helped make pesto, pickled onion, and even helped make candied nuts. They were really amazing! The best part was sampling some of the foods! I got to eat some sliced meats and cheeses, and dried apricot. I enjoyed the Charcuterie Board Workshop because it was fun to make tasty snacking foods! It made me feel great! It was an awesome event!
CAMILLE
On Saturday April 13th, my mom and I both went to a Charcuterie Board Workshop for a culinary class with Katie. At the culinary class, my mom and I both ate and tasted pesto, cheese, pickled onions, Caprese salad, salami, dried apricots, cooked green beans, small bread slices, candied nuts, crackers, honeycomb, persimmons and a milk chocolate truffle. Everything smelled delicious. It was a real fancy lunch. My mom and I both had a fun, good time and I would like to do it again sometime. It made me feel happy and I learned how to make food really pretty.
Please visit our website to find out more about
upcoming workshops at SEEDs for Autism!
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"The only way to do great work is to love what you do."
-Steve Jobs
At SEEDs for Autism, a vital part of our program is to provide workplace readiness for those on the autism spectrum to engage with the community, step out of their comfort zone and reach their goals of finding employment! Please join us in celebrating Jake's accomplishments and wishing him success at his job with the Arizona Diamondbacks!
JAKE M.
I work for the Arizona Diamondbacks. My job is to sell 50/50 raffle tickets at the games. I wear a uniform so that fans know I work there. I have to walk up and down the stairs like a food vendor would do. I also have to explain what the 50/50 raffle is when people ask questions. For example, I would say that the winner will get half of the total jackpot and the other half goes to charity. This will be a good job for me because I’ve been going to the games since I was five years old.
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This month, Paypal invited SEEDs for Autism to their site in Chandler to talk about autism awareness, education and opportunities as well as set up a booth of our beautifully made handcrafted home and garden items. Brianna and Jordan represented SEEDs as they managed our booth, engaged with the community and told visitors about our program. SEEDs donated 10% of our sales to support the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation (AFFCF) to help give youth aging out of the "system" a better chance for a successful future!
Thank you, PayPal for this wonderful opportunity!
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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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