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The Autism Science Foundation – April Community Impact Feature

April 2, 2012 By

In honor of Autism Awareness month, our Community Impact Feature for April is the Autism Science Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to “support autism research by providing funding and other assistance to scientists and organizations conducting, facilitating, publicizing and disseminating autism research. The organization also provides information about autism to the general public and serves to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders and the needs of individuals and families affected by autism.”  With the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta reported that approximately 1 in 88 children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2008 and current actual reasoned to be much higher, the need for autism awareness and research is, by sheer necessity, growing.

As a foundation devoted to furthering autism research, the Autism Science Foundation is based on these facts and principles, taken directly from their website (emphasis my own):

  • Autism is known to have a strong genetic component. Research must aim to discover the mechanisms of action that trigger autism, as well as safe, effective and novel treatments to enhance the quality of life for children and adults currently affected.
  • Early diagnosis and early intervention are critical to helping people with autism reach their potential, but educational, vocational and support services must be applied across the lifespan. Science has a critical role to play in creating evidence-based, effective lifespan interventions.
  • Vaccines save lives; they do not cause autism. Numerous studies have failed to show a causal link between vaccines and autism. Vaccine safety research should continue to be conducted by the public health system in order to ensure vaccine safety and maintain confidence in our national vaccine program, but further investment of limited autism research dollars is not warranted at this time.

The Autism Science Foundation provides online assistance understanding Autism, its symptoms and treatments, along with addressing vaccination fears.  Their blog creates another fantastic resource for families on the spectrum by providing information in a way people can understand.

As part of their on-going support of families, the Autism Science Foundation collaborates with many organizations around the nation in accordance with the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research.  The Autism Science Foundation has “awarded nearly half a million dollars in research grants in its first two years” and “provided funding for over 20 stakeholders and over a dozen scientists to attend the International Meeting for Autism Research.”

In celebration of Autism Awareness Month, the Autism Science Foundation created this 30 day calendar of ways to take action for autism and is using their Pinterest account to promote the program and give people individual activities every day.

 

I hope you take some time this month to get to know ASF and learn more about autism.

Image Credit: The Autism Science Foundation

Please note that I am in no way affiliated with The Autism Science Foundation and did not receive any type of stipend or payment for featuring this organization. As always, Community Features are NEVER sponsored and are always hand-picked by me. Amanda.

Filed Under: Community Impact, Community Impact Feature Tagged With: , , ,

Children’s Heart Project – March Community Impact Feature

March 11, 2012 By

Recently I was given the opportunity to review the Samaritan’s Purse documentary, Three Hearts, and after viewing it I knew I needed to learn more about the organization behind bringing children to the United States for physical and spiritual healing.  I immediately went to their website to learn more and found that the Children’s Heart Project (CHP) has arranged life-saving operations for “more than 800 children from Bosnia, Kosovo, Honduras, Uganda, Mongolia, and Bolivia since 1997. “

Working with top-quality hospitals to provide surgery for children who live in countries where the required medical expertise and equipment are not available CHP and Samaritan’s Purse arranges airfare for the children, a parent, and a translator. The average group brought over at one time includes two children, their mothers, and a female Christian interpreter.

CHP also locates evangelical Christian churches and families willing to host the groups in the area of the host hospital. The churches commit to pray for the project, appoint a coordinator to spearhead the project, and identify a host family for each child. The church and family provide necessities like housing, local transportation, food, toiletries, along with international phone cards (to allow the families to call home occasionally), and emotional and spiritual support and guidance for what is typically a period of five weeks.

The host church and family become living witnesses of Christ’s love as they experience missions work in their own backyard. According to CHP’s website, “[d]ozens of parents have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior through the project. They multiply the blessings when they take their new faith back to their families and nations.”  Isn’t that what it’s all about anyway?

Saving children and saving the world.

If you’re like me you’re wondering what you can do to help, you could do as super teen, Leanna Morris from South Carolina did and organize a charity dinner to gather donations or try one of these three ways to support CHP.

You can also:

Buy Three Hearts and watch it (not an affiliate link).

Like Samaritan’s Purse and Children’s Heart Project on Facebook.

Watch this trailer for Three Hearts too.

Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Children’s Heart Project or Samaritan’s Purse, or any of their affiliates and did not receive any type of stipend or payment for featuring this organization. As always, Community Features are NEVER sponsored and are always hand-picked by me. Amanda.

Filed Under: Community Impact Feature, Worldwide Impact Tagged With: ,

CURE International – February Community Impact Feature

February 1, 2012 By

Welcome to February and with February brings a new Community Impact Feature; this month’s featured organization is CURE International. This phenomenal organization “transforms the lives of disabled children and their families in the developing world through medical and spiritual healing, serving all by establishing specialty teaching hospitals, building partnerships and advocating for these children”, according to the organization’s blog mission statement.

For more than a decade, CURE International has transformed the lives of children with physical disabilities and their families in the developing world through medical and spiritual healing.

What’s really fantastic is that CURE operates hospitals and programs in 20 countries around the world where patients experience the life-changing message of God’s love for them, receiving surgical treatment regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, or ability to pay.

Wow.

Imagine what that could mean for the most remote and poorest places of the world…

Check out some of the other awesome things CURE has been doing:

  • * Since 1996, CURE has performed more than 84,000 surgeries and seen more than 1.3 million patients.
  • * CURE International is the largest provider of pediatric specialty surgical care in the developing world. Its hospitals specialize primarily in treating children with orthopedic and neurosurgical conditions such as hydrocephalus, cleft palate and clubfoot.
  • * CURE International operates 11 hospitals in Afghanistan, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and Zambia.
  • * CURE International launched CURE Clubfoot Worldwide in 2006 to eliminate clubfoot as a lifelong disability in the developing world. More than 10,000 children have been treated so far.

and more.

Right now CURE International and Air1 radio host, Brant Hansen, invite listeners of KLOVE and Air1 to partner with them in a very special mission to serve the women and children of Afghanistan through knitting.

Watch this fantastic video with Brant explaining more about this mission and how YOU can help.

CURE Knit Pray Love from CURE Video on Vimeo.

Will you please pray for this ministry and think about participating in this awesome mission?

CURE also has a fun blog that lets you stay up-to-date with the organization and how you can best pray for them.

*All information was gathered from CURE International’s website.*

CURE on Facebook

Please note that I am in no way affiliated with CURE International, Air 1, KLove, or any of their affiliates and did not receive any type of stipend or payment for featuring this organization. As always, Community Features are NEVER sponsored and are always hand-picked by me. Amanda.

Images credit: CURE International
Filed Under: Community Impact Feature Tagged With: , , ,