Entries from Advocates' Art Exhibit, held each year in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. | |
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April is Autism Awareness Month
Please join us for the Autism Alliance of MetroWest Kite Day on May 1st at Bose Mountain in Framingham. It's a fun, free day filled with balloons, face painting, kite flying, giveaways, music, magic and more!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Come support local artists at Advocates 12th Annual Art Exhibit at the Framingham Public Library throughout the month of May and at our reception on May 17th. Download the submission guidelines to see if you or individuals you work with are eligible to submit artwork.
Please join us for a conversation about Spirituality and Mental Health, Featuring Nancy Kehoe, author of Wrestling with Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness on Wednesday, May 11th at the Plymouth Church in Framingham.
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Are you a family member caring for a loved one with a disability or know someone who is?
There is still time to apply for a Fred Gaspari Grant.
The Fred Gaspari Fund, a program of the Advocates Family Alliance, improves the lives of many families caring for a loved one with intellectual/developmental disabilities like the Rodrigues family. George Rodrigues explains that without the help from the Gaspari Fund, their son Ryan would not have his therapy room and essential exercise toys.
Read more about how the Fred Gaspari Fund has changed the lives the Rodrigues family and other MetroWest families in this MetroWest Daily News article
If you or any families you know could benefit from this grant, download the eligibility form and application. The deadline is April 25th. |
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Come Fly a Kite, and Spread
Awareness About Autism
Join us to celebrate autism awareness at our 11th Annual Kite Day on May 1st at Bose Mountain in Framingham. This exciting event is presented by the Autism Alliance of MetroWest, a program of Advocates, and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. Visit AdvocatesInc.org for more details.
Kites fly high in the Framingham sky during last year's Kite Day.
We recently caught up with with Nannette Ohman, Executive Director of The Autism Alliance of MetroWest, a program of Advocates, to get the inside scoop about their busy Autism Awareness Month.
What can families expect at this year's Kite Day?
Families can expect a wonderful day full of kite flying with the assistance of one of our special guests KONE, Kites Over New England. Each child will receive a free kite and enjoy face painting, entertainment, music from WODS-FM 103.3, and much more. Families will learn more about autism from our informational materials and will get to take home an autism awareness bracelet and sticker. We hope that folks leave knowing a little more about autism than when they arrived.
How has the Autism Alliance been observing Autism Awareness Month?
April is always a super busy month for us and ultimately leads to our highlight event, Kite Day. We hosted a very successful resource fair for over 80 newly diagnosed families who took away tools and information about caring for their children. More recently we welcomed our speaker of the month, Susan Swanson, a highly regarded speech pathologist who spoke about the impact that autism has on faith. It is always exciting to decorate the Morse Institute Library in Natick, where our offices are located, with a wide variety of kites in anticipation of Kite Day. Next week, we are providing interactive vacation activities including "Jump Around" in Framingham, "Lil Folks Farm" in Holliston, and "Fun, Weird, Science" (a huge favorite) at our office location in Natick. We are also hosting a workshop on April 27th for families whose children are transitioning to adulthood. And, of course, we end the month with Kite Day!
How does the support from the community make a difference for the Autism Alliance and the families you serve?
The support from the community is critical. It leads to a deeper public understanding of autism. That helps our families in all aspects of their lives. We, as providers, are inspired by the community's tremendous support and are encouraged to continue this important work.
Learn more about Kite Day.
Support the Autism Alliance of MetroWest.
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Join Us to Support Local Artists
Advocates 12th Annual Art Exhibit
In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month we have invited employees and individuals who have received services from Advocates and other area human service agencies to share their art with the community. Paintings, sculptures, music and poems will be displayed at the Framingham Public Library during Advocates 12th Annual Art Exhibit throughout the month of May. Many of the artists have overcome significant challenges in order to create their art. Find out if you or any individuals you work with are eligible to submit artwork.
Artwork by Cindy Wheaton, a winner from the 2010 Art Exhibit |
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Advocates' mission is to help people achieve their hopes and dreams within the fabric of their communities. We partner with people with disabilities, elders, and those with other challenges to overcome personal obstacles and societal barriers so that they can obtain and keep homes, engage in work and other meaningful activities, and sustain satisfying relationships. We work to inspire communities to create opportunities for contribution and participation by all.
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QUICK LINKS
Fred Gaspari Grant Application Autism Alliance of MetroWest Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, Inc. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation
DID YOU KNOW?
We are celebrating Autism Awareness Month on our Facebook page! Check out important resources, inspiring stories and exciting events all month long. Join our online community now, and help spread the word.
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Congratulations!
Please join us in congratulating Bill Talyor, President and CEO, for being honored as the Employer of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts Chapter and Diane Gould, Executive Vice President, for being honored with the MetroWest Health Leadership Award at the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation's annual meeting. Congratulations!
Congratulations to all of the 2011 Advocates Essay Contest winners!
Nichole MacAskill-Kaylie, Nan Donald, Anonymous, Monica Perkins, Lorie Mousseau, Deirdre Millman, The Newton Corner House (Gus the cat), Scott Stephens, Peg (Margaret) Ryan, John Lee, Patrice O'Toole, Pamela Ferrara, Amy Chappell, Angel Arthur, Lori Newell, Karen Koser and Dyanne Andrews.
Thank you to our Essay Contest judges Mary Rose Coiner from our Board of Directors, Nancy Kinyua, Eric Millen, Amy Morgan, Nannette Ohman, and Keith Scott and our reception hosts Diane Gould, Executive Vice President, and Ruth Harrigan, Vice President, for making this possible.
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