“Thank you for ‘ACTing’ as a provocative and caring agent for positive social change. All the best for an even better ACT and the world we live in.” – Student
“I want to thank you for your time, your support and everything that you gave and you are still giving for our children. Please pass my full regards to Erika that she supported me through all my phone calls.” – Parent
“This [event] reaffirmed my belief and renewed my faith that parents can and should be active participants in their child’s assessments and intervention.” – Professional
Have you benefited from ACT’s free online videos, information services, bursaries or advocacy advice? As the holiday season approaches, consider donating to ACT – Autism Community Training. ACT’s core government funding has been frozen since 2011. We are good at doing more with less, especially with the support of our terrific staff and volunteers, but our ability to respond to the urgent requests of vulnerable families is stretched to the point where we are having great difficulty meeting their needs. If you or someone you know is in the position to donate to ACT, you can support work that is not funded by ACT’s contract with the provincial government including:
- Supporting Autism Videos @ACT (AVA) – For families and professionals, tight schedules, limited funding and long distances can make attending ACT’s live events challenging. Help us expand AVA’s library of free online videos to make learning opportunities available to all members of the autism community. www.actcommunity.ca/videos
- Bursaries for Live Events – Training should be accessible to all. In 2015, over 150 parents, students and para-professionals attended an ACT event supported by an ACT bursary. www.actcommunity.ca/bursaries
- Supporting New Canadian and Refugees – When your English is not fluent, understanding autism and autism services can seem impenetrable. ACT has translated the Next Steps Guide into Chinese, and is now working on a Punjabi version. Next we hope to translate materials in Arabic and Korean. Reach out to new Canadians struggling to support family members with autism by supporting ACT’s Translation and Interpreter Fund.
- Supporting Adults with Autism – Adults with autism are extremely vulnerable and receive very little attention compared to children. While ACT is funded to work with children, some 10 % of our calls are now from families and adults themselves looking for information on diagnosis, mental health treatment, employment and housing. In 2015 ACT produced the ACT’s Guide to Employment for Teens with Autism in B.C. We would like to do more with your support.
You can support ACT’s work through:
- Online monthly or one-time donations via CanadaHelps.org or Chimp.net
- Your local United Way – there are United Way chapters across the country.
- Cheque, VISA or Mastercard – Contact the ACT office www.actcommunity.ca/contact
As a federally registered not-for-profit society ACT can provide tax receipts for donations over $10. ACT’s Charitable Tax Number is #861691236RR0001. For more information and to see past donors: www.actcommunity.ca/donate/
