COUNTDOWN: 31 DAYS LEFT TO MEET THE CHALLENGE!!

The pages on the calendar are turning & December 1st is almost here. As some of you know, The Mariposa School was challenged by the Sunshine Lady Foundation to raise $100,000 by December 1st, 2008. In return the Foundation would donate an additional $50,000. So, how are we doing? Well the good news is we're more than half way there with $60,000 raised to date. This is an outstanding achievement! A big THANK YOU to all of you who have helped us.

Now the bad news, we still need to raise $40,000 to meet the challenge & receive the grant money. Quite simply, we need help. Something like this takes a village!! No donation is too small to help these precious kids. And remember, your donation is tax-deductible.

I talked to Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb, the head of the Mariposa school today to find out how the school was doing. Here is what she shared with me.

"Just the other day, I learned that a child may not be able to attend any more simply because there was not enough money to put gas in the car to transport him to and from school. Is the economy really that bad?

What is the true reality? For us here at Mariposa, the true reality is this. One in 150 children born each day is diagnosed with autism – that is one child every 20 minutes. To me as a parent, for every child with autism, it is a family that feels the impact. It is not only the same joy and heartache felt by every other parent, but it is much more than that. It is learning that there is not a cure, and not even an “official” cause for that matter. It is learning that programs are limited but the ones with the most supporting research cost more than an Ivy League tuition and that insurance rarely covers the expense. It is learning that the goal of providing the best for your child may be one that is beyond your reach.

The true reality is whether or not gas prices soar above $4.00 a gallon or the stock market hits a record low, those who are diagnosed with autism, need our help now."
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So please, if you can find it in your heart, help us meet the challenge before time runs out. No contribution is too small. Click here if you want to give to help this special school & these VERY special children. Both presidential candidates have talked about helping children with Autism, but that help seems like such a long way off. Please help us meet the challenge. Help those who face the challenges of autism now.

Visit our YouTube channel to learn more about these wonderful kids!

Well-known Benefactor Comes To The Aid of Cary, NC Autism School

Today's blog is to share some exciting news about fundraising efforts for the Mariposa School. Recently the school received a "challenge grant" from a well-known philanthropist, Doris Buffett.

So what's a "challenge grant"? Basically the school has been "challenged" to raise 100,000 by Dec. 1st, 2008 in order to receive a grant of $50,000 from a foundation called, "The Sunshine Lady Foundation." The Sunshine Lady Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Doris Buffett, the sister of billionaire Warren Buffett. Doris Buffett personally called Jacqueline Gottlieb, Mariposa’s Head of School, to communicate the challenge. It's not easy for a small school to receive this type of recognition and a grant of this kind. This is a major win! Mrs. Buffett is a very special lady to make this happen.

There's a wonderful interview with Doris Buffett online. For those of you interested in learning more, click here. I love one of the things she said in the interview about educating children & the work of her foundation.

" We have a mission. We know the area we want to work in, and we stay within that. And it’s to help women and children, basically. It’s to level the playing field, to give opportunities for education to people, because as far as I know, that’s the only thing that really does anything, is education. " (source: Doris Buffet interview, C-SPAN's "Q & A" program Sunday night, May 11, 2008)

Mrs. Buffett is right on....education is what helps children, particularly children with Autism. The right education, and early intervention can put them on the track to becoming verbal, independent and productive.

Funding for the school helps the children at Mariposa School today, plus, the many more children with autism who are appplying for admission to this very special school. If the school can raise the funds then there will be funding to help support a much needed expansion of student programs. This includes early intervention programs. Early intervention is so vital for youngsters challenged by autism.

The mission of the school is to provide intensive instruction in a supportive environment designed to improve communication skills & the quality of life for children with autism. If you're out there reading this blog, please help meet the challenge, and make a contribution to the school today.

Gifts and donations are tax deductible and your help can change the life of a child for the better! Mrs. Buffett is already making a difference, now you can too!

Good-bye apathy! Max's Transformation

I have a confession to make – I’m not a joiner. I’ve just never really been someone who gets involved - not in the PTA, not in political campaigns, and not even neighborhood causes. For the last 20 years, I’ve stood by apathetically and watched my friend Laura as she got fired up about a cause, organized others to get fired up, and did things in her community. I’ve always admired her for her energy and commitment to the greater good, but it wasn’t for me. I was busy with work and taking care of my family. I told myself, “I have a lot on my plate, and I just don’t have time to do it”. I’ve always been grateful that people like Laura were there to take care of things and to make the world a better place for my family and me. The truth is that I was comfortable with my apathy.

That is until my son Max started at The Mariposa School.
My son Max has been going to Mariposa for 2 years now. He started with no functional communication and now he has close to 50 signs. He is even making up is own signs when he has difficulty using the one’s he know to tell me what he wants. Last night at the pool, Max went up to a woman he didn’t know and signed “sing”. She had been playing and singing a song to her child and Max thought it looked like fun. I wanted to jump up and down and scream to everyone “My child asked for something from someone he doesn’t know!” Realizing that was inappropriate, I just explained to the woman that he was asking her to sing. She smiled and started to sing again. Max splashed. Not everyday is filled with thrills such as this, but many are. Max going to Mariposa has completely changed my family’s life. My little man is truly coming out of the cocoon and I want to shout it from the rooftops “look what he can do!!”

Because of Max’s transformation, I want other children to have the chance to come to Mariposa and come out of their cocoons. We have had been so fortunate because we have a generous family member who helps us send Max to this wonderful school. We could not do this without her help. I know that there are other families who are fortunate like mine, but there are many more who are not. That is why raising money for The Mariposa School has become one of the most important things to me. I am committed to helping this school grow and to making it possible for all children to benefit.

Good-bye apathy!
So now that I’m fired up, the next step (based on watching what my friend has always done) is to get other people fired up. That is where you come in. There are many opportunities, both large and small, to help raise money for The Mariposa School. Even if you have limited time, we can find something for you to do. Together, we can meet this initial challenge to raise $100,000 by December 1. After that, the sky is the limit!

Article contributed by: Laura Fish-Hall