The OARacle Newsletter

It’s already December, which means another year is quickly ending. Hopefully, it was a year that felt a little closer to normal for most people. At OAR, we’ve been excited to see the return of in-person events, such as our RUN FOR AUTISM partner marathons. We’ve also celebrated new accomplishments this year and introduced new programs.

In 2022, OAR developed and launched not one but two updated websites. Our updated Hire Autism website, launched in March, is an all-around employment hub that not only serves as a job board but also provides resources to job seekers and employers alike. The resources help autistic job seekers find and get new jobs and support employers’ efforts to make their workplaces more welcoming to autistic employees. Then, in early November, we released our newly developed main website with a fresh look that presents a simpler way for the autism community to find the resources that best fit their needs. We are excited to offer these engaging and user-friendly websites. Please check them out.

Launching two new websites isn’t all we did. Looking for ways to leverage resident talent and success in the autism community, we also launched a new community grant competition in partnership with UCLA’s Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P). Our intent is to support the autism community in creating information resources that aim to enhance the health and quality of life of autistic individuals. In September, we awarded grants totaling $34,650 to support four winning proposals. OAR is excited about this new program’s potential to better address the needs of the autism community at the ground level. One autism professional said, “What is impressive is that OAR is much more ahead of the game in terms of aligning funding with what the autism community needs. I applaud you and the entire leadership at OAR.”

As we close this year, we reflect on everything OAR has achieved and feel incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished in the past 21 years. We’ve funded more than $4.7 million in research, awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships to autistic students, published nine Life Journey through Autism guides, created unique resources for military families, introduced the highly successful Kit for Kids peer education program, launched the Hire Autism employment program, and created resources to help autistic individuals through various stages of life. We achieved this through the hard work of staff over these past years and through the support of the autism community.

We are once again proud to be one of the few autism charities ranked both as a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator and a Top-Rated Nonprofit by Great Nonprofits. You can donate with confidence, knowing that $.79 of every dollar we spend goes toward the mission. Please support our programs by making a donation.