Earlier this year, OAR set outreach goals for the month of April to spread acceptance, take action, and make a difference for autistic individuals and their families. Here is an update on what we have accomplished as of the end of Autism Acceptance Month.
OAR’s goal for April was to provide peer education materials through the Kit for Kids program and the new Autism Tuned In program to 5,000 general education students in grades K-8.
Result: By the end of April, OAR had reached 5,928 students, bringing the total number of students impacted by the Kit for Kids to over 145,000.
OAR planned to distribute 15,000 high-quality information guides to communities across the country. Our resources offer tools, lessons, and advice on how to help autistic individuals be welcomed, safe, and accepted in their communities to families, schools, nonprofit organizations, and police and fire stations.
Result: By the end of April, OAR had distributed over 19,000 guidebooks through our online store and digital downloads. Even better, those resources are still available from OAR’s website for all those who can benefit from their information and guidance.
OAR’s Hire Autism initiative is dedicated to helping individuals with autism find meaningful employment opportunities across the United States. Hire Autism supports job seekers through the job search process, from career exploration to providing helpful job search tools and advice.
Result: As part of our Autism Awareness Month efforts, Hire Autism registered 106 new job seekers on Hireautism.org and recruited 13 volunteers for the Navigator program. Additionally, Hire Autism partnered with 15 new employers.
Interested job seekers can sign up through the Hire Autism jobs portal, and professionals can continue to help support these job seekers by becoming Hire Autism navigators.
This year, RUN FOR AUTISM aimed to raise $80,000 for new research and resources by enlisting over 500 athletes.
Result: The 2021 Active for Autism Virtual 5K & Kids Dash kicked off on April 1 with 484 participants from around the world. Together they raised over just $75,000. With an additional $5,000 contributed by Platinum Sponsor ONEHOPE Wines, we met our goal. These funds will be used to fund two new research studies in November.
The success OAR experienced in its April efforts reveals the strength of the autism community and the dedication of OAR’s supporters. We once again thank our fantastic OAR community for all the work they do spreading autism acceptance year-round!
If you are looking to stay involved in any of the above initiatives, contact OAR at 703-243-9710 or programs@researchautism.org. If you like what OAR does, then share your feedback on the GreatNonprofits website.
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