The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation is launching an urgent, national, regional and international appeal for funding, as the agency is now floundering financially, in its efforts to provide care and services for the rising number of disabled persons, particularly those in the Autism community - which the organisation serves.
The call by the Foundation - takes the form of the request for a consistent donation by persons, from the nation, region and Diaspora as well as philanthropic persons from anywhere in the world.
The project has been titled - "The Every Mickle Makes a Muckle Donation Plan".
According to the Foundation's Managing Director Maia Chung, "we have not received requested subventions from the Health Ministry nor the Social Security Ministry nor Education Ministry for the 2010 academic year".
She adds "without the support of the State, we are hard pressed to carry out the payment of school fees, payment for diagnostic reports, buying food and payment for counselling for parents who are coming under increased pressure due to their inability to take care of their affected child or ward".
The MD explained that "we need partnership from every level with our expectation being that a greater level of support must emanate from Government. With a private sector that is downsizing in everyway including sponsirship,we can't function".
According to Board Member Jeanette Gordon "The Every Mickle Makes a Muckle Donation Plan" was spurred by the desperation of the Foundation, underscored by the terrible tale of that Jamaican mom, living in the US - who shot herself and her Autistic son as reported in the Observer on July 30".
Ms. Gordon a senior director at the Ministry of Finance quoted the article saying, this lady 37 year old Micaela Jackson and her son 12 Kenneth Holmes were found in the single mother's apartment in the Bronx with single gunshot wounds to their heads - many of our clients need counselling which we cannot get donated all the time as the persons who counsel are also feeling the pressure - so some sessions haveto be paid for.This we cannot do and so stress levels are building, stress can manifest in any way ...".
Chung says -"people do not understand what kind of insanity looms in the minds of people who have the responsibility to care constantly for a sick person, not unless you have walked a mile in our shoes."
She adds " I have had panic filled nights where I bolt upright in bed wondering what is going to happen to Quinn, luckily his dad will talk me down off my fear...".
Chung explained that the Health Ministry says it did not have the money to allocate a subvention to us this year, while the State Minister for Social Security Andrew Gallimore says he had not seen our request. Meanwhile the Education Minister just never bothered with a response.
Mrs. Chung-Smith says "our team dispatched our subvention requests in November of 2009 to give the Ministries and Government ample time to process and in order that we may have made the deadline for the coming financial year in 2010.
Things are bad. We have certain programmes that we are able to keep going, like our information dissemination efforts via our live weekly radio show on Autism"
Further 'one of' donations by the Private Sector keeps hope alive, with certain people benefitting but we need consistent help.
Ms. Gordon says as soon as the money comes in it goes to a case as we have them backed up. And none of us who work with this body are paid we are giving service, their is no stipend nothing, as if we get ten thousand dollars from a comapny a school fee can be paid for - or something that is vitally needed by the clients.
Chung highlights that because we have extended our reach to other disabilities - we find that persons with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc. come to us, despite there being Foundations now up and running that speak specifically to the wants and needs of these people and so we help them as best we can.
The Every Mickle Makes a Muckle Donation Plan starts at 100 Jamaican dollars.
We provide the forms upon request and once you sign up and submit to your accounts department you forget about it. You also will reap the Godly principle of sewing a seed of good that will come back to you.
Anyone who partners with us in this fashion will be able to see upon request how your money is being spent we have an open direct injection policy that limits bureaucracy and heightens assistance.
Please help us help the needy, it could be you and your family.
Autism continues to rise on the national and global level. Every 20 minutes the World Health Organsiation (WHO) says someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with Autism.
Autism is a brain disorder that affects mainly boys, the characteristics of the disorder are repetitive actions, problems with speech development and an obvious impairment of the social interactions that normal people are easily able to master.
To have your company particpate please email a request for The Every Mickle Makes a Muckle Donation Form to mcautismfoundation@gmail.com.
Currently the Foundation is working on the establishment of the first Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities School in St. Thomas with the direct help and involvment of Member of Parliament James Robertson.
Minister Robertson has designated a facility at the Phillips Field Community Centre in his Constituency in St. Thomas to house the facility.
Mrs. Chung-Smith says the schooling needs of the Autism population are high and particularly so in St. Thomas. They are high and not being met as the parents cannot afford the school fees.
She adds that the Foundation is in dialogue with CHASE to help us get the facility coded and outfitted for the delivery of an Autism education - we have already received our directions from the Ministry of Education's Independent School's section and are working on fulfilling the requirements.
We are inviting persons from Yallahs and the surrounding areas with children between the ages of 6 to 12 to contact the Foundation now mcautismfoundation@gmail.com or call 876-371-1484 call or text - if they have received a diagnoses of Autism for their child, in order for us to develop a roster of children to service.
Board Medmber Jeanette Gordon adds "we want the school open and functioning by the latest January 2011".
According to Ms. Gordon, "Minister Robertson is a great man for helping with this initiative, he suggests that the school can form a prototype for all MPs in the nation, to assist the Autism populace - to fill the deficits where the State does not have the budgetary allocation to fill the need".
Meanwhile the Foundation is evolving it's work - and enacted the first in a series of planned roadshows/outside broadcasts for Autism Awareness- the first being on June 30.
Several Autism specialists from various parts of the nation gathered at the Tropical Plaza, in Kingston Jamaica, with stakeholders and parents teachers of special education institutions to participate learn share and get help.
The first in the Autism Awareness series was made possible by Jamaica Broilers, Tent City, Watts New, Super Plus, Bascho, the Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town Division 23 west and Newstalk 93 FM.
The broadcast was a special edition of the Foundation's awareness production the radio show SPECIALS - a live weekly radio show focusing on Autism issues in Jamaica and the world, which is aired on Newstalk 93 FM between 10p.m. to midnight.
The Autism experts attended upon the request of the Foundation and dispensed free advice and assessments for members of the public who came to the event.
The Foundation is planning the second in the series during August.
