'Growing and often forgotten segment of population'
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Azrieli Foundation invests in adults with ASD
Some $1.8 million donated to enhance programming, services offered by Miriam Foundation for developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder
The Azrieli Foundation
is donating $1.8 million to enhance the programming and services offered by the Miriam Foundation
for adults with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
“Adults with developmental issues unfortunately represent a growing and often forgotten segment of our population. Programs and services have not kept pace with demand and with the help of the Miriam Foundation we are hoping to begin to fill that gap by supporting the development of employment, recreational activities, and most importantly a supportive community. Our goal is to help these adults fulfill their potential.
“Our donation is motivated by a number of factors,” Dr. Naomi Azrieli, CEO of the Azrieli Foundation, said at the Annual General Meeting of the Jewish Community Foundation last month.
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“We were also attracted by the Miriam Foundation’s track record,” Dr. Azrieli said. “Since its founding more than forty years ago it has been at the forefront of innovation and research in the field. Its focus on knowledge transfer, research and care for people with ASD and developmental disabilities is worthy of broad-based community support and we encourage others to follow our example.”
Funds will be used to support existing and new adult programming.
“This investment in a segment of our population that until now has tended to be neglected is most welcome,” said Diane Guerrera, chair of the Board of Directors of the Miriam Foundation.
“We congratulate the Azrieli Foundation for its foresight and thank them for the confidence they have placed in us.
“Their gift,” Guerrera said, “represents a major milestone for our Foundation and will enable us to remain a leader in our field and, most importantly, meet the growing needs of our clients and their families.”
The Miriam Foundation, established in 1970, provides the financial resources and leadership required to support rehabilitative, vocational and residential programs and services for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities or autism.
The Azrieli Foundation is a Canadian philanthropic organization that supports a wide range of initiatives and programs in the fields of education, architecture and design, Holocaust commemoration and tolerance education, scientific and medical research, developmental disabilities and the arts.
Reprinted with permission from Shalom Life
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