Center for All Abilities: Give in May Campaign

This May marks the 31st Anniversary of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In celebration, a giving campaign -- #GiveInMay -- was launched last year by a group of philanthropic and nonprofit leaders to support the work of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) nonprofits. Given all that is happening in our communities during these extraordinary times, the need to boost philanthropy and kindness to support the work of AAPI non-profit organizations is more urgent than ever. Please consider donating to CAA as part of the #GiveinMay campaign and support us as we continue to create and provide a dedicated community gathering space for children and youth with special needs and their families. The AAPI community is facing challenging times right now, but in this time of uncertainty, there's a fundamental truth that gives us hope - that together we can do extraordinary things! Over the past year, the entire world has been coming together to stand up, help out, give back and heal, a wonderful sign that kindness, positivity and generosity continue to connect us.

We Need Your Help!

- Approximately 1 in 54 American children are identified as being on the autism spectrum (Autism Speaks)
- Considering that the Chinese-American community is the largest ethnic group among Asian Americans (Census, 2018), the number of children & families affected by autism among Chinese-Americans may be the highest
- In New York City, there are 86,051 people with disabilities who identify themselves as Asian, which is 7.4% of the Asian population (NYC People with Disabilities Statistics, 2016)

The above statistics demonstrate a clear need for supportive resources that specifically address the needs of the AAPI community. The label of autism carries a specific social stigma, particularly within the Asian culture. Negative perceptions of a child’s disability have been associated with high levels of parenting stress in Chinese mothers of children with ASD, which can have a negative impact on the quality of life for both these parents and their children. Parents of children with ASD have a significant need for support services to help decrease the stress of parenting, which they seek through after-school programming, weekend programming, and parent support groups. It can be difficult for many families to afford these supportive services, so all programs at CAA are low-cost or free.

Center for All Abilities strives to provide necessary supportive resources so that families in the AAPI community can receive the help that they need. CAA's Mentoring Program, Creative Arts Therapy Program, Monthly Social Group, Parent Support Group, and Vocational Training Program are all designed to support and provide a variety of resources to this community so that they may be empowered to grow and thrive in society. For more information about CAA, visit our website or email us!

We hope you will consider donating to our #GiveInMay campaign! You can also share our campaign on social media. We hope that if nothing else, our campaign brings a greater awareness of the needs of the community we serve!