CLEVELAND – April 13, 2017 – PRLog — The Orange Effect Foundation continues to change lives. With more than $60,000 awarded for 620 hours of speech therapy and 5 communication devices, 2016 was a very big year for the foundation. However, if the first quarter of 2017 is any indication, this year will be even bigger.
The Orange Effect Foundation is pleased to announce that following the first board meeting of 2017, more than $20,000 was awarded to 10 children and young adults seeking assistance for speech therapy and speech-generating devices. Grants will fund speech therapy, summer speech camp for children who stutter, and technology, that for some, will make communication possible for the first time.
For one mother who until now could only guess at her child’s needs, a speech-generating device will enable her to know her child’s thoughts and concerns for the first time. She says, “having a (child) that is unable to tell you his thoughts and needs is challenging and heartbreaking.” In addition to enabling communication at home among his family, the device will allow him to engage more fully with classmates and teachers.
Another child received funds to purchase eye-tracking technology. This technology will significantly increase the capacity to communicate with the speech-generating device she already owns. Without it, she has been frustrated by diminished motor skills which have limited the use of her current device.
Orange Effect Foundation grants will also fund 169 sessions of speech therapy and four weeks of summer camp for children in need and those whose families lack adequate insurance to cover their therapy. These children will receive the recommended hours of therapy despite financial limitations.
The impact of an Orange Effect Foundation grant is powerful. One grateful parent writes, “the past year has been a full one–full of new challenges, new fears, and new milestones. The help we received from the Orange Effect Foundation meant that it did not have to be a year full of stress. Your foundation has truly impacted our entire family in many meaningful ways.”
Orange Effect Foundation board member Kristin Kelley-Erbacher believes that “being able to communicate your wants, needs, thoughts, and fears is a fundamental component of being human.” Orange Effect Foundation grants not only fund communication, they change lives.
The Orange Effect Foundation empowers children and young adults with speech disorders to effectively communicate through therapy, education, research, and technology resources. The Orange Effect Foundation awards quarterly grants through a competitive application and review process. The next grant application deadline is May 15, 2017. For more information and to obtain a copy of the grant application visit theorangeeffect.org.
About the Orange Effect Foundation
The Orange Effect Foundation strives to make sure that every single person has the ability to communicate. The foundation, while officially formed in 2014, actually began back in 2001 when the founders’ son was born with autism. Early intervention has led him to be a very heartwarming and independent young man. The Pulizzi family wanted to give back by empowering other children with the therapy and tools they need to communicate effectively.
In 2007, Golf for Autism was started, in time raising over $100,000 for autism and speech therapy services. This year’s event will be held on August 7, 2017, at Elyria Country Club. For more information, please contact theorangeeffect.org
