Doing good for Autism Rescue Angels during the holiday season.
Round Top’s tiny but mighty functional art studio Tré for the Gathering has spread its wings into philanthropy with the launch of a pair of special pieces created by artist Jane Evans for the Houston-based nonprofit group Autism Rescue Angels.
The gold winged ornaments and paperweights could make perfect holiday gifts. They certainly support a worthy cause — young adults with autism.
The ARA ornament and paperweight created by Jane Evans Designs featured at Tré for the Gathering.
ARA ornament by Jane Evans Designs.
ARA paperweight by Jane Evans Designs.
Tré owners Michelle Gallagher and Clemencia Larimore partnered with Evans and Autism Rescue Angels founder and president, Dr. Lisa Graham-Garza on the project. Evans recreated the ARA’s logo in a pair of her signature ceramic pieces, hand-shaped into wings and coated in a gold finish. The ornaments and paperweights are available for purchase both at Tré’s gallery in Round Top and on the gallery’s website.
Proceeds from the sale of the pieces will go toward ARA’s mission to support families of young adults with autism – a rapidly growing population that is currently underserved in Texas. While insurance resources are more available for young children with autism, young adults and their families find that coverage for many therapies and services are abruptly halted once their children become legal adults. Dr. Graham-Garza, whose autistic son recently turned 20, has firsthand experience with the challenges of caring for an older child with autism.
“Finding resources for families of children with autism is hard, but it actually gets harder as children age into adulthood. For the ones needing lifelong care, it is very tough. Parents’ resources are drained, and there’s just not much out there for teens and adults with autism,” Garza says, noting that the cut-off for other Texas-based nonprofits that help families affected by autism is age 15.
Garza further explains that basic needs such as social skills training, vocational and educational needs for young adults with autism are no longer covered by insurance once they turn 21. Insurance coverage for speech and occupational therapies are cut off by 18 years of age.
“Most insurance companies do not allow for adults to continue receiving the same therapy services as children, even though the need is still so very great,” Garza says.
According to the ARA’s website, the prevalence of autism in children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 to 2010, making Autism the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States. Autism services cost U.S. citizens up to $262 billion annually, and most of those costs are for adult services.
Since its inception in 2014, Autism Rescue Angels has given out hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds raised to families with adult children in need.
“We are starting to receive requests for help from autism families all around the La Grange and Round Top areas, so we wanted to get the word out about who we are and the work we do,” Garza says.
To find out more about the ARA and its services and to stay posted on their fundraising efforts, visit AutismRescueAngels.org. Click here to buy a Jane Evans Designs fundraiser ornament or paperweight from Tré for the Gathering.
