F & H Cares Donates to Autism Speaks

Fabrics and Home is happy to announce that this year’s F & H Cares recipient is Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for individuals with autism and their families.

About Autism Speaks and Their Work

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors and communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 44 children in the United States today.

Autism Speaks supports and advocates by increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. To help foster understanding and acceptance, Autism Speaks shares the diverse stories of people on the spectrum to its more than 2.8 million social media followers and on their website. For example, they highlighted the story of Malachi.

Diagnosed when he was 3, Malachi has made monumental strides towards reaching his full potential thanks to early intervention services, a rock-solid support team of therapists and teachers, and his mom, Nonnie, who helps to navigate his autism journey. Today, Malachi is 20 years old and thriving in an extended high school Pathways program. His mom says that between school and his extra services, her son continues to work on his social and emotional skills, as well as well as fostering the skills to live independently and finding sustainable employment.

“It's been 16 years’ worth of speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) services, life skills classes and much more. At home, we incorporated everything he did in therapy and at school, even when he was with other family members, all in an effort to keep his routine the same,” Nonnie said. “The sooner you start therapy and other programs, the better chances your child will have at developing into the best version of themselves. I’m so proud of him and everything he continues to accomplish.”

Lorie Thur Katz, the owner of of F&H, has worked with children with disabilities for 13 years and wants to widen her impact with annual donations to the organizations that support the 13 disabilities that effect school-aged children and their families.  Fabrics and Home created F & H Cares in 2019 to support children with disabilities by donating 25 cents per yard for each yard of fabric sold from the products purchased on its website. Each year, Fabrics and Home randomly chooses one of 13 disabilities from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

This year we were glad to be able to support Autism Speaks for all their hard work they do for children with autism.They are a vital powerful voice in the autism community since 2005.

Read more about F&H Cares.