CFC Charity Spotlight: Autism Speaks

“Cassie finds the joy in all the little moments we take for granted,” says her mom, Chrissy. “She feels at a level I can’t even begin to imagine. She loves with every fiber of her being.”

When Cassie was diagnosed with autism at age 2, her parents were unsure what to expect. They found guidance in the Autism Speaks 100 Day Tool Kit and a community to share their journey. Chrissy attributes her daughter’s progress to early intervention – daily sessions with physical, occupational and speech therapists who, she says “taught us that we shouldn't force Cassie into our world only – that we need to learn how to navigate and enter into hers.”

Now a sixth-grader in a special-needs school district, Cassie loves coding and STEM – science, technology, engineering and math - and managers her anxiety and sensory sensitivities by mapping out her day, sticking to routines and wearing headphones to screen out noise.

Today, Autism affects at least one in 59 children in the U.S. and more than 70 million people worldwide. Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of people with autism and their families.

Autism Speaks (CFC #12413) is one of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charities supported through donations pledged by Federal employees and military personnel. The CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace giving campaign. Last year, Federal employees contributed more than $93 million to thousands of local, national, and international causes in both funds and volunteer time.

Through their generosity in the CFC, federal and military personnel have helped find cures for children with cancer, supported injured military veterans and their families, provided meals and housing for those in need, and improved millions of lives, building stronger, healthier communities for all of us.

Learn more information about the CFC.

Community Health Charities was an inaugural member in the CFC and represents top nonprofits like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (CFC # 10560), American Cancer Society (#10570), Alzheimer’s Association (#11234), Samaritan’s Purse (#10532), Susan G. Komen (#10615), and Paralyzed Veterans of America (#33835). They recently launched a #Thanks8billion campaign to recognize military and federal personnel who have given generously through the CFC, raising more than $8 billion over more than 50 years. To join us in saying thank you, visit our website for more information.