Right now we are in the middle of ABC15's annual Operation Santa Claus campaign that helps make the holidays brighter for five Arizona-based organizations that do so much for our community.
One of them is the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center.
SARRC was first established in 1997 and the organization's mission is to advance research and provide a lifetime of support for individuals with autism and their families. SARRC helps those on the autism spectrum and their loved ones get the support they need in a variety of different ways.
The organization offers diagnostic services, autism screenings, parent training, education options, and community programs for all ages from preschoolers to adults ready to join the workforce.
Daniel Openden, the CEO of SARRC, tells us their goal is to create a more inclusive world for people with autism.
"SARRC's vision is for people with autism to be meaningfully integrated into inclusive communities," said Openden. "We often tell people that we are as committed to improving the behaviors and skills of people with autism, as we are to improving the behaviors and skills of the communities in which they live. And Operation Santa Claus is just another example of us being able to do it. This community of support that we have out there around people with autism is just as important as serving people with autism directly."
Openden says while the need is always great, the organization is seeing the need for holiday help even more this year.
"We are filling up very fast, in terms of the number of families that are signed up to come pick up those gifts. If you have a child with autism, there's going to be a certain level of stress on that family already, and to be able to help families of kids with autism, who are already in need of what Operation Santa Claus gives you, really it's like... it's like a double help, right? Like you're helping the people with autism, but you're also helping people really in need for the holidays," said Openden.
He says part of the magic of Operation Santa Claus is seeing how thankful families are for the help in making their holidays special.
"The response from the families is amazing. The gratitude on their faces is truly remarkable. We've had families in tears. We've had families tell stories that they didn't think they were going to have Christmas this year. We had families tell us how much their kids were going to enjoy some of the toys that were brought in and donated this year," said Openden.
To learn more about Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center and the other charities that benefit from Operation Santa Claus, visit GivetotheClaus.com.
