As we reflect on the past year, we celebrate the event that helped kickstart it all.
One year ago, today, our lives would be forever changed...and now we, you and me, are changing the lives around us!!!!!
Exactly a year ago the Burch family won a free lease for a Nissan Rogue from Pohanka Nissan of Fredericksburg. Tim Pohanka and Tim Pohanka Jr., must have thought we were nuts when we asked if they would give a small donation to our son's autism classroom, to be used for their life-skills cooking class, instead of our accepting the car. But they happily agreed and gave a very LARGE donation instead! This was life changing, and everyone involved won!!!
Previous to winning the car I had found out that a few of the teachers were often paying for food and suplies for these amazing life-skills cooking classes, when funds from the PTA were gone. This broke our hearts. So when we won the car, it was a no brainer. Our son's class needed supplies and support, and we wanted to help!. ..Then we somehow managed to win the Rogue!!! What an amazing day!
After the media got wind of the story, Tim Pohanka and I were getting many questions from parents, family members, and teachers about how they can access these types of cooking classes for their loved ones.
After a few months of brain storming, Morgan Burch and I asked our son's amazing tecahers, if we could take their class, model it, and give it to other classrooms in need of support. We also asked them to be on the board of directors for Cooking Autism, Inc. because their ideas and love for our community is changing lives! They very hapily agreed, and Cooking Autism, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit was born!
Fast forward to today...
We just finished our board of directors meeting and we have approved the applications to support 9 classrooms for the remainder of the year! NINE! This is amazing! And it is all because of your support!!!
We knew there was a need for this type of support in the area. You all reached out to us. We started this our non-profit 501(c)(3), and now we are changing the lives of many students, classroom teachers, families, friends, and communities!!!! We are doing this together, as a team!!!!
Thank you to Tim Pohanka for another generous donation to help get Cooking Autism started! We will always be greatful of your amazing support! You have changed our lives!
To our community, THANK YOU! We could only do this with your support! It truly takes a whole village, and our village is so very STRONG!!!!
You are the very best!!!!
More big news coming... We will be partnering with the Fredericksburg Parks, Recreation & Events to host a monthly cooking and life skills class for children of any, and all, need. We are so excited for this! This can help include all children who may not be in a school that provides this type of support, or children that are homeschooled. Any child is welcome to join us! We will have more information regarding this before the end of the year.
We are still raising support for more classrooms! If you can help in any way, please visit our website. Please consider setting up a reoccuring monthy donation of $20. These superhero teachers can spread that $20 to make huge opportunities of growth for their students. And your donations are tax deductible! It is a win-win!!!!
For more information, or for any questions, please visit our website at www.CookingAutism.org or info@CookingAutism.org