November 2021 | ISSUE 171
Join Us for the 10th Annual Caring Hearts Luncheon

We are very pleased to share an invitation with you to this year's Caring Hearts Luncheon, a community awareness event that highlights AZA United's mission, recent achievements, and next year's plans to advance our vision for the future as we continue our trajectory to help families throughout Arizona. This year, the 10th Annual Caring Hearts Luncheon will be a virtual event and will take place on Tuesday, December 14th at 12 PM. Registration is required to enjoy our program, and everyone is invited!

This event is possible because of the generosity of our sponsors. We would like to thank and recognize Design Works Gaming as our Elite Sponsor again this year - we are so grateful for this partnership!

For a full list of sponsors, visit our event page at www.AZAunited.org/2021Luncheon. If you or your employer has interest in learning about our sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at Development@AZAunited.org.
The Halle Foundation Awards a New Program Grant

AZA United is thrilled to announce that the Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation has provided a very generous grant to help us develop and launch a new Occupational Therapy program! OT helps individuals of all ages accomplish their personal goals by helping them overcome or cope with sensory, motor and cognitive challenges associated with developmental disabilities. Parents have been requesting OT from AZA United for years, and we are very pleased to be able to create this new program and expand our interdisciplinary care model for families.
 
“We are so grateful for the Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation’s donation,” said Dr. Aaron Blocher-Rubin, President & CEO of AZA United. “This program will allow us to more thoroughly meet the needs of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, in collaboration with our existing teams of psychologists, speech language pathologists, counselors and behavior analysts. Our plan is to launch this service at our East Valley Center and then expand it to in-home care, our main office in Phoenix, and our new West Valley Center.”

“This grant will have a tremendous impact on the families AZA United serves,” said Tom Egan, Executive Director of The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation. “The new Occupational Therapy program will complement the services they already offer children and families throughout the state. Their overall goal is to reduce wait times and improve outcomes, assuring children can receive the majority of their therapies as swiftly as possible from one provider.”

Thank you again to The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation for your continued support of AZA United's mission to help as many families as possible with individualized supports.

Click here to contact our Family Support team for information about all available services.

Invest in Autism Community Support this Holiday Season

When we think of holiday giving, we usually think first of family, friends, colleagues, and service providers like mail carriers and hairdressers. However, it’s also meaningful to think of others beyond our personal circles, which is why many people make end-of-year donations to charitable and nonprofit organizations. Whatever may have transpired during a given year—whether it’s a golden year, a typical year, or one like 2020—it’s always healthy to finish it by helping to make the next one brighter for those served by good causes.
 
Continue reading this blog to learn about charitable donation and tax credit opportunities..
Announcements
Our new Diagnostic Evaluation Services program has launched at our office in Phoenix thanks to a grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. Evaluations are available for individuals of any age and may be a key step toward gaining access to treatments and services. Click here to contact our Family Support Team for more information.
Upcoming Events

Save the Date - On March 19th, 2022, we invite you to join our 1st Annual AZA United Run for Autism at 9 AM the Freestone Park in Gilbert, AZ. This autism awareness and acceptance community event will feature a 5K, a one-mile Family Fun Run and a Kids Dash. Medals, t-shirts, and refreshments will be available for each registrant. Mark your calendar now!
Link of the Month

Enjoy our 2021 Annual Report to see a year in review for AZA United. Annual reports are an important communication publication that nonprofits share with donors and community members. These reports contain financial information, organizational accomplishments, and other inspiring mission-driven elements.