Was this email forwarded to you?

Student Spotlight: Deen Succeeds With Behavioral Therapy & a Determined Team

Deen is a 4th grader at Connections who has come a long way. Before Connections, he attended his neighborhood school with his sister. She was in a typical classroom, and he was in a class for children with special needs. But it didn't go well. "He was struggling every single day and not learning at all," recalls his mom, Isra. "I would get multiple phone calls a week saying I needed to pick him up because he had hurt himself during a fit or run into the chalkboard while trying to escape the classroom. He was coming home miserable."

At home, life was no easier. Deen’s inability to communicate often led to frustration-fueled outbursts. "Deen couldn’t communicate with us and got upset easily, which sometimes resulted in big tantrums during which he would hurt himself," Isra explains. "We couldn’t even do simple things like going to the grocery store. At Publix, he would throw himself on the floor, bang his head on the floor, and run up and down the aisles opening food packages. It was exhausting and overwhelming."

Life changed for Deen and his family when they found Connections. See how the teachers, staff and behavioral therapy program helped Deen transform.

Community Partners Make the Holidays Brighter!

Our students and clients enjoyed a joyful holiday celebration, thanks to our generous community partners, amazing volunteers and dedicated team members.

On Friday, December 20, first responders from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Station 24 arrived with the big guy himself — Santa! — riding in on their fire truck. Our students and clients loved seeing the big red truck pull up behind our school, and they eagerly greeted Santa. 

Families joined in on the fun, posing for photos with Santa while each student and client received a gift of their own. These presents were kindly donated by the Spirit of Giving and Palm Beach Central High School's French Honor Society, led by teacher Claudia Morales. A team of volunteer elves helped wrap gifts and organize them for a smooth event.

We’re tremendously grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s celebration so special. Your generosity truly brought holiday joy to our entire Connections community!

New Partnership Gives our Students the Chance to Learn Croquet

We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Special Olympics and the National Croquet Center — a collaboration that will introduce our students to the sport of croquet. Each month, our students will visit the National Croquet Center to develop their skills and coordination through an adaptive program designed by the Special Olympics, all while enjoying a fun, inclusive sport.

We’re incredibly grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to see how our students flourish in this new learning experience!

Support Behavioral & Mental Health Programs With Your Year-End Gift (2x Match!)

We need your help to close a $75,000 funding gap by December 31 so our Behavioral & Mental Health Program can continue teaching essential skills — like coping, behavior control, and communication — to the students who rely on it. To see a great example of how this program changes lives, read Deen’s story featured in this edition.

Because of generous matching donors who know how important this program is, your gift given by December 31 will be doubled, helping twice as many students receive the specialized services they need to thrive. We’re close to our goal, but we still need support. Thank you for making a real difference for our students and helping us keep this vital program funded.

Manatee Lagoon Field Trip

Our adult clients recently visited Manatee Lagoon for a fun, educational field trip. They learned about manatees and spent time looking for these gentle giants in the water. This hands-on learning opportunity made for an enjoyable outing for our clients.

Be Part of Our Milestone Celebration! Tickets & Sponsorships Now Available

Join us to celebrate 10 Years of Transformation at our 2025 Hearts & Hands Gala, coming up Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the National Croquet Center! We'll celebrate the incredible milestones achieved with your support and look forward a future with even greater impact.

At this special event, each guest will have the opportunity to write a note for our time capsule! Come learn more at the Gala and be part of this milestone!

Connecting in the Community

Our team members and volunteers welcome the opportunity to engage with the community to support important work and raise awareness for Connections. Highlights from this month include:

• Swank Farm Family Style Dinner: This event featured a Farmer’s Market Hoe Down with a farm-fresh meal created by specialty chefs from the area and paired with select wines. Guests also enjoyed live country music and dancing and learned about Connections from Swank Farm owner Jodi Swank and our volunteers. Guests supported Connections by donating and purchasing raffle tickets.
• Evelyn & Arthur Shop & Share: Evelyn and Arthur in the Garden Square Shoppes donated 20% of sales to Connections during this event. Our volunteers shared information about Connections with shoppers and thanked them for their support.
• Lilly Pulitzer Shop to Support: Lilly Pulitzer at The Gardens Mall donated 10% of sales during our event. Our volunteers greeted shoppers and shared information about our nonprofit’s impact.
• NAMI Palm Beach County Annual Luncheon: We joined community members at this event to promote mental health advocacy, education and support. 

We're so grateful to be part of a caring community and welcome the opportunity to share information about our mission across Palm Beach County!

Students Select Gifts for Loved Ones in Our Sensory-Friendly Gingerbread Shop

Our students and adult clients love experiencing the joy of selecting a gift for loved ones, but shopping in traditional stores can be overwhelming for individuals with autism, preventing many from giving a gift to parents, siblings and other family members. That's why our PTO and staff members set up a festive Gingerbread Shop in our school with a wide variety of merchandise set up in a sensory-friendly environment. This may include dimming the lights or keeping the number of shoppers low to create a calm shopping experience.

Then, staff members bring student and adult clients through the shop at their own pace, creating a pleasant experience as they select gifts to give to loved ones. Our volunteers helped wrap gifts for the children to take home.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's Gingerbread Shop a success, giving our students and clients the opportunity to experience the joy of giving!

Want to Win Tickets to the Super Bowl?! (Last Chance)

Here's your chance to win an incredible Super Bowl Experience for two — or other great prizes — while supporting Connections!

In conjunction with Boca West Children's Foundation, we are participating in the Super Bowl Raffle where you could win:

• 1st Prize: Super Bowl Experience with two tickets to Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025! Plus two tickets to the official pre-game tailgate and three nights hotel accommodations in New Orleans.
• 2nd Prize: Waterstone Resort & Marina weekend stay for two nights in this beautiful Boca Raton resort plus breakfast for two.
• 3rd Prize: Dine-Around-Town package of restaurant gift certificates valued at $500!

Tickets are available on our website now through Jan. 15, 2025, and are $100 each. When you purchase tickets through Connections, 100% of the proceeds go directly to us to help students and adults with autism! Purchase online, and we'll mail your raffle tickets to you!

The drawing will be held Jan. 18, 2025, at the Boca West Children's Foundation Gala. Need not be present to win.

WGA Annual Charity Event at PGA National Resort to Benefit Connections

We're beyond grateful to be the beneficiary of the Women's Golf Association (WGA) Annual Charity Event at PGA National Resort coming up Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025! The amazing women in this organization will come together to enjoy a full tournament while raising vital funds for our nonprofit school.

Good luck to everyone playing in this exciting event, and thank you for your compassionate support that helps empower our students with autism!

www.connectedpb.com