Dear TACA Family,
Since I started TACA, so many people have asked me, “How can I help?” I have always responded by telling them to take care of their family and beloved children.
The last two years I asked you to go a little bit further — to reach out to your extended community and to raise autism awareness and funds to help TACA continue to fulfill its mission of improving the quality of life for families living with autism. You all came through amazingly when I called, and over the last two years the TACA Friends & Family campaign has raised more than $65,000!! Those campaigns alone have allowed us to hold six new parent seminars, two parent education seminars, and distribute over 750 Autism Journey Guides. What a difference your help has made for new families struggling with the autism diagnosis.
This year our community has grown even more — and TACA’s costs for providing services have grown as well. It is our goal to continue to provide TACA’s programs and services free to all families. But I need some help to make this happen.
Many of our family, friends and colleagues often ask us, “How can I help?” They have seen us go without sleep for weeks at a time, struggle with finding appropriate services for our children, heard us talk about the stress to our families, worry about our children’s health, and cry about what the future holds for our beautiful children. I know how that feels, because I have done it so many times about Jeff. For years I did not know how to respond when my family and friends asked... and I didn’t ask them for help... because I didn’t know how.
We have never charged membership dues at TACA, knowing that there is a huge community we have built, and that that extended family wants to help. This is how the TACA Family & Friends campaign was born. It is a way for you to reach out to your circle and tell them exactly how they can help your family and other families like yours. You have a tremendous ability to help TACA and families with autism through your extended network. Not only do we need them to understand what autism is all about, we also need them to know that TACA is there to help families like yours and mine.
I’m asking you to come through for us again this year — maybe stretching yourself a little further outside of your comfort zone, extending your circle just a little bit. If we are all able to do that, together, I know that we can raise $50,000 that will allow TACA to continue its current programs and add additional services needed in the community. Please help TACA assist not only your family, but the many families entering the autism journey. TACA adds about 50 new families each month. They need our help and strength so they can get off to the right start. Thank you for sharing your time and your passion — for taking some valuable minutes away from your child to read this letter and help with this very important campaign.
With sincere thanks,
Lisa Ackerman
TACA Executive Director
Contact me
Download this letter as PDF
Family & Friends Flyer
