Circle of Strength Newsletter

Saturday, August 17th Nassan’s Place hosted their Annual Backpack Giveaway. This event was held to spread awareness about autism. Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. 

Nassan’s Place is a nonprofit organization and their mission is to help make a difference for children and families affected by autism in and around under-served communities, by providing educational and recreational programs, social outings, and resources. The organization was founded years ago by Nadine Wright-Arbubakkr; whose son Nassan, has autism. Her purpose was to help parents so they wouldn’t have to struggle to afford programs and services, like she had to in the past.  

Nassan’s Place invited their community partners to join in on this event, so it was important for Circle of Strength to show up, support and be a part of helping the community. Together one of our common goals is to spread awareness about individuals and families with disabilities. The priority is to help them live a better life with resources that will assist them in achieving their goals and dreams without restrictions due to their disabilities. The partnership between both organizations started when Circle of Strength’s CEO Elise Counts met Nadine at an event. Soon after Nadine invited Elise and Jessica, who works at Circle of Strength as well, to Nassan's Place annual gala last year. From there they connected and became in constant contact with one another, which blossomed into a partnership.  

Included in this event was Autism Awareness resources for individuals and or families. This will assist everyone with the tools they need. Also, they had a backpack and school supplies giveaway, which was really kind of them. With kids going back to school, it’s definitely a hectic time for parents and children. This giveaway helped; that’s one less worry for families to deal with. There was also music which provided an upbeat and positive vibe to the event, like a big family party. Food, face painting was provided as well and during the giveaway clothes were given to people who may be limited or in need of them.  

The event was great, and everyone felt like family. The experience was about learning, knowledge, spreading awareness, meeting new people and overall helping one another. Kindness goes a long way, and everyone wants to help, which is the most important factor of the outcome. For more information on our partner Nassan’s Place and their mission, visit their website here.