SAAAC Autism Centre

📣 Announcing the Winners of Canada CARES 2024! 🎉

We are thrilled to celebrate the amazing organizations that have been awarded the Canada CARES grant for their exceptional commitment to supporting autism caregivers!

✨ Congratulations to:
Canucks Autism Network
Children’s Community Network
ErinoakKids

These champions will receive $20,000 each to implement the CARES program, empowering caregivers with essential tools, training, and resources.

Developed by mental health specialists at the SAAAC Autism Centre in Scarborough, CARES is making waves in the autism community by promoting self-care among caregivers who have loved ones with complex needs.

Special Thanks to the Sonor Foundation (https://www.sonorfoundation.ca/) for their unwavering support in expanding our reach and impact. Together, we’re building a stronger, more supportive community for autism caregivers across Canada.

We’re thrilled to shout out the incredible supporters making our 9th Annual Walk-A-Thon possible.

A big round of applause for 🎉 Scarborough Convention Centre and Andreu World for their generous contributions.

Thanks to their help, we can ensure that every step taken at the Walk-A-Thon translates into meaningful support for the families at SAAAC. These partnerships help us drive our mission forward, making essential autism services accessible to those in need.

Join us in celebrating the impact we’re making together this Sunday, July 21 (9 AM - 1 PM) at 705 Progress Avenue in Scarborough.

Your support, whether by walking with us or cheering from the sidelines, is what fuels our success. Let’s make this event unforgettable! 🚶‍♂️🎉

5 MORE DAYS TO THE WALKATHON!

Staff can register for the walk ahead of time by donating a minimum of $25 to the staff challenge (link in bio).

On the day of the event, after the walk, there will be a community BBQ, games, performances, drinks, and snacks by Crazee Cream, and a snack booth from our SAAAC moms. They will have their authentic falooda, appam, and dosas!

We will also have Goodness Gift selling iced coffee, lemonade, freezies, in addition to their other products.

Join us on Sunday, July 21st, from 9 am to 2 pm at 705 Progress Ave for our annual walkathon!

10 MORE DAYS UNTIL WALKATHON! 🚶🏽‍♂️

On Sunday, July 21, we will all come together to celebrate conquering our health and wellness goals by participating in a 5km walk 🎉

The event will start at 9 AM with registration, and the 5km walk will begin at 10 AM. There will be a celebration afterwards at 11 AM. At the event we will have different food vendors, performances and games 🎯🌭

We hope everyone can join us to support our cause to fundraise for the Chance Fund and celebrate the community we have built over the years.

You can still fundraise for the Chance Fund and earn a raffle ticket for a chance to win a $1000 Mastercard Gift Card. You must raise $200 for a chance to win, and remember, the more you raise, the better your chances of winning!

Meet Jonathan and some of our Walkers who are fundraising for the Chance Fund!

Jonathan and his friends are aiming to raise funds to ensure that SAAAC can continue to offer life-changing services to children and families. By backing them, you are investing in the future of many talented individuals just like them.

Our first Father’s Day Brunch was a hit! Huge thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate. It was wonderful seeing our SAAAC community come together, sharing laughter and delicious food 🥞

Our team had an incredible time at the ABAJAM conference! 🎉 Our teams dived deep into behavioral strategies, networked with amazing professionals, and left inspired and equipped with new tools. Here’s to continuous learning and making a difference together!

🌟

Our students had a fun day of adventure at Centre Island! They enjoyed a day filled with laughter, learning, and made some new furry friends. From petting adorable animals to exploring the scenic beauty, it was a perfect blend of fun and education

The students in the Living N’ Learning program participated in different Health and Wellness activities throughout the whole week! 💪🏽🏋🏾🍎

Many of our students are also having their own Walkathon challenges and are gearing up to get in shape for their challenges 🚶🏾

You can checkout their initiatives at-
https://micharityp2p.com/saaac/explore/

We would like to give a shout-out to the Human Resources Department at SAAAC for surpassing their fundraising goal for walkathon!

SAAAC is hosting its first-ever Father’s Day Brunch to celebrate all the important superheroes that are part of our SAAAC community. Whether it is your dad, brother, uncle, grandparent, or friend who helps make your day special, you can bring them along to this fun event. Sign up using the following link and enjoy a morning with your loved ones at SAAAC.

https://saaac.org/fathers-day-brunch/

You might be wondering where this year’s Walk-A-Thon money will be dedicated? 🌟

It’s going to the Chance Fund at the SAAAC Autism Centre! The fund will provide access to crucial services for families and help promote independence for individuals on the spectrum💙

The students in our Living N’ Learning program had a great day outdoors with the sun out ☀️

The Walkathon is just 9 weeks away and it’s time to start preparing by getting our steps in! 👣

Join us on July 21st at 10 AM for our 5KM walk to raise awareness about Autism and to raise funds for over 100 families so we can provide critical financial aid for essential autism services.

🚀 We're thrilled to announce the launch of our 9th Annual Walk-A-Thon at SAAAC! 🌟 This year, we're focusing our efforts on supporting the Chance Fund. This crucial initiative provides financial aid to families, helping them afford necessary autism services like therapies and group programming at SAAAC. Every donation makes a real difference!

🏃‍♀️🏃 Create your own health and wellness challenge and gather support from family and friends. Whether you choose to walk, practice yoga, or cycle, your participation raises vital funds and awareness. 🧘‍♂️🚴‍♀️

📲 Want to support this great cause? Register your challenge today and join us in making essential services accessible to families in need.

REGSITER HERE: https://micharityp2p.com/saaac/

It is important to appreciate the unsung heroes in our lives. Whether it’s a sister, grandma, teacher, aunt, or friend, their love and guidance truly shapes our world in ways that words can’t fully express.💖

Thrilled to announce this year’s Balasingham Award recipients! Join me in celebrating Denabil Lacierda, Tharsika Elmo Anthony, and Parsa Ahmadi for their outstanding dedication to community service and advocacy. Your passion and commitment inspire us all!

🌟The Balasingham foundation scholarship was founded in 2009, by the Balasingham family to recognize and celebrate flourishing community leaders.

🌸 This Mother's Day, indulge in the extraordinary with us! Join our Pop-Up Shop on Saturday, May 11, and treat Mom to Chef John Ferdinand's famous cakes and chocolates from Vanilla en Glaze.

🍓🍫 Each purchase supports the SAAAC Autism Centre’s Goodness Gift, empowering autistic adults with vital skills and employment. 🌟

Order now and pick up your sweet surprise at 705 Progress Avenue, Scarborough. Together, let's make a difference this Mother’s Day! 💖

ORDER HERE: https://saaac.org/sweet-surprise-for-mom/

Yesterday was our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner and we wanted to say that we are grateful for our past volunteers who have helped build the foundation for SAAAC Autism Centre. We are thankful for our present volunteers who help us make an impact every day. We look forward to welcoming more volunteers in the future and growing our SAAAC community.

Volunteering at SAAAC isn’t just about giving back; it’s also an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s a chance to meet new people, learn new skills, and make lasting connections. It’s about personal growth and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you to everyone who helped put yesterday’s event together and to everyone who attended.

Speical thanks to Ontario Trillium Foundation for helping us rebuild our volunteer program post COVID through the Resilient Community Fund. We could not have done this without you!

This Mother’s Day, express your love with a beautiful bouquet while supporting a worthy cause. The SAAAC Autism Centre is thrilled to partner with .ca for a special fundraiser.

By purchasing one of our exquisite flower bouquets, you’ll not only bring joy to the moms in your life but also contribute to the Goodness Gift . This initiative by SAAAC employs and trains autistic adults, fostering independence and economic empowerment.

ORDER HERE: https://saaac.org/mothers-day-flower-bouquet/

Deadline to order is May 1. Get yours soon!

Mother's Day Flower Bouquet - SAAAC This Mother’s Day, express your love with a beautiful bouquet while supporting a worthy cause. The SAAAC Autism Centre is thrilled to partner with Vahini Franklin for a special fundraiser. By purchasing one of our exquisite flower bouquets, you’ll not only bring joy to the special moms in your l...

“I have been volunteering at SAAAC since January 2022. I started helping out with the Dance and music programs. I am currently primarily helping out with the fitness program.

Prior to COVID i lost my cousin and this played a major negative impact on my mental health. To make things worse COVID lockdown isolated me even further into my depression. Following the end of lockdown. I was trying to figure out how to drag myself out of this dark hole. I went out on the weekends and hung out with “friends”. But following every weekend I felt emptier. I was having a hard time answering an internal question, which was “what value do I bring to this world”. And personally I felt like I brought nothing. Somehow I came across this quote while reading and it said “One of the greatest gifts you have is the ability to help those in need”. So as the new year emerged in 2022 I decided I was going to try to give my time helping others in an effort to give something back. Instead of looking for fleeting moments of happiness. Instead of focusing on my needs, I wanted to spend some time focusing on others.

Helping out at SAAAC has changed my life monumentally. I look forward to Saturday afternoons. I used to try to make plans on the weekend to go out and have fun. These days I’m more concerned about getting a good rest on Friday so that I can be 100% for the clients at the healthy living program. Professionally the skills learnt while volunteering have also been utilised in my day to day activities at work.


Volunteering is some of the best time I’ve given in my entire life. People think that I am giving up my time to help for free. But to me I am coming and being rewarded for every minute spent volunteering at SAAAC. Volunteering feeds my Soul and my spirit. And so I would tell anyone contemplating volunteering with SAAAC that it is the best thing they can do, not for others but for themselves.”

I have always wanted to learn more about Autism and I have been able to do that by doing my placement at SAAAC . I have worked 1-on-1 with the youth to complete art projects and even hosted some sessions on my own. I also got a chance to paint a mural of the SAAAC logo at the SAAAC Birchmount location. The mural is for all the volunteers to sign before they leave and for the staff to sign as well.

I am so beyond grateful for this experience and the opportunities I have been given at SAAAC and plan on continuing to volunteer here in the future. Volunteering has influenced my life in so many ways. I am currently a college student studying Child and Youth Care. Many of the skills I have learned at SAAAC, I will be able to use in my field of work and my personal life.

I would tell anyone contemplating volunteering to just give it a chance. Seeing the difference you make in the individuals you work with is so rewarding. Even in the short amount of time I have volunteered here, I have made so many connections. The staff here are so supportive and kind. I constantly have people checking in on me, we have debriefing sessions at the end of the day, and I have been given so much positive feedback and strategies that I will be able to use throughout my life. Thank you again to all the staff at SAAAC. I am proud to call myself a SAAAC volunteer.

I have been volunteering at SAAAC starting in September 2023 for the PEPs program. This will be the third cycle of the PEPs program.

What drew me to volunteer with SAAAC was hearing about the amazing work they’re doing in the community. I have been wanting to learn how to properly and encouragingly interact with kids on the spectrum. I’ve always believed in giving back to the community, and when I learned about SAAAC’s impactful initiatives, I wanted to be able to contribute in any way I can.

Volunteering has positively left a mark on both my personal and professional life. Through volunteering, I’ve learned how to interact properly with children in my family who are on the spectrum, and I’ve gained valuable insights into the support that is needed for them from their surroundings. This experience has been transformative, enhancing my interpersonal skills, empathy, and ability to collaborate effectively which is very much applicable in my professional life as well.

To anyone considering volunteering: take the leap and give it a try. At first, I was not sure if I knew what to do in certain situations when interacting with the kids but the facilitators and the senior volunteers were there to lend a helping hand and guide us properly.

Volunteering provides an incredible opportunity to witness the profound impact that the smallest gestures can have on a child’s life. Whether it’s lending a listening ear, offering a helping hand, or simply spending time with them laughing or running around, volunteers have the power to make a meaningful difference over time.

Hi! My name is Ellandra Guppy-Villamayor

As a placement student, I’ve been working in SAAAC’s entry to school program since January 2024. I was motivated to volunteer with SAAAC because I thought it would be a great opportunity and learning experience to support, learn, and build relationships with children who have autism and other disabilities.

Being a placement student here for the last 4 months has influenced my personal and professional life in a positive way because I got to learn more about the field of early childhood education, what it can look like, and how to properly communicate, engage, and support children with disabilities.

Personally, I believe that this experience has shaped me into a better role model, and future educator for young children. This placement definitely has been a wonderful experience overall and will positively impact my future as an educator/teacher.

Some guidance I would offer to individuals who are contemplating volunteering is to not be scared, this is a wonderful opportunity, and to remember to ask for help! and that each child is unique and different in their own way so they will all have different needs and supports. No child is the same, and it is important as placement students/volunteers that we positively support and impact children’s learning and development.

Geetha Moorthy~ TOP 25 WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
RECIPIENT

Geetha Moorthy is a dedicated advocate for positive change, focusing on supporting the autistic community in Scarborough, Ontario. In 2008, she founded the South Asian Autism Awareness Centre (SAAAC), initially assisting two families after recognizing the barriers and stigma faced by auisic individuals in the South Asian Community. In 2012, the SAAAC expanded and achieved charity status.

Today, the SAAAC offers a range of free and paid programs, supporting over 800 families from diverse backgrounds across three facilities in Scarborough, Ontario. The SAAAC is infused with Geethas passion for the arts, with programs in music, dance, and visual arts for the autistic community.

In 2019, she established the Goodness Gift, an initiative that not only creates job opportunites for those with autism but also promotes inclusivity by crafting socially conscious gift boxes and hand pouring candles at the SAAAC facility. Geetha’s mission is twofold: to eradicate the stigma surrounding autism and foster meaningful job opportunities.