Kindness All Year Long at First Place
First Place’s Summer of Kindness program is steadily moving into fall with the goal of kindness in our lives year-round! Our Kind It Forward initiative continues to move forward with lots of engaging projects for residents planned in the weeks ahead. And thanks to the generosity of the Saperstein family, another year of support from the Saperstein Entertainment Fund has enabled First Place–Phoenix to pursue various avenues of kindness to benefit the community—inside and outside our front doors. Huge, heartfelt thanks to the Sapersteins for helping us keep the kindness kicking!
Speaking of kindness, check out this heartfelt letter from resident Lindsey Eaton. Lindsey and her awesome family have been active movers and shakers at First Place since day one. We so appreciate her taking the time to reach out with such words of encouragement and affirmation to let us know we’re on the right track. Thank you, Lindsey!
Fall 2020 Symposium Webinars Present “A Place in the World”
If you’re developing or seeking to develop home and community options for people with autism and other neurodiversities, don’t miss the First Place fall symposium webinars on Oct. 21 and 22. Thanks to the generosity of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona, Phoenix IDA and Arizona Community Foundation, Jaburg Wilk and Sprouts, the First Place Global Leadership Institute is offering its fall symposium webinars free of charge.
Join us as we cover several timely and pressing topics, including:
- A firsthand look at A Place in the World, sister study to the 2009 Opening Doors report, newly completed and ready for primetime! This long-awaited study—the first of its kind—provides the essential, foundational nomenclature for residential and service delivery models to address the current housing crisis affecting special populations.
- Breakout sessions also offer like-minded pioneers the chance to share and learn together what’s happening across the country.
Register for these information-packed webinars that give First Place the opportunity to share our exciting, significant progress as we continue moving forward—together!
Launch of First Place Forever Planned Giving Program
Learn more about how you can empower our work through a new planned giving initiative called First Place Forever. Through the First Place–Phoenix model, we aim to set a new bar for residential and community options empowering and propeling our big vision that ensures housing and community options are as bountiful for people with autism and other neurodiversities as they are for everyone else. Please consider joining our 20 “firsties” for 2020!
Find Out Why “We’re the Place for That.®”
We’re offering convenient, safe ways to explore First Place–Phoenix from the comfort and security of home with virtual tours and a handy interactive map to guide you. We’ve posted dates through October to meet any schedule. Experience firsthand all that First Place has to offer—then stay for a Q&A with staff.
New Zip for the Zen Room
Heartfelt thanks to First Place donors, Mel Mannion and Craig McKibben, who generously funded our new Zen Room and to Barbara Kaplan who generously volunteered to design the space with a bright nature mural, new lighting, a wall of mirrors and more. Residents and staff alike have been enjoying time in this special space as everyone appreciates all moments of peace, quiet and balance in this time of ongoing uncertainly. We are grateful for the chance to benefit from this cherished corner of calm in our First Place community. Namaste.
How Work in Africa Is Leading Changes Here at Home
This compelling article reveals how Kimberly Shcreiber, 2020 MBA recipient, Stanford Arbuckle Fellow and big sister 22-year-old Stephen, has developed an exciting, novel team approach to improving service access for people with developmental disabilities. A stint working in Africa on solar power taught her “the power of action” and sparked the creation of NeuroNav, a service to unlock more government funding.