Acres for Autism

We come to you on behalf of children with Autism and other disabilities and their families. My husband and I have a vision to establish a facility that caters to the needs of children with special needs and their families.  My husband is a Disabled Navy Veteran and I am a Registered Behavior Therapist (I work with children that have been diagnosed with Autism) and a substitute teacher at Carver Elementary School here in Greenville, Texas. Together we have ten adult children and fifteen grandchildren, therefore family is the heartbeat of what we do and who we are. The drive to create a place for children with special needs comes from witnessing the struggles of families lacking the facilities to support their children adequately. Many families find themselves unable to engage in simple outings or social activities due to a lack of suitable accommodations for their children, particularly those with conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or behavioral challenges. This leads to feelings of isolation, frustration, and exclusion for both the children and their families. 

I have a previous client whom I started working with when she was two, she is on the Autism Spectrum and will be five years old this month. Last fall her mother invited me to go to a pumpkin patch with them. She was so happy that I accepted the invitation that it brought tears to her eyes. My client is nonverbal and has occasional meltdowns, because of this she is most times not included in family outings had by her cousins via grandparents or aunts and uncles. Her mother has expressed the sadness she and her husband feel to see their daughter excluded. Not to mention the concern they have for her as she gets older and of course their concern for her well-being when they are no longer here. This is just one case; I see so many children in school that are receiving little to no type of therapy or help aside from being medicated. Some children have severe ADHD or other behavior issues. I have another client that has ADHD, she was getting a lot of phone calls and emails sent home because of her behavior. Her family hired me to work with her twice a week in which we would have play therapy. She’s doing much better as she implements what she gets from our sessions. She’s so excited to see me coming, and her family has adopted me as one of the family. These interactions as well as the stories I hear from other parents have given me a huge vision to help as many children as possible. My vision is to assist them while they are young so they can have a brighter, more fulfilling future.

In 2022 I started a business, All Sweet Angels Child Services, we provide respite care to children with special needs, I provide consultation for resources, crisis intervention, behavior strategies, and environment modification as well.  I do not have a location that could accommodate my clients, I currently go to their homes, which sometimes takes away from the full effect. We would like to offer services in our own location that would allow parents to get some time for self-care, or a place for additional therapy, tutoring, or just a place that is theirs. We would like to purchase the twenty-one acres that we currently have under contract. (Our neighbor has Alzheimer’s and after his wife passed his children moved him to a nursing facility in Arkansas to be closer to them). They are selling it to cover his long-term care. We need your help to accomplish this land acquisition and development.

You can help us purchase 21 acres to develop an Equine Therapy Ranch for children and veterans with disabilities [This will be a non-profit; Elizabeth’s Place(in Formation)] and build an activity gym for children with special needs (The Spectacular Place): activities to help enhance balance and control, sensory rooms, tutoring and technology rooms, party room for birthday parties (since most children on the spectrum have sensory issues it’ll be designed with them in mind). We’ll have a garden, a parents’ café; for support groups, and a petting zoo. This site would also be a place where the local schools and daycares can have field trips. There is a home on the property that will be used for respite care, day programs, social living skill enhancement for our older clients. Your support is key in solving this problem.

 Would you consider donating one million dollars to help us make a difference in the lives of these children? 

Your donation will have an impact on children with Autism and other disabilities, these are children in my community that do not have access to the necessary resources as I live in a rural area that is very much in the country. Therefore, resources are very limited to the families in this low-income area. I was able to get the property under contract, but my time is very limited to finalize the purchase of $465,000. Your donation will help with the purchase, development and staffing of our vision.  I will work with developers and builders to accomplish this goal. You can donate by calling us at 469-580-6255 or email [email protected].

Sincerely,

Toriano and Donna Anderson

 P.S. My mission is to make a huge impact for families with children with disabilities and mental health struggles and our Non-profit Elizabeth’s Place Equine Ranch will serve disabled Veterans and children. All Sweet Angels Child Services will provide various services including respite and crisis solutions. The Spectacular Place will be an activity gym for children with special needs and their families. I know it will make a difference; one family at a time! We are working on forming the non-profit with the Secretary of State of Texas, securing more funding, marketing, team building and building web sites.