This is part of a year-long ‘Love for Local’ series called NB365: portraits of New Brunswick entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Huddle is a media partner with Love for Local. Today, we hear from Cathy Adams, Executive Director, of the Upper Valley Autism Resource Centre Inc. in Perth-Andover.

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES HAS A REAL IMPACT BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO REMAIN IN OUR COMMUNITIES, SO WE MUST SUPPORT THEM.

We are one of the 10 NB Autism Resource Centres, and we support families, caregivers, professionals, and individuals with ASD between the Grand Falls, Woodstock and Nackawic and surrounding areas. We offer inclusive programs, activities and events and we work together with other non-profit organizations to support each other where and when we can.

The support from New Brunswickers allows me to offer more programs, activities, events, autism awareness and acceptance within our support areas. New Brunswick has fallen behind in services that are available, and we need to work together to get ahead of the needs for more families to have the services when they move here, and we need help in the autism world.

If you are ever curious about just some of the challenges autism families face just look on one of the many Facebook groups for autism families and when someone mentions moving to NB from Ontario, you can read all the comments that are true for most of the families here that are in survival mode every day. Services are needed throughout a child’s life, which is way beyond the age of 5.

We love local people because it’s local people that we support. Our goal is that everyone, including local businesses, sees the potential in our autistic community. We want to help them find jobs, show their worth and grow up to be valued community members. We are helping individuals with autism make a connection with their communities.