Written by Denise Gary
Photographs © Robert Gary and Denise Gary
I am privileged. My life has been enriched beyond measure by the company of a person possessing extraordinary skills and a unique perception of life – my son, who is challenged by Asperger’s syndrome, a condition that is part of the autism spectrum. Many people do not comprehend that those who face the social challenges of this disorder are often blessed with gifts and talents that surpass the average population, such as a heightened ability to deeply focus and to self-educate in areas of specific interest. Sadly, although our education system has come a long way in providing early intervention through behavioral therapies, it rarely develops career opportunities by specifically nurturing an Aspie’s obsessions into effective workplace skills. Although my son grew up before Asperger’s was identified and understood, and therefore received little assistance in school, he was fortunate to have forged a professional career through his own steadfast tenacity. This was despite having been deemed unworthy of receiving reading remediation in his early elementary education.
So, it was with the deepest of pleasure that I, my husband Steve Gary, my aforementioned son and KNTR Creative Director Robert Gary, and Debbie Brown (an autism intensive teacher before becoming KNTR’s Development Director) welcomed the kids of SARRC’s (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center) GoodDeedWorks volunteer team to Kids Need to Read. Their mission was to help KNTR sort and label books, and wow, they fulfilled that mission and then some!
I started the morning off by telling the kids a little bit about the purpose of Kids Need to Read and then discussed the importance of facing their challenges without fear. I explained that there is no greater challenge than the challenge we create for ourselves by carrying a chip on our shoulder.
Debb explained the morning’s project to the kids before they broke up into teams and got down to business.
The work the kids performed was nothing short of amazing!
Sometimes, the kids could not help but stop to read . . . which filled us all with great pleasure. No one is admonished for taking time out to read at Kids Need to Read!
The kids remained focused while working . . .
. . . but were light-hearted during their break.
After the break, I took the kids on a tour of the historic building that houses our office, which included the prohibition tunnel used when the structure served as Mesa’s original bank and the secret room used to watch over employees during its time as a mercantile store.
Soon after the tour, the kids completed their sorting and labeling.
But that was not the end of their work! A human chain was formed to move the books and calendars down to the basement.
The conveyor belt was manned.
It wasn’t long before the kids had everything stacked and in order downstairs.
My favorite moment of the day came when SARRC’s Life Skills Interventionist Allison Davis led the team in sharing what they had learned during the morning. It was moving to hear some of the kids mention my earlier advice to look beyond their challenges, as well as many other astute lessons gleaned from their volunteer work.
Kids Need to Read presented the entire team with copies of Paths to Peace: People Who Changed the World. The kids then surprised us by gifting us with a book, as well. This treasure, Wings of Epoh, is the story of a child struggling with autism and finding hope, and was signed by the entire group.
We thank Allison Davis, Erica Skepnek, and the entire GoodDeedWorks team for so graciously assisting Kids Need to Read and for providing us with so much joy! We also thank SARRC for the important work they do in helping kids to look beyond the challenge. And thank you, Robert, for brightening my life.
SARRC GoodDeedWorks Volunteer Day Photo Gallery
