Dining to Donate for Autism in the Caribbean
The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (MCADF) stages its main fundraiser, for 2015 – in New York City during global autism month.
April is Global Autism Awareness month.
Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.
This year The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation will be enacting its second fundraising effort in New York City in partnership with Zingflash Films.
The Foundation is marking its seventh year of existence on April 28-2015 and is still struggling to help the affected, as a non-profit and non-governmental organization.
The sponsors for the event Zingflash films; is a company owned by several Jamaicans who now live and work in the United States. They heard of the work of the MCADF team and have determined that they want to form a lifelong alliance between the two entities – to help enable the MCADF extend its help to Jamaicans and Caribbeans everywhere.
According to MD for the Foundation Maia Chung – “the fundraiser we have planned – is so that we can continue our work to help Jamaicans affected by Autism, here, regionally and around the world”.
Patrons can buy tickets by clicking on https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
In addition MCADF and Zingflash has established a Go Fund Me link to sustain the MCADF’s activities in a long-term way.
“The horrific circumstances of the Jamaican economy, has meant that our work has been severely hampered by a lack of donors.”
According to Chung “several of the Foundation’s donors have been victims of the harsh economic times in Jamaica, and cannot help us as much as they once did. Or would want to”.
The fundraiser will occur April 26-2015 in New York City and is being put on by the Zingflash film team based in the United States.
The team members for Zingflash Films will be in the island of Jamaica between April 11-18 -2015, for interviews to speak about their inaugural staging of Dining to Donate for Autism in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
Business Manager for the team Dwayne Morgan has indicated his team has chosen this as a primary way of giving back to Jamaica and the Caribbean. The move was sparked by the fact a Zingflash team member is a parent of two Autistic children.
The Zingflash team comprises the following individuals Romaine Munroe CEO, Dwayne Morgan Business Relations Manager, Naseive Smith and Erika Blaise.
The event will be the first of an annual partnership between the two entities and in addition raising funds for the pivotal issue of Autism, a neurological brain disorder that is rising in prevalence amongst the world’s populations in the United States as well as the Caribbean region.
Thus far corporate sponsors Apple Bees and clothiers Parish Nation have come on board to sponsor. New York State Senator Kevin Parker is also supporting the event.
The principals of Zingflash Films are Jamaicans based in the United States.
The company has produced a short film on Autism and its effects on families, which will be screened at the event Dining to Donate.
Zing Flash Films LLC is an American based film company, which specializes in making short films, music videos and full length films.
The Zing Flash team also specializes in event filming & event hosting.
Maia Chung has indicated that the fundraiser is a highly anticipated life line. The organization has had to cut its Autism sensitization programme for youth, the Autism Ambassadors Competition.
In addition funds have been inadequate to help with parents who need allocations for school fees, medicines, therapies, diagnostics and purchasing of resources for the Jamaican Autism Information kiosk located in Kingston Jamaica.
The next publication coming out of the MCADF – Autism Case Studies in Jamaica, has been stalled as further funding is needed to complete the project.
The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation is the first Autism focused FOUNDATION to be established in Jamaica.
2014 -Begins facilitating resume building, through procurement of internship positions, for challenged senior high school students who are high functioning and can ably join the workforce
Celebrate half a decade of existence this year 2013!
In addition The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation established the Quinn Garren James Smith Computer lab at the special needs institution the Adonijah Group of Schools in July of this year 2012.
New laptops were used to start the lab off and will be augmented by a new laptop, every six months, until the lab has one dozen such teaching aids found particularly useful for the intellectually challenged.
Also 2012 saw the first David Annakie Prosthesis Grant being awarded to an amputee who was rendered disabled due a car collision. This grant was developed and is administered by the MCADF using donor funds from Mr. David Annakie.
Six pieces of new printed resource material were also added to The MCADF Autism Kiosk at the Tom Redcam library this year.
Awards won:
2009 – First Global Woman of Vision – awarded to Maia Chung for her work through the MCADF
2009 – National Commercial Bank Jamaica NCB Nation Building merit award
2010 Maia Chung awarded as a Pioneer in Community Service by Amazing Woman’s Day out of Los Angeles California USA
2011: Maia Chung awarded by SEPROD/Lions Club of Mona for outstanding and dedicated attention to the cause of Autism in Jamaica
2012 – Nominated for The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, and Agency of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Lifetime Achievement Award – after only four years of operating
The MCADF has created the only national and regionally aired television series highlighting the Caribbean issues with Autism and disabilities.
The series aired in Jamaica and 22 other countries. Series title: SPECIALS Primary aim: educating the region about Autism needs and issues in the Caribbean.
Created the only nationally aired (Jamaica) Autism focused radio series, also aired internationally via Internet broadcasts. Series title: SPECIALS Primary Aim: to provide usable information about Autism for use by Jamaican parents, teachers and the affected, living with the disorder.
• Raised over 10 million to date (2012) dollars over the 4 years of the Foundation’s existence, to:
• provide support funding for Autistic and otherwise disabled people to carry out the following:
• pay for therapies,
• buy wheelchairs,
• parental counseling,
• provided family support where necessary (buying groceries, diapers etc.)
• pay school fees
• facilitate and fund diagnostic services for the poor who are affected
• purchased equipment for Autism and Disabilities schools
• providing furniture items for Autism impacted families who cannot work to purchase
Designed and implemented the Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors Programme – a competition created to increase awareness about Autism and various disabilities.
Contact 1 876 464 4218 || 1 -646-261-2595 || [email protected] || follow on IG @maiachung