Easter Seals Disability Services

A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. Offers a Creative Way to Help Easter Seals and Families Living with Autism

Act for Autism at a Free Jigsaw Puzzle Making Event and Register Donation Program

It may seem puzzling at first, but there’s a crafty and creative way families can help people living with autism this spring.  A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. has teamed up with Easter Seals again for the second annual in-store campaign and crafting event that asks customers to Act for Autism from March 27th through May 7th.

Similar to last year’s campaign, customers who visit any A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts store during the March 27th through May 7th timeframe will be able to donate $1 to Easter Seals’ Act for Autism campaign at checkout. The money raised will support Easter Seals autism services in those same local communities, giving thousands of children and adults with autism access to critical services that help them live, learn, work, and play.

As a special bonus for customers, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts will host free in-store “Make and Take” craft events at its 136 locations on April 9, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT for children and their families. Here, customers can come into the store to decorate an Act for Autism jigsaw puzzle or go online for instructions to create one at home (http://www.acmoore.com/ or http://www.actforautism.org/).

The campaign coincides with National Craft Month in March and National Autism Awareness Month in April, and gives customers an opportunity to express their creativity, make a personalized puzzle, learn about autism—its signs, symptoms and support through treatment—and help support families living with autism.

“It’s all part of our localized Crafting a Better World™ initiative,” says David Abelman, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer for A.C. Moore.   “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to heighten awareness and provide an outlet for both our employees and customers to make a difference in their communities.”

Why Act for Autism with A.C. Moore and Easter Seals
“We know that through early detection and individualized intervention, children with autism make significant progress,” explains Dr. Patricia Wright, MPH, Ph.D., national director autism services, Easter Seals. “The funds raised through our partnership with A.C. Moore will give more children with autism the care, guidance and support they need.”

Today, one in 110 children are diagnosed with autism and there’s an increasing need for funding, services and support. There’s no known cause, cure or single effective treatment, but people with autism at any age can make significant progress and lead meaningful lives. Getting the right support at the earliest stage in life can help a child gain the skills he or she needs to be successful.

“A.C. Moore and Easter Seals are a great fit—we’re able to combine our efforts to raise autism awareness, build community involvement and hopefully, inspire children of all abilities to find their inner artist,” adds Wright.

About A.C. Moore
With 135 stores along the East Coast, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. brings families together for fun through creativity. Recently named by Parents Magazine as one of the top 10 places for birthday parties, A.C. Moore offers a wide range of programs to engage adults and children in crafting, including workshops, demonstrations and “Make & Takes.”  In addition to traditional craft products, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts is also well-known for its selection of scrapbooking, jewelry, floral, yarn, fine art supplies, children’s crafts kits and educational toys, along with ready-made frames and custom framing. To locate your local A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, visit us at http://www.acmoore.com/, www.facebook.com/acmoore, twitter.com/officialacmoore and www. youtube.com/user/officialacmoore.

About Easter Seals New Hampshire
For the past 75 years, Easter Seals NH has provided exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. Easter Seals services include autism services, inclusive child care and early intervention, special education, medical rehabilitation, camping and recreation, vocational services, senior services, substance abuse services, adult day programs, community based services, individual service options, transportation services, residential service options, dental services and veteran services. As a leader in health care services for individuals with disabilities and special needs, ESNH employs more than 1,400 individuals who serve 23,000 children, adults and seniors in over 60 programs throughout the state. To learn more about Easter Seals NH, visit http://www.eastersealsnh.org/.

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