Home is where help is

YOUNGSTOWN -- Many people fondly remember Blood, Sweat & Tears as a popular jazz/rock group from the late 1960s and early 1970s, though for Jodi Glass, the three nouns mean something nonmusical but no less special.

"There are so many people to thank, so many years of planning, dreaming, hard work and support that brought us here," said Glass, the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley's executive director.

By "here," she was referring to the opening of the ASMV's new permanent office in the Youngstown Business Incubator building at 241 W. Federal St., downtown, for which a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Thursday morning, in collaboration with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.

The space also ends the autism society's longtime peripatetic nature in reaching out to people while giving the organization a place to expand.

"For 15 years, the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley operated without a permanent office of our own," Glass said in her remarks Thursday. "We worked from wherever we could, meeting families, building programs, holding meetings. … This office not only gives us a physical presence in the community, it gives us the space we need to grow and continue building programs and services for autistic individuals and their families across Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties."

Glass, whose son, Liam Glass, 16, is on the autism spectrum, noted that the project was courtesy largely of $21,733 in capital grant funding that included a $6,733 grant from Northern Ohio golf charities, along with a $15,000 capital grant from the Community Fund of Ohio.

Unexpected generosity also played a part. After having held a fundraiser for autism and being uncertain about what to do with the proceeds, a mother with a son on the spectrum who learned about the ASMV gave the organization an envelope containing $1,500 in cash, with the hope it would "do good stuff with this," Glass recalled.

Specifically, the new office provides the ASMV, which was founded in 1989, with the potential to serve between 7,000 and 10,000 diagnosed individuals in the Mahoning Valley, as well as their families and support networks, she said.

"It gives ASMV a place to be visible, accessible and present in our community. It gives families a place to come when they don't know where else to turn, and it gives us the ability to grow our programs and reach more people," Glass added.

Previously, the space was used to bring together the organization's contracted staff for planning sessions, as well as hold orientation gatherings and training for 26 Camp FRIEND staff members. Also in the mix was planning the ASMV's Social Connections activities, which, so far this year, have served 241 individuals age 13 to 25, Glass continued.

Social Connections offers opportunities for teens and young adults to socialize, develop friendships and connect in a supportive environment, with an overall goal for them to form lasting relationships.

Camp FRIEND is a summer day camp that autism-qualified professionals run to address each camper's needs. Recently, the program added a Career Exploration Week for young adults and teens to provide them with hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, along with welding, robotics and workplace skills.

All of this is highly welcome for many people such as Kate Davis-Starmer of Boardman.

"As a mom, I feel like (a diagnosis) can be a lonely and isolating situation when you have a child with autism," said Davis-Starmer, whose 13-year-old son is on the spectrum.

Nevertheless, the new ASMV office is a godsend because it will be a place for parents and others to gather, find valuable resources and provide support for the autism journey – all of which can be life-changing for parents and caregivers, she explained.

In addition, Davis-Starmer, whose background includes 25 years in the healthcare industry and 10 years as a single parent, joined the ASMV board of directors a few months ago.

In an effort to further help her son, Davis-Starmer and her husband are learning applied behavior analysis therapy techniques, she said.

ABA is an evidence-based discipline that uses the science of learning and behavior to improve social skills, communication and daily living abilities while reducing aberrant and negative behaviors.

Davis-Starmer also is grateful to the organization for creating greater connections for parents, many of whom may feel isolated and overwhelmed, and a safe space for anyone affected by autism.

For more information, call the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley at 330-333-9609, or go to www.autismmv.org.