Happy Holidays from Sammy's House!

Just a reminder that Sammy's House will be closed for the holidays starting Thursday, December 22 and will re-open on Tuesday, January 3.

This holiday season, please keep Sammy's House in mind as you make your year-end charitable giving plans. Every donation -- no matter how small -- is appreciated and put to immediate good use in our classrooms. For many children at Sammy's House, their needs are so specialized or intense that Sammy's House is the only child care center in Austin equipped to care for them appropriately. In recognition of the unique work that Sammy's House does every day, please consider making a donation today. 

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Another Chance to Help This Holiday Season

If you've read our multiple calls for donations over the last few weeks, but aren't in the financial position to make a monetary donation right now, consider another way you can give -- donating supplies.

This time of year, Sammy's House works hard to make our budget stretch through the end of our fiscal year (which corresponds to the calendar year), and practical donations are deeply appreciated. One item we currently need more of is paper towels, which we use for everything from serving lunch, to sanitizing our classrooms, to cleaning up paint and glue after art projects.

Donating something so apparently simple can nevertheless make a huge difference to our operations at this time of year!

Family Testimony

In this entry, we want to showcase testimony from parents who send their children to our center. The impact represented by these four quotes is just one small piece of our overall impact on the Austin community, which includes not just early childhood interventions, but also job creation and the opportunity for parents to keep their jobs. To support these families and other families in Austin with children who have disabilities and special needs, please consider making a donation today: http://sammyshouse.org/donate/.

“The summer camp has been fantastic for my son to be involved in. I would recommend the Sammy’s House camp program to any parent of a special needs child.” - Christopher Morrison 

“Seeing my son so excited each morning to go and make close friendships with other children for the first time was worth more than words can express.” - Kiley Fascia

“At Sammy's House, all kids belong and differences are celebrated. The staff recognize that my

daughter is not just a child with Angelman Syndrome, but a capable, excited learner. They know that kids with special needs are first and foremost kids!” - Suzanne Andrews

“Before we heard about Sammy's House, we struggled to find a day care that was equipped to provide our son with the professional level of care and attention he needed to thrive. Please help by giving to make sure that this precious community resource is available to other families such as ours.” - Connie Gonzales

Toy Wish List

Interested in brightening a child's day? How about a whole classroom of children? Here's your chance!

Our toy wish list continually grows as we refresh and restock our classrooms with age- and stage-appropriate toys and learning aids. We select the toys in our list to be as accessible to as many children as possible and we make sure that every age and developmental stage is represented from birth to 8 years old within our overall stock of toys and games.

The following chart lists the toys currently on our list, along with the skill that the toy reinforces and its price. We make a point of spreading out these donations equally throughout the year so that our classrooms have a continuous stream of new toys and equipment each month to replace older or damaged toys, or to accommodate a specific child with unique needs and skills.

If you would like to sponsor any of the following items, please contact our Development Director at sammyshousedev@gmail.com. Thank you!

Sammy's House Toy Wish List

As of December 2011

All items are from www.constructiveplaythings.com

Toy/Learning Aid	Skill Type	Price
Animal Stack & Count Number Sort Animals Counters	Counting	$35.99
Musical Puzzle Roller	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$19.99
Friends-in-a-Row	Problem-Solving	$24.99
Colors Book Series	Alphabet/Reading	$79.50
Crayola Washable Tempera Paint – Gallon	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$158.99
Exploring the 5 Senses Library	Alphabet/Reading	$44.99
Counting Cans	Counting	$44.99
Bean Bag Bonanza	Counting	$49.99
Magnetic Fishing Fun	Alphabet/Reading	$39.90
Sand Sensory Set with Lid	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$99.99
5 Green & Speckled Frogs Prop Set	Counting	$29.99
Plastic Binding Spines (for homemade books)	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$9.89
Classroom Book Binding Machine	Art/Tactile/Sensory Classroom Storage/Equipment	$219.99
Soft Touch Arctic Animals	Imaginative Play	$44.99
Dress-to-Nest Dolls	Imaginative Play Art/Tactile/Sensory	$25.99
Magic Magnetic Play Table	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$399.99
Tweeze Bees	Art/Tactile/Sensory Problem-Solving	$29.99
Clear Colors Magna Tiles	Art/Tactile/Sensory Problem-Solving	$51.75
Hand Washing Posters	Life Skills	$29.99
Rolling Pathways	Art/Tactile/Sensory Problem-Solving	$129.99
Aquatic Play Cube	Art/Tactile/Sensory Problem-Solving	$499.99
Sweet Treats	Classroom Storage/Equipment	$39.99
Wooden Ice Cream Game	Problem-Solving	$59.99
E-Z View Magnifiers	Imaginative Play	$32.99
The Five Senses Series	Alphabet/Reading	$39.95
See-Through Activity Center	Imaginative Play	$379.99
Lock & Roll Storage Tubs	Classroom Storage/Equipment	$44.99
Discover Your Body Puzzles	Life Skills	$37.99
Mega Washable Stamp Pads	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$23.99
Activity Tub Covers	Classroom Storage/Equipment	$25.99
Sand & Water Frameworks	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$299.99
Children of the World Felt Boards	Life Skills	$14.99
A Rainbow of Colors Book Set	Life Skills Alphabet/Reading	$32.50
Wooden Prism Scopes	Imaginative Play	$15.99
Frameworks Water Play Accessory Kit	Classroom Storage/Equipment	$59.99
Nature Exploration Set	Imaginative Play Art/Tactile/Sensory	$94.99
Ball-Go-Round	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$29.99
Classroom Magnet Kit	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$59.99
I Never Forget a Face Matching Game	Problem-Solving	$14.99
Toddler Discovery Tubes	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$47.99
Image Captors	Art/Tactile/Sensory	$29.99
Visual Explorers	Imaginative Play	$24.95
2-in-1 Scent Match	Art/Tactile/Sensory/Sensory	$46.99
Color Sorting Crayons	Art/Tactile/Sensory/Sensory	$49.99

Read Our Newsletter Right from this Blog!

You may have noticed the "Community Newsletter" page at the top of this blog. This is yet another way you can find out what's going on at Sammy's House and learn about the impact we're having on the community. Please take a look and let us know what you think by leaving a comment! We're always on the lookout for new ways to engage, educate, and inspire our donors and supporters. Happy reading!

Hot Cocoa and a Chance to Help the Special Children at Sammy's House

Our hot cocoa fundraiser is going in the mail this week! This is a good opportunity to give to Sammy's House and receive a tasty winter treat in return. Major thanks to Vanessa Velazquez, who generously donated her time and talent to design the cute holiday-themed brochure for this fundraiser.

In each fundraising campaign, we try to include a personal story from one of the families who have been helped and supported by Sammy's House. Here's the story from this year's fundraiser, from the grandmother of one of the children in our care.

Maliyah's Miracle

When my granddaughter, Maliyah, was three months old, her biological father hurt her. She was left with bleeding in her brain, six broken ribs, her right leg broken in three places, and a damaged eye. It was only after a seizure that the paramedics were called. Maliyah spent a month in the hospital. She was given a poor prognosis, one that would leave her wheelchair-bound and severely impaired for a lifetime. I was given custody of her and charged with the mission of putting my granddaughter back together.

Maliyah started Sammy’s House at five months old. Her medical and therapy needs were great. I fell in love with Sammy’s House the instant I walked in the door! With great attention to detail, Maliyah was cared for. The teachers were awesome. The journey was hard, but I was not alone in helping Maliyah find her way back. Maliyah is now two years old. She is walking, talking, climbing, and painting. Her favorite word is “color.” Eighty percent of her vision is back. Each and every day is a miracle!

On November 3, 2011, Maliyah’s adoption was finalized. It really is a miracle! Every morning when I leave her, she waves goodbye. I can go to work without worry, knowing that she is not only cared for, but truly loved. At Sammy’s House, every day is filled with hope, a hope that every child will be all that they can be. Together my new daughter and I ask for your help to keep Sammy’s House open. This holiday season, please find it in your heart to give.

Top 10 Reasons to Donate to Sammy's House

We're entering the time of year for charitable donations! Not only is it wise to make any planned donations before the end of the year for tax deduction purposes, it's also the perfect time of year for thinking of those less fortunate and lending a helping hand. Here are 10 good reasons for donating to Sammy's House this year:

1. Cuts to Special Education

Public schools in Central Texas have had to make budget cuts over the past year that in many cases have drained special education programs of their funding. Because of these cuts, many school-age children with special needs aren't receiving the same level of instruction they would normally receive. This is where Sammy's House steps in -- our curriculum supplements, supports, and reinforces the special education curriculum offered in the schools.

2. Keeping Parents Employed

Many of the children at Sammy's House are medically fragile and need around-the-clock care, supervision, and medication dosage for conditions such as cancer. Our staff are trained to care for these vulnerable children, thereby helping ensure that parents don't have to miss work to care for or check up on their child.

3. Evidence of the Benefits of Early Childhood Education

Sammy's House is a child care center, but our services go above and beyond mere babysitting. Our teachers work hard to offer a diverse, varied, and interactive curriculum that develops children's motor, sensory, social, and verbal skills.

4. The Big Impact of Giving to a Small Nonprofit

Although large, multi-million dollar nonprofits undoubtedly perform necessary work in our communities, a donation made to a smaller nonprofit (such as Sammy's House) often has a greater impact because the budgets of these organizations are so much smaller. Each dollar you give is valuable to us and goes directly to keeping our doors open.

5. Keeping Families Safe and Intact

Our respite care program provides a valuable community service by giving parents a much-needed break from caring for their special child. This is extremely important for children with severe medical issues or behavioral disorders, such as autism, that require constant care and supervision. Studies have shown that children with disabilities are four times more likely to suffer child abuse or neglect than other children. Respite is an important step in preventing abuse and neglect by temporarily relieving parents of some of the burdens of child care.

6. Continuity and Integrity of our Mission

Sammy's House is still managed and run by the original family that founded the organization more than 10 years ago. Everyone at Sammy's House is dedicated to our mission of serving children with special needs and their families, and several of our staff send their own children to Sammy's House.

7. Support Local Organizations

Austin is a city that prides itself on the number and variety of local organizations that choose to make their home here. Sammy's House was founded in Austin and has been part of the Austin nonprofit community for over 10 years. If you're an Austinite who believes in supporting local establishments that help our people and our economy, Sammy's House is a good choice for your donation dollars.

8. Job Creation

Sammy's House continues to grow its staff to keep up with the demand for our services. We currently employ 18 staff members, and plan to create even more jobs in the coming year as we plan for the opening of our second location further north.

9. Getting in the Holiday Spirit

This is the time of year when we recognize the importance of family, togetherness, and goodwill towards others. There is no better, more meaningful gift you can give this year than the gift of helping a child succeed.

10. Sammy's House Needs You!

Did you know that approximately 35% of our budget comes from you, the community? Over a third of our organizational budget is made up of donations from businesses and individuals who have seen the value of our mission. Sammy's House is thankful for each and every donation we receive -- no matter how small.

Keep an eye out for our winter fundraiser mail-out over the next few weeks! Please email sammyshousedev@gmail.com if you would like to be added to our list.

A Sammy's House Tuition Scholarship: Opening Up Possibilities for Low-Income Families

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, it's important to think about the things that really matter and all the reasons to be grateful. This also means thinking about those who are less fortunate than ourselves, and what we can do to help.

Many of the families who rely on Sammy's House to provide child care and educational services for their child have difficulty affording these services. These low-income families are often faced with additional costs in the form of specialized medical care, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy for their child. For these families, a Sammy's House tuition scholarship allows them to receive the care their child needs.

Donations designated as scholarship funds go directly towards the cost of tuition for an enrolled child whose family is struggling to afford care for their child. Please consider sponsoring a scholarship for a child at our center. Scholarship funds can be restricted by family income or diagnosis, or can be unrestricted and used for the tuition of a child at the discretion of Sammy's House. Email sammyshousedev@gmail.com to request a scholarship form or to find out more information about how you can help.

We rely on the support of donors to provide our children with the resources they need to reach their full potential and enjoy the quality of life that every child deserves. For some children, a tuition scholarship makes all the difference.

Community Newsletter and Upcoming Mail Campaign

Our Community Newsletter is almost ready! Topics covered in this issue of the newsletter include our summer program, community partnerships, a re-cap of our Halloween fundraising gala, and exciting news about our future plans for growth.

If you're interested in receiving a copy of the newsletter, please send either your email address (for an electronic copy of the newsletter) or your mailing address (for a hard copy) to Rebecca Baumgartner at sammyshousedev@gmail.com or (512) 453-5258.

Also keep an eye out for our winter direct-mail fundraiser, which includes a fun holiday treat! If you're not already on our mailing list and you'd like to receive a copy of our fundraising brochure, send your mailing address to sammyshousedev@gmail.com. To save us a stamp, you can go directly to http://sammyshouse.org/donate/ to make a donation.

The Sammy's House Toy Wish List

Have you heard about the Sammy's House toy wish list? This is a great way to support Sammy's House, especially if you aren't interested in making a large financial commitment or if you like knowing that your donation is being used to purchase a specific, tangible item of your choice.

On a regular basis, our teachers look through catalogs of adaptive toys (toys that are designed for children with special needs) and select several toys and games that their classrooms need. Each item is selected to have the greatest impact on the development and growth of children in our care who are medically fragile or developmentally delayed, including toys that focus on cognitive, social, motor, and sensory skills. Items currently on our wish list include developmentally appropriate books, tempera paint for art projects, a nature exploration set, and a counting game featuring colorful animal shapes.

We know that children learn best when care and education are provided in an environment that is child-centered, peer-oriented, and culturally and developmentally relevant. We also know that children are happier and more receptive to therapeutic interventions when they are having fun, exploring the world around them, expressing themselves, and engaging in pleasurable play interactions with peers. Providing high-quality, adaptive, and accessible toys and games is one important way that we ensure the children in our care have the chance to be, first and foremost, kids.

Here's how you fit in: you tell us which toy you're interested in purchasing for the center, make a donation equal to the cost of the item, and we purchase the toy for the classroom that requested it. It's that simple! Your dollars go directly into the classroom and start helping children right away.

Contact our Development Director at sammyshousedev@gmail.com if you're interested in purchasing a toy from our wish list to benefit the children at Sammy's House. Thank you!

The Importance of Early Childhood Education

Most of us know intuitively that educating children in a nurturing, supportive environment from an early age is important. What isn't so widely known is that there's a wealth of evidence showing just how important early childhood education is – not just for the development of the child's cognitive skills, but also for their future academic achievement, health, and economic prosperity. Just imagine the possibilities if every child in the U.S. received a quality pre-K education!

Here are some facts about the need for early childhood education, courtesy of the First Five Years Fund, a nonprofit advocating for early childhood education for disadvantaged children:

• Children who have access to quality early childhood education are less likely to need special education services or drop out of school and are more likely to become productive members of the workforce. 

• These programs are also critical for parents, both to shore up their participation in the workforce and to provide them with support and information to enhance their own parenting.  

• Nobel Prize Laureate economist James Heckman has shown that every dollar invested in quality early childhood education for at-risk children delivers a return on investment of 7-10% per year through increased school achievement, healthy behavior, and adult productivity. 

• Heckman's work proves that prevention through early childhood development is more cost-effective than remediation.

• Research shows a direct correlation between effective early childhood education and better health outcomes, mainly through the early development of social and emotional skills such as attention, persistence, and impulse control.

• Research also shows that quality early learning reduces depression, obesity, and teenage pregnancy by providing the foundational skills and abilities for a healthy lifestyle.

Check out the First Five Years Fund's powerful YouTube video summarizing how important early childhood education is for families, communities, and the entire country. Sammy's House is proud to be doing such important work for children, both with and without special needs, in Austin and surrounding areas.

Halloween at Sammy's House

This Halloween, several of the kids at Sammy's House dressed up in costumes and had fun playing with pumpkins to celebrate the season. This is yet another example of how at Sammy's House, we believe special children are first and foremost children and should have plenty of opportunities to play and have fun in an inclusive environment. Check out the photos below to see how much fun everyone had!

Thank You for a Successful Fundraiser!

We're so thrilled and touched at the wonderful outpouring of support we received at our Eat, Drink and Be Scary Ball this past weekend! The event was a huge success and we are so grateful to everyone who attended and made generous gifts for the special children at Sammy's House.

The venue was beautiful, everyone was dressed up in fun costumes, and the evening offered multiple ways to learn about and support Sammy's House. For many people, the live auction was the highlight of the evening. There were several exciting items to bid on, including a Spring Break vacation in Florida, tickets to a sold-out Taylor Swift concert, an Austin "stay-cation" at the W Hotel, a gourmet dinner, and perhaps most unique of all, a chance to ride in an ambulance, STAR Flight helicopter, and the Austin Police Chief's patrol car for a day.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a success, including our Board members, the event planning committee, all of our generous corporate sponsors, and all the attendees who pledged funding to support our programs for another year.

Check back here or the Sammy's House website in the near future to see pictures of the event. See you at next year's ball -- you won't want to miss it!

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Help Sammy's House This Thanksgiving!

If you've considered volunteering at Sammy's House but haven't found the right time or motivation, now's your chance! On Friday, November 18, we're participating in Service Austin, a city-wide volunteering effort sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Austin that takes place each year the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Through the help of Service Austin volunteers, we will be making improvements to our classrooms by organizing and sorting toys, building indoor classroom gates to keep children out of unsafe areas, and installing a screen door in one of the classrooms to give the children access to fresh air and natural light in a windowless classroom. 

If you're interested in volunteering, go to the Service Austin website to sign up. We are project #45. Please bring your own toolkit as we are unable to provide tools for volunteers. Also be sure to wear comfortable clothes that you don't mind getting a little dirty. We ask that all volunteers be 16 or older.

Thanksgiving is a popular time of year to express our gratitude and appreciation by helping those less fortunate. Please consider supporting Sammy's House as your volunteering project for 2011.

GoodSearch: Another Way You Can Help Sammy's House

I recently heard about GoodSearch, which is a search engine owned by Yahoo that donates 50% of its advertising revenue to nonprofits. Whenever you use GoodSearch as your search engine, they make a donation to the charity you designate (it works out to be about 1 cent per search). The search results are identical to what you would get using Yahoo.

Even if you only use GoodSearch occasionally, it can add up to thousands of dollars over the course of a year -- which can make a big difference to a small nonprofit like Sammy's House. To put it in perspective, it would only take 120,000 searches to pay for 3 kids to attend our after-school program for an entire month. With enough people participating, 120,000 searches can go by in a flash!

To get started, just go to GoodSearch, click "Choose Your Cause" below the search bar, and type in "Sammy's House." You can then choose to register with the site, or not -- either way, your internet searches will count towards the Sammy's House donation total. The only benefit to registering is that you can track how much you personally have contributed to your designated nonprofit. If that doesn't matter to you, click "Continue without registering."

GoodSearch also partners with different retailers who have agreed to donate a certain percentage of your purchase to the nonprofit you select. One example of a big-name retailer that does this is Amazon, which donates 1.5% of most purchases to the nonprofit you pick (but only when you access Amazon from the GoodSearch website). Click here to get more information about the Amazon donations.

Lastly, if you'd like to make a direct donation to Sammy's House, go to our donation page. You'll see instructions there for making a donation via check or PayPal. Sammy's House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so all donations are tax-deductible.

Thanks for your support!

Eat, Drink and Be Scary Ball Benefiting Sammy's House

Do you love getting in the Halloween spirit?

Do you want to help Sammy's House fund its unique programs for another year?

Do you want to meet other Sammy's House supporters in a fun, spooktacular environment?

Then come to our Eat, Drink and Be Scary Ball this Saturday!

Saturday, October 22, 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

AT&T Conference Center, 1900 University Avenue, Austin, TX 78705

The Halloween-themed fundraiser, presented by Pediatric Cardiology of Austin, will include dinner, drinks, live music, a costume contest, and live and silent auctions, with all proceeds going to Sammy's House.

Tickets are $75 each for the general public and $50 each for Sammy's House staff and families. Click here to buy tickets. Please indicate "Costume Ball 2011" in the "Description" line to ensure proper receipt.  Tickets purchased online will be available for pick-up at the event. You can also drop off a check at our center, located at 2415 Twin Oaks Dr. Austin, TX 78757.

We hope to see you there!

Welcome to the Sammy's House Blog!

Welcome to the blog of Sammy's House, a nonprofit in Austin, Texas that serves children with special needs! We're a small organization that's still in the process of cultivating our online presence, so this blog will look a little sparse for a while. It is our hope that this will eventually be another useful source of information for current and prospective families, existing and potential donors, and other community members who want to learn more about Sammy's House.

We currently serve about 300 children each year through our child development center, respite program, and therapeutic equipment loaning program. The children in our care have a wide variety of special needs, including cerebral palsy, chromosome anomalies (such as Down Syndrome), and developmental delays.

Our teachers lead classrooms of children grouped by developmental stage and provide care tailored to the unique needs of each child and their family. We pride ourselves on our low student-to-teacher ratios, personalized curricula, and the inclusiveness of our programs, in which typically developing children and children with special needs can grow and learn together. At Sammy's House, everyone is welcome and everyone belongs.

Our mission is to help children, families, and communities by:

• Providing high-quality, educational care for children with special medical and developmental needs,
• Supporting families through education, respite care, and community referrals, and 
• Educating the community about the value and capabilities of all persons. 

Please visit our website at www.sammyshouse.org for more information about us and to find out how you can help.

Thanks for reading this first entry in the Sammy's House blog!