Monday, December 19, 2011

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!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

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!

Monday, December 12, 2011

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

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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


Monday, December 5, 2011

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!