This holiday season, honour friends & family with the gift of community.
The holidays may look a little different this year – travel restrictions, physical distancing and store closures will change the way we celebrate, but the meaning behind these celebrations is as strong as ever. The challenges of the pandemic have given us the opportunity to reflect on the importance of family, friends and community. This year, more than ever, we are celebrating these connections.
At GCA, we are cultivating meaningful relationships and community engagement through our PEERS® Online program. PEERS® Online is an evidence-based remote social skills program for youth and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder to learn the skills necessary to make and keep meaningful friendships, while staying socially engaged and connected to their peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the program, teens discuss, problem solve and practice different social interactions to build their confidence in navigating the teenage social world.
“The experience that I’ve had with the ALL GIRLS GROUP of PEERS was really fun and interesting. It taught me a lot of things about being a teenager and a good friend,”says Alice, a participant in GCA’s PEERS® Online summer session. “I’m so glad I did PEERS because there, I met the most kind, gentle, understanding, loyal girls that are extremely rare to find.”
This holiday season, you can pay tribute to friends and family by supporting individuals like Alice to cultivate meaningful relationships through a donation to GCA. Make a donation in the name of a friend or family member and we will send them a holiday card with the details of your tribute.
Your gift will help us bring our community together, while the pandemic is keeping us apart.
