New York Life Awards $15,000 Community Impact Grant to National Foundation for Autism Research

SAN DIEGO - April 23, 2013 - PRLog -- San Diego, CA – On the heels of the recent CDC study estimating that as many as 1 in 50 U.S. school children have been diagnosed with autism, the San Diego-based nonprofit National Foundation for Autism Research (NFAR) is honored to be the recipient of a $15,000 Community Impact Grant from New York Life to further support their Early Autism Diagnosis Outreach efforts.

The earlier a child is diagnosed and receives treatment can have a significant impact on their learning and communication abilities, as well as their overall future outcome. NFAR, in partnership with UCSD’s Autism Center of Excellence (ACE), is working to identify at-risk infants as early as one-year of age. This New York Life grant will allow NFAR to provide critical funding to ACE for this San Diego outreach program, with particular emphasis on assistance to families that are typically underserved.

“Since 2005, NFAR has focused on helping children with autism grow into successful and productive members of our society,” said Juan Leon, NFAR co-founder and president. “Thanks to New York Life’s generous support, we are now able to continue our efforts to ensure that children find the access to the early care they need. This new CDC study only further emphasizes how important it is to receive an early diagnosis as autism affects more than just children and families, but also our classrooms and our educational system.”  

“New York Life has long been committed to giving back to the areas where our agents and employees live and work,” noted Managing Partner Tony Montalvo of the company’s San Diego General Office. “This is the second time our team has chosen to fund NFAR’s efforts, mainly because we have seen the difference our support is making in our community. More than 30,000 local children have been screened for autism through this program, helping reduce the average age of diagnosis in our region to 2 years of age, much earlier than the national average of 3.8 years.”

Montalvo and his Director of Development, Mariana Farrell, presented the grant check to NFAR at their recent annual fundraiser event, the San Diego Race for Autism in Balboa Park. (See attached photo.)

The Community Impact Grant program awards grants of up to $25,000 to local nonprofit organizations that address the needs of the community and are supported by New York Life agents and employees. Since the program’s inception in 2008, two hundred thirty-six grants totaling more than $2.8 million have been awarded. Please visit New York Life’s web site at www.newyorklife.com for more information.

More than 10,000 children in San Diego have been diagnosed with autism and the disorder now affects more children nationally than Cancer, Down Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes combined.  

About the National Foundation for Autism Research (NFAR)
NFAR was founded in December 2003 in response to the growing epidemic of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). NFAR’s mission is to promote the development of innovative treatment programs, services and educational options that improve the quality of life for those with autism. Since 2005, NFAR has awarded more than 350 grants totaling nearly $750,000 dollars throughout the San Diego community to positively impact the living and learning environment for thousands of children with autism in San Diego. NFAR’s main fundraising event, the San Diego Race for Autism, was held in Balboa Park in advance of April’s National Autism Awareness Month. www.NFAR.org