News

Rudnick fund awards $10,000 to St. Gerard House

By News release, Published: June 3, 2013

The St. Gerard House has been awarded a grant of $10,000 by the Perry N. Rudnick Endowment Fund of the Community Foundation of Henderson County. The grant will allow expansion of the Connect Social Skills Program, which teaches youth ages 5-19 social skills to apply in everyday life.

St. Gerard House and Grotto School has helped more than 300 families facing autism, through the preschool program, social skills classes for school aged children, parent support groups, community trainings, and other various programs. The Rudnick Endowment Fund grant will give additional resources to provide the expertise, training, services and therapies needed to understand and treat the extremely complex, isolating disorder.

St. Gerard House, founded in March of 2010, serves as a resource center for those involved with the treatment and care of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Its Grotto School currently provides one-on-one therapy for children two-and-a-half to seven years old who have been diagnosed with autism. Caroline Long, mother of two children with ASD, is founder and executive director, and Kelly Burgin, Ph.D., serves as president of St. Gerard House's Board of Directors.

 The Community Foundation of Henderson County supports charitable programs in the greater Henderson County area. It was founded in 1982 and administers more than 400 funds with assets of more than $70 million.