Father Kleppner - January 11, 2009To say my wife and I were devastated when Stephen was diagnosed with autism at the age of two would be an understatement. The early years were very difficult, due to Stephen’s language impairment and behavioral problems. However, with the help of numerous sources of support including St. Anthony’s, Stephen has matured and developed into a largely independent and wonderful young man. His development has far exceeded our wildest dreams and the despair of the past has long been replaced by great hope for his future. Early in his education, Stephen attended public school and was, for a period of time, enrolled in a residential program. As he made progress with his behavioral and language problems, we realized that Stephen performed best and benefited greatly from a smaller nurturing environment such as the one provided by the St. Anthony School Programs. Stephen entered the St. Anthony Program at North Catholic as a ninth grader, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. From the very beginning, we were impressed by the caring, competent and remarkably adaptable program provided by the staff of St. Anthony’s. Stephen particularly enjoyed doing the morning announcements, and we appreciated the fact that his classmates treated him with acceptance and respect. During the past several years with St. Anthony’s, Stephen has developed a strong work ethic, improved confidence and interpersonal skills, and a tremendous sense of organization. Stephen’s success culminated in graduation from North Catholic in 2008. This was a day of pride for his whole family. This fall, he entered the St. Anthony’s Post-Secondary Program at Duquesne University. Stephen is very happy to be in “college”. He enjoys all facets of the program but hopes to further develop his computer skills in particular. My wife and I are extremely thankful for the compassionate expertise afforded to Stephen by the St. Anthony’s staff and look forward to continued success for our son in the coming years. A Note from the Executive Director Dear Friends, The students of St. Anthony School Programs have taught us many lessons about life and the sacrifices it takes to succeed. Students with special needs teach us that you cannot take anything for granted. Our students face challenges each and every day. They find a way to persevere through these challenges. St. Anthony School Programs provides these students the opportunity to reach their goals in life. Success comes in many forms – it can be the young child who first learns to write their name, or it can be the high school student who learns a new job skill or participates in a sport at school. The ultimate goal of our Program is to help each student become as independent as possible, so they can be an active, contributing member of the community. Our 18-21 year old program at Duquesne University has grown to 23 students. We have also expanded our services to include a life-skills training apartment in Squirrel Hill. The cost of sending a student to our program is $17,000. Our families are asked to pay a portion of the cost through tuition. The rest of the money is raised through support of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, grants, and fundraising activities. As we look to the future, costs continue to rise. Your generous donation will continue to help students with special needs reach their goals in life. On behalf of St. Anthony’s thank you for your help! Sincerely
Mark Sieg |
A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust
|
Center Twp., Aliquippa, PA 15001 |
724-775-3848 Fax |
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