A letter from our namesake, Ed Asner
I am writing to you today to help me realize a dream that I have. This dream is to establish an oasis of creativity in every special needs community. A place where our most beautiful dreamers of all can have their place to thrive and in doing so learn valuable lessons about themselves and the world. This place will be The Ed Asner Family Center.
My son once asked me “what would you be doing if you hadn’t become an actor?”. I thought about this and as I did I realized that acting and performance saved my life. Through acting and the arts I found self-confidence and was able to use that confidence in critical areas of my life.
Our education system is broken. Enrichment has been replaced by test scores and metrics completely taking personality out of the equation. In the world of special education this is even more true.
My fellow dreamer and I, Navah Paskowitz-Asner, whose successful “Family Conferences” which stressed support for the entirety of the family, not just the special needs individual, has played a big part in pushing this dream forward. This center of enrichment where we can develop a most important part of our being, character. This will be achieved by offering arts programs at our centers after school and on the weekends as well as counseling and mindfulness classes. These classes and sessions will promote self confidence and balance. Something that will translate in all areas in life including an area that needs much attention in the Neurodiverse world, employment. Over 80% of individuals with a cognitive difficulty are unemployed or under employed.
We need your help to make this dream a reality so we can produce more dreams. My ask is simple. Donate to us and if you can’t make a tax deductible financial donation. Donate a lunch, a walk on part or a backstage visit. Help me make a lasting mark on these bright lights in our world and help them shine brighter. I have attached a deeper description of the Ed Asner Center. Please take a look and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to call me.
If you know me, you know that I have done anything I can for people and a good cause. If you have come to me and asked something of me I hope I have been there for you. This is Asner calling. Help me change the world.
In gratitude,
Ed Asner
Click here to learn more about the Ed Asner Family Center