Want to make a direct difference in the lives of kids with special needs? Here’s how to get involved with local organizations that fulfill this mission all across St. Louis every day.

[action for autism]
This group works to connect autistic children and their families with resources and supports special education at Howard Park Center and The American School. What kind of volunteers are they looking for? “People have to have a real heart for the children,” says Howard Park Center principal Kathy Gagnepain.

To help

  • Volunteer at Howard Park Center, which serves 50 children ages 2 through high school. Retirees are welcome to assist in the classroom during the day and share their talents with students. One volunteer, Gus, regularly plays his guitar for a preschool class. Students and scouts looking for service hours are also invited to help out. According to Gagnepain, “It gives our special needs children exposure to a typically developing student, and it gives those students an appreciation for special needs children they might not have otherwise.”
  • Work at a fundraising event. AFA hosts approximately 10 events each year, ranging from trivia nights to golf tournaments. People are always needed to help plan, set up, run and clean up.

Volunteer contact
Monica Combs | 636.227.2339
monicac@afastl.org | afastl.org

[special education foundation]
This nonprofit assists St. Louis County kids with disabilities in ways not supported by tax money, such as with supplemental arts programs, scholarships and equipment like hearing aids.

To help

  • Join the Women Leaders group. “The women’s group was started because women came up to me and said, ‘I’d really like to get involved in your organization; what can I do?’” explains Diane Buhr, executive director. “It was founded to create awareness of what the foundation does.” Members gather at monthly meetings to plan events, allocate funds and put together a holiday gift basket for a family in need each December. “They’re very welcoming of new people,” Buhr says.
  •  Work at the annual fashion show, which raises money for Special School District. SEF needs people to make centerpieces, schedule the guest speaker, coordinate models and clothes fittings, help select the lunch menu, and work with boutique vendors.
  • Work at the annual golf tournament, held in October at Norwood Hills Country Club. Volunteers are needed to help at the registration table, set up dinner and ride in golf carts to check on players.

Volunteer contact
Diane Buhr | 314.394.7030
dibuhr@aol.com | sef-stl.org

[easter seals]
This organization serves 4,200 individuals a year, many of whom are children with autism, through child development centers, physical rehabilitation and financial planning services.

To help

  • Mentor a teenager through Friend In Deed. Volunteers are partnered one-on-one with an adolescent client who shares their interests. They meet for monthly activities such as cooking, watching movies or playing basketball.
  • Work at a family event. Five or six times a year, families of children with autism or developmental disabilities gather for fun outings at iconic St. Louis attractions, such as the Arch, Botanical Garden and Magic House. Volunteers are needed to run the activities and interact with kids.
  • Work in the office. Easter Seals occasionally needs volunteers to do clerical tasks related to accounting, fundraising and human resources.

Volunteer contact
Lindsey Willard | 314.394.7064
lindsey.willard@esmw.org | lifeskills-mo.org

[give of yourself]
Other opportunities to help special-needs children

  • Central Institute for the Deaf
  • Center for Hearing & Speech
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments
  • Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis
  • Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas
  • Great Circle
  • Kids Enjoy Exercise Now St. Louis
  • Marygrove
  • Midwestern Braille Volunteers
  • Missouri Families for Effective Autism Treatment
  • Paraquad
  • Pony Bird
  • St. Louis ARC
  • St. Louis Learning Disabilities Association
  • St. Louis Society for the Physically Disabled
  • Team Activities for Special Kids
  • Therapeutic Horsemanship
  • Variety the Children’s Charity

Photo by Denis Kuvaev

[List may not include every group that helps special-needs kids. If you’d like to contribute an organization to our next reaching out on environmental initiatives, email us at tellus@townandstyle.com or connect with us on Facebook.]

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