My Nonprofit Reviews

My named is Michael Wilson and I have been involved with a Touch of Understanding (ATOU) since 1997 and I am privileged to continue to serve on the board. I met Leslie DeDora and her dad, Ed Ennis (our founders) when they made a presentation to my Rotary Club and Leslie invited me to a Workshop. After attending the workshop I was hooked and never looked back! ATOU provides a message of empathy, acceptance and mutual respect - qualities that resonate now more than ever.

Both the school workshops and the adult presentation (Spirit of Inclusion) provide a 2-part program. One part of the program provides the students with a chance to actually walk a mile in someone else's shoes. The students are introduced to the various tools that enable a person with a disability to function in daily life, including maneuvering a wheelchair and using white canes while blindfolded, as well as trying their hand at writing in Braille and experiencing what it is like to have autism, to name a few of the exercises. In the second part of the program the students get to meet our disabled volunteers who provide the students an overview of what is like to live their life with their particular disability. This is followed by a question and answer session with the students. This question and answer session often exposes the most poignant part of the program as no question is off-limits to the students and the atmosphere is open to a free exchange of ideas without the fear of embarrassment! In fact, this is where the program becomes real to the students, especially those of the younger ages, as their questions are open an honest and the answers provided by our volunteers serve as life-long messages to the students.

The value of ATOU is to instill the message of empathy at a young age in our younger students and to provide a heartfelt and compassionate message of empathy to our older students in a positive and respectful manner.

As ATOU has now served over 100,000 students since incorporation I have had a chance to witness first-hand the life altering message ATOU provides to our students and I have also witnessed the profound positive impact that it has made for our volunteers as well. Offshoots of our program include the Youth Force which provides an opportunity for disabled and able-bodied children to meet each other at various functions (Christmas and Halloween parties, dances, etc.) and make life-long friends, as well as our Youth Force Club in several area High Schools; the mom's chat group which allows moms of disabled children a forum and resource; and our Friends of ATOU, who are a group of dedicated volunteers who work together to help raise funds to continue this amazing mission.

If you are seeking a non-profit that continues to make an incredible, positive impact in our society, look no further! We are always on the lookout for compassionate volunteers and donors who are seeking to make our world a better place!