FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Erin OLoughlin, Founder Phone: 919-602-9883 Email: Erin@3IrishJewelsFarm.org Website: www.3IrishJewelsFarm.

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3 Irish Jewels Farm to assist local individuals with autism

Cary, NC - April 2, 2013- 3 Irish Jewels Farm, a nonprot organization that will provide assisted farm living and day programs for local adults with autism, and summer, track-out and day programs for children with autism, announced the launch of their fundraising campaign. The goal? Land acquisition in Wake or Chatham County. Erin OLoughlin, a former development and marketing director for various nonprots around the country and a Wake Forest University graduate, is the driving force behind the project. She and her husband, Colm, a gastroenterologist at Digestive Healthcare in Raleigh, have connected with other key members of the community, formed a nonprot organization, and are slowly watching Erins idea become a reality. The OLoughlins have 3 children, ages 10, 8 and 6. Their 8-year-old son, Marcus, has a moderate to severe form of autism, which affects a persons ability to communicate and interact with others. When Erin was born in 1975, about 3 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 1 in 88 children have autism, a more than 20-fold increase. But as the number of children diagnosed with the disorder continues to rise, services for adults with autism have lagged, experts say. If I were to grade our country on adult services for individuals with autism, Id have to give it an F, says Jeff Sell, vice president of advocacy and public policy for the Autism Society of America. There are just very few options out there. Its probably the most crucial issue we face in the autism community, but its just not something you see a lot of people talking about. So parents like Erin and Colm have taken action. 3IrishJewelsFarmwill be an assisted, sustainablefarmliving program, along with day programs, in the Triangle area for adults with autism. It will also provide track-out & summer programs for children with autism. They will be getting the community involved in signicant ways, such as providing volunteer opportunities, educational workshops and internships with the surrounding universities. It will be the rst program of its kind in the Wake County area, and one of about ten farm communities in the U.S. that cater to adults with autism. 3 Irish Jewels will be the rst farm program ever to offer childrens services. There are about 10 of these working farms in other parts of the country and all of them have these factors in common: A quiet and peaceful environment, near small towns, focused on autism, with well-trained staff and supervision, and a structured teaching approach. They offer on-site vocational opportunities, recreation/leisure activities, horticulture and animals. They offer community integration and support. Most importantly, though, each program is totally full, with virtually no turnover and very long wait lists for admissions. What does this mean? That overall, these programs are highly successful models for individuals with autism, and many more of them are needed as an option of residence.

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Farm to assist autism

Such farms provide a calm, relaxed environment, says Denny Rogers, founder of Safe Have Farms in Middletown, OH. Residents, surrounded by peers and caring staff, have opportunities to work, participate in leisure and recreational activities and learn skills. 3 Irish Jewels Farm is striving to be the next farm like this to open its doors in the country.Their vision is to provide a local farmer's market, on-site store for the residents to sell their crafts, CSAs (Community Shared Agriculture) for local individuals as well as local restaurants who like to use local farmer's fare, all sorts of animals from chickens to alpacas (for their ber), to horses to goats to rabbits. Activities such as gardening, landscaping and animal care will be available both to residents and day participants. Plans call for hippotherapy (horse riding therapy for special needs), a craft center, life skills center and recreation programs. 3 Irish Jewels Farm will be partnering with GHA Autism Speaks, a trusted local direct care provider, so that a staff of 50 to 60 will be specially trained to work with adults with autism. 3 Irish Jewels Farm will be built in several phases. Once land is acquired, the adult day programs and horticultural programs, along with the childrens summer and track-out programs, will complete phase 1. Phase 2 will consist of a capital campaign, with plans to build 4-5 one-story homes clustered around a communal area, each serving 3-4 residents. Erin says that she is adamant about the houses looking and feeling like quality homes. 3 Irish Jewels Farm is a nonprot organization, still in its conceptual stages, with a board of directors. We are currently raising funds for land acquisition so we can get this phenomenal business plan up and running, says Erin OLoughlin. Our goal is to establish our organization in or around Wake County, where these services are needed the most, and where the resources are most attainable for self-sustainability. But as anyone who lives in this area knows, land is not cheap. We realize that our organization cannot nancially afford to fund this grand undertaking on our own. We anticipate our project taking 2-3 years to get up off the ground and around $3 million to complete. We have already received almost $270,000 in grants, in-kind donations and contributions in just 14 months, due to hard work, dedicated board members and supportive volunteers, however we need more.The residential program of 3 Irish Jewels will be self-sustaining, OLoughlin says, partially relying on funding that adults with autism receive from Medicaid Waivers, Social Security and local sources. Plans for other sources of revenue include tuition from the childrens programs, farmers market, onsite store, CSAs (Community Shared Agriculture), various on-site micro-businesses, and opening up the farmstead to the public on occasion for special events, such as weddings and parties. And of course... constant fundraising and campaigns. Erin OLoughlin wants this badly enough for her son and others like him that she has devoted her life to making it happen. Many parents with children in Marcuss age group are perplexed. Why on earth are you taking on a project like this now when your son is only 8 years old shouldnt you be focusing more on treatments, early intervention, a cure? This is a common question that Erin is asked on a daily basis. She has even been accused of giving up hope on her son. But Erin and Colm refuse to falter, knowing in their hearts that Marcus will always need assistance throughout his life, even when hes operating at his fullest potential. Erin says, We certainly havent given up hope on Marcus, and early intervention is incredibly important, so we continue to offer him the love and services that he needs to reach his fullest potential. But I think sometimes lost amid questions about what causes autism and why its prevalence has increased, is this: What happens when all of these children become adults? What happens when that school bus stops coming? Who is going to take care of our special needs child when we are gone? Id like to think that we have avision for helping play just a small part in answering these questions. 3 Irish Jewels Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprot organization that will serve individuals on the autism spectrum from school-aged children through adulthood. To learn more about 3 Irish Jewels Farm, visit www. 3IrishJewelsFarm.org. To donate directly to 3 Irish Jewels Farm, please visit www.GoFundMe.com/ 3IrishJewelsFarm, or visit the 3 Irish Jewels Farm website to view other options.
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