Yeah, I know what does this have to do with Autism you ask, well not much except that Foundations like “LEO” are a good source for funding charity’s that focus on Autism related diseases. We must be diligent in contacting organizations such as the LEO Foundation so we can channel funds to our worthy cause and inquire about employer matching grants too. Autism research needs funding, I know I could have used a few hundred thousand to help my son. So now I will be better prepared and form the trust needed to solicit funds to help my son, and those locally that are inflicted with Autism- by no choice of their own.
Leo Foundation seeks to battle homelessness in Northern States:
The Leo Foundation, a Palm Beach based charitable organization has announced an aggressive plan today to greatly reduce homelessness in several states. The foundation has announced today that Sisemen Development LLC, a company led by Palm Beach developer Thanos Papalexis has donated 400 acres of land and pledged up to $5m (for construction purposes) to the foundation. This land and monies shall be used to create a “Chance Compound”, a small townlike community to include medical facilities, accommodations, education and training centers, physical and mental training facilities, entertainment facilities, counseling and placement facilities and many other similar amenities and facilities tailored to helping homeless people regain control of their lives. The first phase of this compound is estimated to cost $20m which will be raised by The Leo Foundations various charitable events and in conjunction with other similar charitable organizations. The facility will seek out homeless persons predominantly from Northern States where adverse Winter weather conditions make their misfortune infinitely harder to endure and they will be transported to the facility in Texas. Once there, they will have a six month period whereby they will be accommodated and given every facility to regain their physical and mental strength, given vocational training to assist in obtaining gainful employment and they will be given the opportunity to work at the compound during their time their. Eventually at the end of their time at the compound, they will be placed in gainful employment and reintroduced into their chosen vocation. During a recent interview, Mr. Zurak Renny, President of the Foundation stated “ During a recent trip to Michigan, it dawned on me that being homeless in Florida or California is one thing but being homeless in Michigan, Illinois, or any other similar state has the added complication of harsh weather conditions which truly can beat a persons desire to want to get back on their feet. We therefore decided to try and give these people a chance by bringing them into a new world where they have the facility to regain control of their lives and a second chance to get back on their feet. Thanks to Mr. Papalexis’ enormously generous donation, we are now one great step closer to achieving the first step of the project which is estimated to cost $20m”.
The Foundation is setting up a local office in West Palm Beach ( in a building donated by Mr. Papalexis to the foundation) as a headquarters to manage the development of the project and the various fundraising projects that will begin in Mid 2008.
