April is National Autism Month and to acknowledge it we are highlighting a family that faces autism in a very special and unique way. The Moran family, Eddie, 48; his wife Ruth, 43, and their twin sons Tyler and Daniel, 15, are a very special family because they volunteer of their time to numerous community organizations. Even though one of their sons is afflicted with autism. The Moran family chose to highlight how they deal with the issue in a positive way. They are not a family who deals with the negatives. For this reason, this article is about how they help the community.
The Morans love to find projects they can do together as a family and some have even included sports related activities that accept autistic children like Special Olympics. A few of the community projects they have served as a family include: Meals on Wheels for HIV patients; Red Knight Music Association a volunteer parent group; Autism Walk; Dancing on the Streets (Community-wide Salsa Festival); Little League Baseball; Karate, PTA events, and other not-for profit organizations to name a few.
When asked what is appealing about volunteering as a family, Eddie Moran explained the following, “We believe that it is a form of giving back, and while also teaching our kids the importance of service to others that are less fortunate than we are. Also, we strongly believe that it is not fair to complain when we have the capacity to be the change we wish to see in our community and within ourselves. In getting involved we have become knowledgeable about the different services within our community, we pass this information off freely to others. My family and I have also made some life-long friends in the process of giving back.”
There is a biblical principal that says it is better to give than to receive. Research has shown that giving helps both emotionally and mentally. Moran states that working together helps the family come closer. “It helps to find balance in our hectic lives. With the different activities that my wife and I have been involved with, we have had the pleasure of spending small moments of leisure at all the different traveling locations we have gone with our children. It’s the little things that matter.”
Moran offers suggestions on how you and your family can get involved. “I think it’s important for families to find an activity that is not only fun, but also fulfilling in spirit and mind. It’s also important to research whatever organization you are interested in participating in as a family. One more thing, try to find organizations that fill a need within your community, those events are always the most satisfying.”
With everything in life there are pros and cons to doing any activity, being involved in the community is no different. Moran helps us with some tips on both. The pros are “a rewarding experience that allows you to do something and/or change something much more bigger than you, or any single person becoming a Latino family role-model for others to follow and becoming inspiration to those around me. Leaving a legacy for my children to follow themselves down the road.” Eddie also reflects on the importance of balance, “If time is not managed correctly, you run the risk of wearing yourself thin. As much as we love to help, there is a time and place for everything including doing the things that we love. Sometimes that means saying no to things that are not as important to us, and saying yes to the things that do matter. Is it important or appealing?”
As we can see the Moran family has unique challenges within their family, but they choose to spend their time focused on positive activities that benefit the community. We are proud to feature a Latino family that promote together time by helping others. We hope that you are inspired to do the same. To find volunteer opportunities in your community visit, www.volunteermatch.org.