Changing the culture

When Vestavia resident Julian Maha’s son Abram was diagnosed with autism at age two, the future suddenly became uncertain. While able to voice his wants and needs, Abram was unable to carry on a regular conversation.

Instead of sitting idle, Maha and his wife, who both work in the medical field, were fueled by a desire to make life better for their son. They realized that a network for families with autism did not currently exist and decided to take action.

“I said, ‘Let’s change the culture,’” said Maha. “With the help of social media, it spread like wildfire. These kids feel a sense of isolation. Our goal is to remove the societal limitations placed on these children and help them achieve their full potential in life.” 

KultureCity was formed in August of 2013, and this past January, the group received official nonprofit status. Run from Maha’s Vestavia Hills home, the group has now reached hundreds of families across the world and received a 2014 Top-Rated Nonprofit Award. Their goal is to give families the tools they need while also educating the wider community on effects of autism.

“There is a fundamental difference between awareness and acceptance,” said Maha. “Awareness always gives you an out. Acceptance does not.”

Diane Zaragoza, wife of Vestavia Hills Mayor Butch Zaragoza, is a champion for the nonprofit and believes it will continue to grow in Vestavia Hills and the Birmingham area.

“Their whole vision, their whole standpoint is what can we do right now,” Zaragoza said. “What can we do to meet these families’ needs each and every day. They are also an entirely volunteer organization.”

In August, KultureCity had their first annual event, Kulture:ball, which drew speakers and musical guests and raised money for their many projects. This October, they will be throwing a Halloween party.

 “We want to grow this into a true national organization,” Maha said. “These families desperately need it.”

Projects

KultureCity has a variety of ongoing projects. Donations are set up so people can choose which project they want to specifically fund.

“All the money goes to these families,” Maha said. “Our motto is to engage the people who give to us.”

Project descriptions are listed below.

KultureArts

With the rates of autism rising on a yearly basis, more and more children are being diagnosed in rural America and also the inner cities. The goal of KultureArts is to take art and music camps to these children and their families and expose them to art, music and horse therapy. 

In addition to general enjoyment, art and music can also potentially increase cognitive, language and motor skills due to increased neural pathways in the brain.

Toys AUcross America

Toys AUcross America was started by KultureCity father Michael Miller and his son Jonathan when they decided to mail some of Jonathan’s Thomas trains to children on the autism spectrum. 

When they received pictures of the children smiling before they even opened the package, they decided to find each child the perfect toy.

TABLET:kulture

For children on the autism spectrum, communication is always a challenge, especially for those who are nonverbal. 

KultureCity equips children with either iPads or Kindle Fires to foster the development of language and assist in communication. Since the program has started, KultureCity has given 99 iPads and four Kindles to children on the spectrum. 

“The iPad helps nonverbal children communicate through typing,” Maha said.

Therapy:KULTURE

Therapy for autism can be very expensive, and often these therapies are not covered by health insurance. A lot of children with autism go without therapy that could potentially help them understand and interpret the world better.  

Because of this need, KultureCity has decided to help these children and families get the therapies that they need. Through this initiative and a partnership with Thrive Behavioral Services in Alabama, they these children get the help they need. 

Ourhope:KULTURE

In the winter of 2013, Maha heard a remarkable story of a woman named Edith Lukabwe who, without any support, had started a special needs orphanage in Jinja, Uganda. This orphanage was caring for 30 children with special needs who would otherwise have been abandoned. The orphanage received no government assistance and was solely supported by an occupational therapist named Jenny Taylor from Birmingham. Maha met with Taylor and Lukabwe and decided to bring Home of Hope into the KultureCity family in June 2014.

“What we want people to know is that it only takes $1,500 a month to fund an orphanage,” Maha said.

Blanket:KULTURE

Weighted blankets have long been popular for calming children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Typically the blankets contain metal or plastic beads sewn into quilted layers. The idea is that the weight provides gentle, deep pressure that helps calm the child and thus help in the sleep disturbances that are common among those with autism. 

Each blanket is weight specific and can often cost $75 and above. Partnering with Cyndi Frisch, the owner of A Thread of Magic, KultureCity provides free weighted blankets.

Sensory Box

Maha said KultureCity is partnering with businesses to make them more accessible to children with autism. For families with a child who has autism, going out to eat can be a traumatic experience because of the sensory overload the child experiences. That’s why KultureCity had introduced the sensory box, a box restaurants have on hand that contains iPads, noise-canceling headphones, toys and more. Two restaurants currently use the sensory box; one is located in Boston and the other is Post Office Pies in Birmingham.

For more on KultureCity, visit kulturecity.org.