The Fly Brave Foundation
August Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Makeup Tips and Techniques - July 29
Be Brave Improv - July 24, Aug 7, Aug 21
Volunteer at the Sac Food Bank - Aug 13
Jewelry Workshop - Aug 10
Sky High Sports Social Group - Aug 14

Please visit Fly Brave's Calendar
for more information and registration details for each event


Makeup Tips/Techniques/Application
Desirea is the owner of Odesi Boutique, a salon in downtown Sacramento. She has donated her make-up services to all of our proms and our Fashion Show last year. She continues to give back to our community by offering a free make-up class to individuals with developmental disabilities. Following the class, students will receive a photo shoot with a professional photographer and take home their own make-up kit from her new beauty line.  Our first class is July 29th, this is the first of a 3 class series.

Calling All Artists!
Fly Brave will be hosting an art show fundraiser in the fall and we are looking for artists!

Stay tuned for details in our next newsletter!



Fly Fit
Fly Brave partnered with the Elk Grove Police Department, AMPT Fitness, Freedom Tribe Fitness, and SacTown Running to offer a FREE 6-week fitness program for kids/teens/adults with autism and other developmental disabilities in Elk Grove, CA. It was such a success, we are implementing it once again with the PD in the Fall. We aim to take this program to every law enforcement agency in the surrounding area.  

Fundraising
We have a small t-shirt workshop in-house. Our adults on the autism spectrum create t-shirts/sweatshirts with a vinyl cutter and heat press to sell through vendor opportunities to keep the program going.

These workshops provide 1) a social outlet;
2) involvement within the community; 3) life skills through inventory processing, cash management, and customer interaction.

Our product has sold at Meristem, St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church, La Pena Cultural Center (Berkeley), FEAT walk, the Sacramento Drive In, David Lubin's Garden Tour, Article Consignment Boutique, and recently our biggest venue yet, Country in the Park hosted by KNCI.

Please visit our Etsy Store if you are interested in purchasing any items.
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Thinking Outside the Box
Laima Druskis
Special Education Teacher
Cheap Snack and Big Rewards

This last Sunday, July 22nd, the foundation held it’s free summer swim & BBQ at the Jerry Fox Pool. It was so mellow, everyone was having a great time. The BBQ was awesome and right in the middle of the table was a huge bowl of watermelon. Watermelon is one of the best snacks for autistic individuals.

It has been estimated that eighty percent of people with autism are lacking in: vitamin C, A, D, B1, B6, and B12. Under clinical testing, vitamin C improves symptom severity and sensory motor scores in patients when watermelon was added to their diet. Vitamin B1 deficiency is linked to delayed language development and vitamin B12 deficiency can cause vision loss. Both of these B’s are found in watermelon.

This juicy fruit is also high in magnesium. Magnesium helps the neurotransmitters that affect social reactions and emotions. So let there be watermelon at every party!

If you want to introduce watermelon to your children as a new snack, introduce it with their favorites. On that plate of a few chips, place a small slice of watermelon. Don’t feel upset if after three tries, they still don’t want to eat it. Sameness is a tried and true behavior of autism. You may want to make watermelon-lemonade as an alternative. On these hot days, you may get a convert very quickly.

I did a small quick survey of some of our families at the pool side. My findings: 70% didn’t mind the “feel” of watermelon in their mouth; 60% said their parents served it and they liked eating it; and 1 % of those interviewed wanted to know if watermelon would float in the pool.