The Moebius Syndrome Foundation is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 Community Empowerment Grant.
Lisa Smant, Career Mentoring and Coaching
Lisa Smant’s idea will help the Foundation provide individuals with Moebius syndrome the opportunity to connect with a professional career coach in private and group settings. This program will be supported by $1,000 from the Community Empowerment Grant.
Valeria Garcia, Faceless Kids: Anti-Bullying Program
Valeria Garcia was granted $1,000 to create Faceless Kids: A Bullying Prevention Program specifically for elementary schools, with a focus on raising awareness about disabilities and facial differences.
Garcia writes, “Faceless, an upcoming nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and promoting inclusion for people with disabilities, is thrilled to receive a $1,000 grant from the Moebius Syndrome Foundation. This funding will support the development of one of our first programs, an anti-bullying program focused on educating elementary school children about physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and facial differences. Children with Moebius syndrome, facial differences, and other disabilities face high rates of bullying, which often is a result of a lack of education and understanding. Our society’s “don’t stare, don’t connect” attitude when it comes to facial differences contributes to the isolation and misunderstanding of children with disabilities. This grant will allow Faceless to partner with child psychologists and specialists to build an impactful, research-based program that teaches kids to value differences, connect with empathy, and ultimately help prevent bullying. Thanks to the Moebius Syndrome Foundation’s support, we’re taking a meaningful step towards a kinder, more accepting future for all.”
Congratulations to Lisa and Valeria on the start of these programs! We look forward to seeing the programs’ positive impact on the Moebius syndrome community.
The Community Empowerment Grant is designed to support people in the Moebius community who have ideas for projects that would help raise awareness about Moebius syndrome, or would provide support/resources for people living with Moebius syndrome and similar conditions. Sponsored by the Moebius Syndrome Foundation, the grant will provide up to $2,000 annually and may be awarded to one or more persons each calendar year.
To understand grant eligibility or other information on the grant, visit our Community Empowerment Grant page.
