Rich Center pupils rescue mission with blankets

By Sean Barron

The students made colorful blankets that were delivered to the Rescue Mission by the bagful.

YOUNGSTOWN — Children at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley will be warmer this winter, thanks to the efforts of several pupils with autism.

Five bags of colorful blankets were delivered Tuesday to the mission, 962 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., all of which were assembled in part by those on the autism spectrum who attend The Rich Center for Autism at Youngstown State University. The blankets were in three sizes to accommodate children of all ages at the mission.

The blanket project got under way last summer and was designed in part to give back to the mission for its support of the Rich Center, as well as the work it performs for the community, explained J. Georgia Backus, the center’s director. The project also was meant to show that children, despite a diagnosis of autism, can be productive and independent, she said.

In return, the mission presented the center with a certification of appreciation.

About 50 pupils are enrolled at the center, which also serves as a resource center for parents.

Autism spectrum disorders usually affect a person’s social, motor and language skills by varying degrees and often include speech and language delays, sensory problems, repetitive movements and actions, a lack of eye contact and an abnormal preference for objects instead of people. The cause is unknown, but environment and heredity are thought to contribute.