For his 30th birthday, Samuth Tong decided that rather than party, he wanted volunteer his time and help families in need. In October Sam flew from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to join WAAA as a volunteer at our Gift of Time respite event. Since high school Sam has been involved in the community and as he got older he wanted to give back more. Sam’s cousin’s kid was his inspiration to volunteer with WAAA. “It takes a strong person/ family to raise a child on the spectrum,” Sam observes, “It’s a special parent to unconditionally love and care for a child with special needs.” Sam’s cousin helped him gain more knowledge and understanding of autism. Sam notes, “I now know how it’s a spectrum and every kid is different in so many ways”

Gift of Time grants parents of kids with autism a four hour respite, while at the same time providing an opportunity for meaningful social interaction for kids on the spectrum. Samuth spent the day teamed with a teen buddy creating a Lego video. He recognizes, “WAAA is doing a great job at giving parents some much needed time off.”

Samuth’s volunteering experience at WAAA helped him understand how autism is a spectrum and truly not “one size fits all.” In addition, his experience has changed his perspective on how each child and each family addresses challenges on their own. Samuth continues to fundraise on behalf of WAAA at his GoFundMe site. He is welcome back at a WAAA event anytime!