Hidden Angel Foundation Granted Advance Tax-Exempt Status as a Charitable Organization

Pembroke Pines, FL, August 28, 2006 – The Hidden Angel Foundation has been granted advance tax-exempt status. This designation as a tax-exempt charitable organization means donors to the Foundation will be eligible to deduct their donations from their income tax. The Hidden Angel Foundation was established to enhance the lives of individuals with cognitive, emotional, and/or physical disabilities through the design, development and support of programs centered on multi sensory environments (MSE). It seeks to have MSE become an important practice in education, therapy, recreation, and inclusion throughout North America.

“This is an important milestone in the growth of the Foundation as a force for reaching thousands of individuals with multi sensory environments” said Sandra Fornes, co-founder and Executive Director of the Foundation. “We are very grateful to the many people have already been kind enough to contribute without any benefit to their tax status. Now we are able to make donations tax deductible, it is another way we can say thank-you for helping the work of the Foundation.”

After several years of research, interest, and activities in the area of multi sensory environments, the Foundation was established in honor of Christopher Fornes who had Sanfilippo Syndrome causing progressive neurological regression. “We experienced first hand how multi sensory stimulation enriched and extended his life,” said W.B. (Bud) Kirchner, Foundation co-founder. “Christopher was a very special and courageous individual who taught us all the true meaning of life and love. This is why we always thought of Chris, and children like him, as Hidden Angels”.

Some of the Foundations recent activities include the design, construction and implementation of a highly-evolved MSE at Lake Asbury Junior High School, Middleburg, Florida. The school serves children with various disabilities that will benefit from MSE. Earlier this year HAF was instrumental in the design and equipment of a MSE therapy room for the popular TV series, “Extreme Makeover Home Editions”. The Foundation has also donated MSE equipment to Hospital Rivier-des-Prairies in Montreal, Miami United Cerebral Palsy, Hondu, Texas Elementary School, San Antonio’s Jewel C. Wietzel Special Needs School.

“We continue to develop and promote MSE across the country for use in schools, adult day care facilities, rehabilitation centers, parks, and other places important to individuals with special needs,” said Fornes. “While just about every school in Europe supports a MSE (known as Snoezelen in Europe) there are less than 200 facilities in the United States. Our Foundation is working diligently to increase these numbers.”

About MSE

A multi sensory environment (MSE) is a dedicated room designed to heighten awareness, promote intellectual activity, and encourage relaxation. Built to promote self-choice, well-being, social interaction, and learning, a myriad of light effects, shapes, textures, aromas, soft music and colors are strategically place in a room to stimulate the six senses of touch, taste, sight, sound, smell and kinetics (movement). The controlled sensory input heightens drive and motivation, aiding in neurotransmission, maximizing a person’s potential to focus and learn. MSE instills calmness in agitated individuals or those with self-injurious behaviors. Most importantly, it’s enjoyable. Both children and adults with the most severely cognitive impairment appear happier while in a sensory room; they tend to vocalize more, stay on task, and stress levels drop dramatically. MSE can open up a whole new world for individuals with cognitive, emotional and/or physical impairments providing new ways of encouraging learning, motor, neurological and cognitive development, language, and social interaction skills, moving each person toward the highest functional level.

About HAF

The Hidden Angel Foundation (HAF) is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is to enrich the lives, health, and social well-being of individuals with cognitive, emotional, and/or physical impairments through the design, development and support of programs centered on multi sensory environments (MSE). Theories in MSE demonstrate new approaches to advance education, therapy, recreation and inclusion of special needs populations. HAF makes an immediate, positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities through its community partners that, in conjunction with HAF, are creating MSE in communities across the United States and Canada. HAF has awarded grants and MSE services to programs for individuals with disabilities through the United States and Canada.

For further information on the Hidden Angel Foundation and MSE contact:

Sandra Fornes
P.O. Box 822886
Pembroke Pines, FL 33082
phone: 305-458-9335
email: sfornes@cdhaf.org
website: www.cdhaf.org