Laurie, Dougie, and Doug Flutie
In May 2021, The Kraft Family issued a $125,000 challenge grant to support the Campaign for Linking Lives, a $3 million effort to support Northeast Arc’s new Center for Linking Lives at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, Mass. With the latest matching gift from the Flutie Foundation, the Linking Lives Challenge has now raised more than $66,000 towards it’s $125,000 goal.
“Our family and Foundation are honored to grow our long-term partnership with the Northeast Arc, who share our passion to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of people and families affected by autism. The Center for Linking Lives will help serve the diverse needs of so many families, and this partnership will help us work towards our vision of a world where all people with autism are included, respected and engaged in their communities,” said Doug Flutie, president and co-founder of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.
Opened in October 2020, the Center for Linking Lives represents the transformation of 26,000 square feet of retail space into a community gathering spot where individuals with disabilities can live inclusively alongside their peers. The Center also features parcels, a unique store selling products made by, or created at businesses owned by people with disabilities or autism.
Individuals wishing to support the Linking Lives Challenge can visit linkingliveschallenge.org to give.
About The Northeast Arc
Northeast Arc (NeArc) changes lives for people with disabilities — and children at risk of developing them — and their families. The agency, which opened the Center for Linking Lives at Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers in 2020, serves more than 15,000 people in 190 Massachusetts cities and towns each year. NeArc is the largest Arc in the state of Massachusetts and the 2nd largest (of 700) in the country. Services include: Adult Family Care, the ArcWorks Community Art Center, Autism Services, Black Box Theater, Breaking Grounds Café, Continuous Care Nursing Services, Day Habilitation, Deaf Services, Early Intervention, Employment Services, Family Support, First Steps Childcare & Preschool, Fiscal Intermediary, Personal Care Assistance, Recreation, Residential, Shared Living and Transition, and Skilled Intermittent Home Health Care. Learn more at www.ne-arc.org.
About The Flutie Foundation
Former NFL Quarterback, Doug Flutie, and his wife Laurie started the Doug Flutie, Jr. Flutie Foundation for Autism in 1998 after their son, Dougie, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Their personal experience of raising a son on the autism spectrum inspired them to help others on an equally long and challenging journey. Over its 20-year history, the Flutie Foundation has distributed over $15 million to schools and organizations who provide clinical therapies, respite services, recreational programs, social skills training, job supports and more for people affected by autism. The Flutie Foundation also provides education technology tools, adaptive camp scholarships, safety equipment, and direct family support through its partnerships and special initiatives.