Evas Heroes

That’s a wrap!

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 22:22:09 +0000

Thursday, October 26, Eva’s Heroes held our annual Celebrity Casino Night Presented by L’Oreal Paris — Fire & Ice. The totals from the night are still rolling in! Thus far, we have raised $460,000 which will be used to enhance our programs and benefit our participants. Additionally, an online silent auction is taking place adding to the final amount – shop the auction HERE.

Eva’s Heroes would like to thank everyone in attendance for participating and donating. Your contributions during fundraising events like Casino Night are what fuel Eva’s Heroes to continue organizing activities and programs for the San Antonio community.

Be on the lookout for future Eva’s Heroes events including Haute & Heroes Presented by L’Oreal Paris, on Tuesday, November 28. Click here for details.

Jersey Mikes Month of Giving

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 16:52:01 +0000

We are so thrilled to announce a partnership between Eva’s Heroes and Jersey Mike’s Subs. During the month of March if you eat at Jersey Mike’s you can make a donation that will directly benefit Eva’s Heroes – all you have to do is tell them at the register “I’d like to donate $1, $2, or $5 to Eva’s Heroes “ and believe me those dollars add up!

Then, on March 29, all of the proceeds for the day will benefit Eva’s Heroes! Here are three ways you can help make this our best fundraiser ever:

Pre-order lunch for your office that day
Take your family for lunch and/or dinner
Tell your friends to eat at Jersey Mike’s.

By purchasing:

5 submarine sandwiches will pay for activities for one day of camp for one participant
10 submarine sandwiches will pay for summer camp supplies for one week
20 submarine sandwiches will pay for transportation for one day of summer camp
50 submarine sandwiches will pay for participant to attend a week of summer camp, with food and transportation

It takes so little to make such a huge difference in the lives of those we serve every day. I ask you to call in your order for March 29th and to plan to eat at Jersey Mike’s at least one other time during the month of March. With your help, we will make dreams come true.

Eva’s Heroes Inaugural Lobby Day – Gallery

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 16:17:48 +0000

Eva’s Heroes Inaugural Lobby Day

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 02:55:09 +0000

One of the greatest gifts of the American democracy is to the right to engage with our elected leaders. On Wednesday, January 25, 2017, Eva Heroes will descend upon the Capitol in Austin to do just that.

Armed with firsthand stories, research, and statistics, we will advocate in support of legislative initiatives that will create communities of inclusion, communities that celebrate disability rights as civil rights and encourage an economy that benefits from the contributions of all members. Further we want to ensure our elected officials understand the benefits of community inclusion from both a financial and a humanitarian perspective.

Autism now affects 1 in 68; cerebral palsy 1 in 323; Down syndrome 1 in 700. It is estimated that 1-3% of Americans have an intellectual disability. The growing numbers of individuals with intellectual disabilities mean that we have more voices to advocate for the type of communities that value all of its citizens.

We will share the experiences of a young man with cerebral palsy who is dependent upon his mom to get help him get out of bed and into his wheelchair each morning. But once he is out of bed, he is working on a college degree, interning at the Capitol in Austin, and working another part-time job.

We believe that as citizen lobbyists we can and will make difference in the lives of those we serve every day.

We want our legislators to understand who we are. Eva’s Heroes is a proven Texas-based not-for-profit that transforms individuals and families and builds community. Founded through the power of one sister’s love for another, we share the experience of teens and young adults through unique programs, education, and real-world socialization in community-based settings. Our record of achievement in growing confidence, self-determination, and independence at low or no cost to those we serve shines brightly as a beacon of leadership and responsibility to create a better future for those with special needs.

We are excited for the opportunity to advocate with and for those we serve every day. We will be sharing more about the successes of our lobby day in the coming weeks.

Tim Is Our Hero!

Thu, 21 Jul 2016 14:10:16 +0000

Today is Tim Duncan Day in San Antonio! We’re so thankful for all that Tim has given the San Antonio community on and off the field. He holds an amazing number of records and is widely recognized as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the top basketball players evER.

In addition to his incredible skill at the game, he is known for his philanthropy and his quiet and gentle nature. San Antonio loves and appreciates his loyalty—he’s spent his entire nineteen-year career with the Spurs.

Tim Duncan and the Spurs are certainly important to our participants. Our participants love going to the games—we’re very fortunate that so many of our corporate sponsors donate Spurs tickets for our participants and their families.

When we scheduled the photo shoot for the See Us, Hear Us, Know Us photo exhibit, we asked participants to wear clothing that showed something that they liked, that was important to them. So many of them showed up in Spurs’ jerseys that people might mistake them for the team—except several young ladies were in team attire too.

If you want to check out the Spurs’ most devoted fans, visit our photo exhibit, which is currently at University Hospital.

Photo: City Of San Antonio

When is your birthday?

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 19:08:36 +0000

We’re so excited we can’t stand it. For years, we’ve had one major fundraiser. And this year, our 10^th anniversary year, we’re rolling out not 1, not 2, not 3—but 4 events.

Share Your Birthday:

Wish I knew whose birthday cake this is! If they’d share their birthday, we could expand our programs to accommodate some of those kids on our waiting lists! But even if your cake has a lot fewer candles, we still want you to share your birthday. Donate $1 for each candle on your birthday cake to Eva’s Heroes. Have your friends do the same, both in your honor and on their own birthdays. Every dollar helps enrich and empower individuals with special needs!

When: On your birthday OR before.

Where: Click here

Stay tuned for information about our other upcoming events:

Baskets & Blankets Picnic: Sunday, May 1 at Brackenridge Park. Click here to check it out!

See Us. Hear Us. Know Us. Click here to see where the location is today.

2016 is going to be a fabulous year. We hope you’ll come along for the ride!

It’s Our 10th Anniversary!

Mon, 28 Mar 2016 01:00:47 +0000

I’m excited to be writing our first blog post at the beginning of Eva’s Heroes tenth anniversary year! We have so many exciting activities planned for our year-long celebration that you’ll want to check back every other week to be sure you don’t miss anything.

Since the beginning back in 2006, Eva’s Heroes has experienced great expansion in the breadth and depth of our services. Today our programs affect more than just participants; we also impact families. It’s so rewarding to see firsthand how Eva’s Heroes is making a difference in the lives of participants and their entire family.

Eva’s Heroes is unique to San Antonio because it specifically serves more than 1,500 individuals with intellectual special needs ages 14 years and older. Many wonderful South Texas area organizations offer services for younger children, but parents of older kiddos with special needs are often faced with the heart-breaking challenge of finding a safe, unique, yet challenging environment for their teens and young adults. That explains the popularity of our Summer Enrichment Program, which saw record enrollment last year. Our programs have grown so much that we now have waiting lists for all of them. We’re working really hard to accommodate everyone.

Throughout the year, we will look back on all of our great memories and share our plans for the next 10 years.

Until next time, meet Seth. Listen to his story. Hear him speak, get to know him. And get to know us, Eva’s Heroes.

Eva’s Heroes Celebrity Casino Night Presented by L’Oréal Paris Will Mark Major Milestones at the 8th Annual Fundraiser on Oct. 3

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 02:25:15 +0000

September 9, 2015 — Celebrities, poker professionals, and Eva’s Heroes supporters will attend a night of classic casino fun presented by L’Oréal Paris to benefit the non-profit organization serving individuals with intellectual special needs in the San Antonio area.
Themed “Masquer8de,” the October 3 event at the Éilan Hotel & Spa will focus on Eva’s Heroes accomplishments in the nine years since Eva Longoria, the actress, director and producer, and philanthropist co-founded the organization with her friend, Christiane Perkins-Garcia.
“As we move closer to a decade of service to our community, Eva and I look forward to celebrating the growth of our organization and honoring the individuals we’ve been privileged to work with,” said Perkins-Garcia, board president of Eva’s Heroes.
More than 600 guests are expected for the traditional celebrity red carpet, Texas Hold ‘Em Poker tournament, live & silent auctions, and food specially prepared by celebrity chefs. The event is sponsored by H-E-B, the Éilan Hotel & Spa and many other notable corporate supporters.
“We look forward to sharing our organizational milestones and unveiling our community- wide plans to celebrate them during our upcoming 10th year anniversary,” said Shawne Zakaria, executive director of Eva’s Heroes. “We encourage everyone to join us for what will be a memorable event.”
Proceeds from Eva’s Heroes Celebrity Casino Night go toward Eva’s Heroes mission to enrich the lives of individuals with intellectual special needs. Eva’s Heroes currently offers Sibshops, Monthly Activities, Summer Enrichment, and After School Programs.
To make reservations for Eva’s Heroes Celebrity Casino Night, visit www.evasheroes.org.

EVA’S HEROES TO HOST FAMED “SIBSHOPS” TRAINING SESSION

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 02:27:46 +0000

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Eva’s Heroes is holding a two-day training that will educate attendees about sibling’s experiences across their life span. The nation’s leading trainer and educator on sibling support will lead the workshop on Friday, August 28 – Saturday, August 29, 2015 at the Whitley Theological Center in San Antonio.
Don Meyer, Director of the Sibling Support Project and founder of the Sibshops model, will lead the workshop. Meyer has conducted hundreds of workshops for siblings, fathers, and grandparents of children with intellectual special needs throughout the United States as well as Canada, Ireland, England, Italy, New Zealand, and Japan.
“This training is a wonderful opportunity to expand the services provided to families of individuals with intellectual special needs,” explained Shawne Zakaria, executive director of Eva’s Heroes. “The goal of the workshop is to provide participants with an understanding and appreciation of what it is like to grow up with a family member who has a child with intellectual special needs and how parents, teachers, and service providers can be a support system for siblings.”
Individuals who attend both days will become certified Sibshops facilitators and will receive education on how to start, plan, and conduct the activities for future Sibshops. Sibshops are a spirited mix of meaningful discussion activities and games designed to honor and increase the self-esteem of siblings of individuals who have special needs.
It is expected that seats for this training session will sell out fast. Parents, service providers, educators, clinicians and adult siblings who are interested in attending should visit www.evasheroes.org/sibshops to register for the event.

Eva’s Heroes to Commemorate 25 Anniversary of ADA

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 02:28:53 +0000

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 25, 2015 — To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the historic passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA25), Eva’s Heroes will host the much-anticipated ADA Legacy Tour as it makes two stops in San Antonio on Friday, February 27, 2015. The first stop will be at the H-E-B at 410 and Bandera and will last from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The second stop will be at Morgan’s Wonderland and will last from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be no cost to attend either stop.
The ADA Legacy Tour is a traveling exhibit designed to raise public awareness and generate excitement about ADA25. The tour is produced by The ADA Legacy Project, Disability Rights Center, ADA National Network, and the Museum of disABILITY History. Eva’s Heroes proudly welcomes a visit from the year-long, nationwide tour, which will culminate in Washington, DC on July 26, 2015, exactly 25 years after President George HW Bush signed the ADA into law.
“Eva’s Heroes was founded with the purpose of enriching the lives of young adults with intellectual special needs, and one way we can do that is by raising awareness about the disabilities rights movement,” said Christine Perkins-Garcia, co-founder and board president of Eva’s Heroes. “The ADA Legacy Tour offers San Antonians an opportunity to learn more about the ADA and how it has enriched the lives of persons with disabilities in our community, workplaces, and our economy.”
The ADA Legacy Tour will feature the ADA Bus, a four-panel display on the history of self-advocacy, a disability film, displays on the preservation of disability history, celebration of significant events in disability history, and efforts to educate future generations of disability advocates, and more.
It is fitting that the ADA Legacy Tour will stop at both H-E-B and Morgan’s Wonderland, as both organizations have done a tremendous amount to enrich the lives of persons with disabilities in San Antonio.
“H-E-B employs more than 85,000 Partners (employees) and we are committed to making each of their lives better. Our commitment to diversity stands on the foundation that Each and Every Person Counts, and that includes people with disabilities,” explained Sonia Quirino Canales, diversity manager, H-E-B. “We also believe that our community benefits when all people have the opportunity to contribute their talent and energy to the workforce, and that is why H-E-B continues to hire more individuals with disabilities.”
The City of San Antonio has demonstrated a commitment to protecting the rights of all San Antonians, including those with disabilities. Over the past two decades, the City has eliminated architectural barriers to inclusivity and improved wheelchair accessibility to the River Walk. While the City of San Antonio works to make the city’s cultural resources, businesses, and government buildings accessible, The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation has opened a fully accessible amusement park designed with inclusivity and accessibility in mind so that all guests can enjoy Morgan’s Wonderland many offerings.
“Inclusion is the overarching objective for Morgan’s Wonderland,” Gordon Hartman, founder of Morgan’s Wonderland and the Gordon
Hartman Family Foundation, explained. “Our vision is to play an instrumental role in helping establish more ultra-accessible family fun th
parks throughout the nation and the world. Morgan’s Wonderland is truly a beautiful place, and as we prepare to celebrate the 25 Anniversary of the ADA, Morgan’s Wonderland serves to demonstrate how inclusive and accessible environments benefit the entire community, not just those with special needs.”
The mission of the ADA Legacy Project is to preserve disability history, to celebrate significant milestones and accomplishments of the disability rights movement, and to educate the public and future generations of advocates.
About Eva’s Heroes
Eva’s Heroes is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals with intellectual special needs by providing an inclusive setting built on four tenets: interact, grow, learn, and love. Based in San Antonio, the organization helps teens and young adults 14 years of age and older, who have intellectual special needs, to integrate and flourish in society. For information, visit: www.EvasHeroes.org.