Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ-08) and the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners joined Whole Spectrum Autism on Tuesday for the county’s third annual Autism Acceptance flag raising at the Historic Brennan Courthouse.
County Executive Guy was joined by Board Chairman Anthony Romano, Congressman Menendez, Whole Spectrum Autism Founder and Board President Sherry Singh, and Executive Director Rachel Sieg, who all delivered remarks during the ceremony.
“Hudson County is proud to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month and raise this flag in honor of autistic individuals in our community,” said Guy. “Here in Hudson County, we celebrate our differences – sharing those special parts of us that bring us all closer to one another. As your county executive, I am proud to help create a safer, more welcoming world for us all and work every day to provide the services and opportunities all our residents need to succeed.”
Singh, whose son inspired the founding of Whole Spectrum Autism, reflected on the personal and community-wide importance of the cause.
“Being an autism mom means finding strength in the struggles and love in the silence,” Singh said. “I started Whole Spectrum Autism for my son, but along the way, I’ve found a community fighting for acceptance and a brighter future for all.”
Hudson County’s Department of Health and Human Services supports autism acceptance through multiple initiatives offered by the Office of Inclusion and Accessibility. Among them is Project SEARCH, an unpaid internship program designed to help young adults explore career paths and build workplace skills.
The Roam and Detect (RAD) Program provides GPS/voice monitoring devices to individuals with disabilities, and the Hudson County Holistic Immersion Program offers visual arts and recreational programming for residents ages 10 and older.
