Hope Helps

12/21/2023

Signing off… a heartfelt thank you to you all. We love you. ❤️

11/20/2023

Yesterday, some of our board members gathered for our final, official act. Grant Recipients joined us at Hope Helps All Inclusive Playground to receive their items and enjoy the beautiful weather to safely play. We are honored to distribute these twice a year, but this time it is bitter sweet. Congratulations to our 7 grant recipients and their families.



Stay tuned for our final thoughts coming to you this week.

11/15/2023

Without further ado, I give you the Phase 3 Grand Opening photos from the FABULOUS, Mrs. Tarra Draino at Tarra Ann Photography!! Thank you so much for joining us! Enjoy these photos...the smiles mean so much to us!!!

11/15/2023

11/10/2023

As we approach the final weeks of Hope Helps as an organization, I’m working on a big photo project to commemorate the last 14 1/2 years. If you have a photo (s) that you’d like to share or comments for our board members past and present, please either post it or DM us. Thanks in advance!!

11/07/2023

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 GRANT RECIPIENTS!!

We will host our award ceremony soon for each award to be distributed and to finalize the final month of Hope Helps. We are thankful for the way that we can complete our mission with the grass roots effort we started with.

11/06/2023

Truth serum. Some days just beat you. Some days autism wins. You don’t get to pick the moment or even get a heads up that is coming. Some days autism is just hard.

Today we celebrated one son while grieving for the other. We had cake and sang happy birthday before plummeting to care for the lost skills of the other. We smiled and hugged before we cried out why.

This is autism. Symptoms that flare out of the blue. OCD that takes over so intense within life that simple tasks can’t be just that…simple. When challenged, the outbursts that are followed by take downs so he doesn’t harm himself. All of this over tasks that we as “typical” humans take for granted that he can’t overcome.

‘They’ call it “high functioning”…but life skills are so, so low. These moments when reality for my man child hit me square in the face that he will need me forever. The reality that our other children will surpass him with all of life’s bench marks and we will be here probably still watching Thomas and Veggie Tales.

Some days it takes everything I have to hold it together….Not to fear his 18th birthday standing in a court room saying he needs a guardian and that he’s a forever child. Not to fear who will take care of him after we’re gone. Not to grieve the things that he “can’t do.”

I’m just so thankful that tomorrow is another day. Another chance. Another moment. Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will have hope. Tomorrow I’ll be stronger.
Tonight, I’ll lay it at this feet and rest…awaiting tomorrow.

10/27/2023

In August, 12 year old philanthropist,Claire, held a lemonade stand benefiting her favorite charities. Today , we were honored to meet Claire and mom Elizabeth at the park to receive her $60 donation. This donation will be going right into our fall scholarships. (Notifications being made this weekend) Thank you Claire and Elizabeth for your generosity and love of community!! We are grateful!

10/27/2023

Just be kind.