Little Orange Fish

05/18/2026

Our Expressions Director, Leslie Wood, has published her new children’s book, Spots and What Nots, a whimsical and heartfelt story about monsters who don’t always feel like they belong.

Some are shy.
Some feel different.
Some aren’t quite sure where they fit at all.

Through playful rhymes and imaginative creatures, readers discover a gentle truth: the very things that make us feel different - our spots, our quirks, and our what-have-you-nots - are also what make us wonderfully, uniquely ourselves.

Many of the artistic styles and imaginative themes in the book may feel familiar to followers of Little Orange Fish, reflecting Leslie’s creativity and the joyful spirit she brings to our Expressions program every day.

While Spots and What Nots is Leslie’s own creative project and not an official Little Orange Fish publication, we’re super excited to see her sharing her creativity and perspective through this book and celebrate this accomplishment alongside her.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZGWX2QW/

05/12/2026

What an incredible day. 🧡

Thank you to everyone who came out Saturday and helped make our “Healthy Minds - Strong Community" event such a meaningful success. Seeing our community come together in support of mental health awareness, connection, creativity, and compassion was truly inspiring.

🎶 Marcus and Friends absolutely brought the energy and delivered an amazing performance throughout the event.

🎨 Inside Out Studio shared incredible artwork demonstrating how powerful creativity and expression can be in strengthening confidence, connection, and emotional wellbeing.

🐾 Heart to Heart Pet Partners was a huge hit with their therapy dogs. And of course Zorro the mini horse stole plenty of hearts throughout the day. Their work continues to demonstrate the healing power of the human-animal bond.

🤖 RAN at The University of Alabama in Huntsville also shared some of the incredible work they are doing through research, technology, and community engagement initiatives supporting mental health and neurodiverse communities.
Their RAN- LOF developed ARNIE demonstration drew a lot of interest and engagement throughout the event, giving attendees an opportunity to interact with emerging technologies designed to support communication, learning, and connection in meaningful ways. It was exciting to see so many people exploring how innovation and collaboration can help strengthen community support systems.

🐟 One of the most special parts of the day was watching our “Feelings Are Real Ocean” become completely covered with individually colored feelings fish created by members of our community. Watching it fill with individually colored fish became a beautiful reminder of how every person contributes something unique to our community.

A very special thank you to all of our sponsors whose support helped make this event possible:

💜Amentum (https://www.amentum.com/)
💜 Foundation 1781
💜 CohesionForce, Inc.
💜 Cahaba Federal Solutions, LLC
💜 Modern Technology Solutions Incorporated (MTSI)
💜 Savant Wealth Management
💜 Victory Solutions (https://www.v-s-inc.com/)
💜 WellStone
💜 Signs By Tomorrow - HQ
💜 LED-Orange Productions
💜 The Fret Shop

Your support and investment in mental health awareness and community wellbeing truly made a difference.

Thank you as well to our community partners, volunteers, performers, and supporters who continue helping us build a healthier and more connected North Alabama community.

“A strong community is built of healthy individuals, and good health starts with a healthy mind.” 🧡

,

05/05/2026

💜 This Saturday! Join Us for a Stronger Community 💜
Healthy Minds - Strong Community
We’re just days away, and this event is truly powered by an incredible network of supporters, partners, and sponsors who believe in building a healthier, more connected community.

A huge thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible:
✨ Amentum
✨ Foundation 1781
✨ CohesionForce, Inc.
✨ Cahaba Federal Solutions, LLC
✨ Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI)
✨ Savant Wealth Management
✨ Victory Solutions
✨ WellStone
✨ LED-Orange Productions
✨ The Fret Shop
✨ Signs By Tomorrow - HQ

We also want to recognize our amazing community partners who are helping bring this event to life:
💙 Heart to Heart Pet Partners
💙 RAN at The University of Alabama in Huntsville
💙 Inside Out Studio
💙 North Alabama Mental Health Coalition

Because of all of you, we’re creating something special:
Healthy Minds. Strong Community.

🎶 Music by Marcus Pope and Friends

📅 Join us THIS SATURDAY!
Come out, connect, and be part of a community that shows up for one another.

05/05/2026

04/29/2026

Even with the rain last night, the RAN team showed up 💙

The Regional Autism Network (RAN) at UAH was out at the Rocket City Trash Pandas game, connecting with the community, sharing their mission, and helping spread the word about what’s ahead.

That includes something big…

🚨 MAY 9 — PUBLIC REVEAL OF ARNIE 🚨

ARNIE — the Autism Resource Navigator & Information Explorer — was built in collaboration between Little Orange Fish, UAH, and , and it’s designed to help families, providers, and communities better navigate autism resources across Alabama.

🎉 See it in action at:

Healthy Minds - Strong Community
📍 The Shed at Stovehouse
🗓 Saturday, May 9
⏰ 2:00–6:00 PM
🎟 Free and open to the public

👥 The RAN team will be there live, providing hands-on demos of ARNIE and connecting directly with families and community members.

Rain or shine, this work continues—and we’re building toward something meaningful for our community.

👉 Don’t miss May 9.

Much thanks to our sponsors for making this event and resources like ARNIE possible. https://www.amentum.com/ Yorktown Systems Group, Inc., Foundation 1781, Wealth Management, The Fret Shop, Signs By Tomorrow - HQ, CohesionForce, Inc., WellStone, Stratagem Solutions, Incorporated, MTSI, Cahaba Federal Solutions, LLC, Solutions https://www.v-s-inc.com/,

04/20/2026

🚨 INTRODUCING ARNIE — Live May 9 🚨

Autism Resource Navigator & Information Explorer

Developed in collaboration with the Regional Autism Network (RAN) at UAH, ARNIE was built with and for the communities RAN serves—helping families, providers, and educators better navigate autism resources across Alabama.

Together with Little Orange Fish and UAH, this work reflects a shared commitment to making access to care more clear, connected, and accessible.

➡️ Turn questions into clear next steps
➡️ Find trusted local resources
➡️ Navigate services with confidence

🎉 See it in action at the public reveal:

Healthy Minds – Strong Community
📍 The Shed at Stovehouse
🗓 Saturday, May 9
⏰ 2:00–6:00 PM
🎟 Free and open to the public

👥 The RAN team will be there live, providing hands-on demonstrations of ARNIE and helping attendees explore how it can support individuals and families in real, practical ways.

👉 Come meet the team, experience ARNIE, and be part of this next step forward for our community.
Much thanks to our sponsors for making this event and resources like ARNIE possible. https://www.amentum.com/ Yorktown Systems Group, Inc., Foundation 1781, The Fret Shop, Signs By Tomorrow - HQ, CohesionForce, Inc., WellStone, Stratagem Solutions, Incorporated , MTSI

04/13/2026

We’re excited to welcome Heart to Heart Pet Partners, a nationally recognized therapy animal organization, to our Healthy Minds - Strong Community event.

They’ll be bringing their trained therapy animals—including Zorro the mini horse—to help create moments of comfort, calm, and connection for attendees of all ages.

Therapy animals have a powerful way of breaking down barriers, easing anxiety, and reminding us that mental wellness can start with something as simple as a gentle interaction.

🐴 Come meet Zorro
💬 Connect, relax, and recharge
❤️ Experience the impact of animal-assisted support

📍 The Shed at Stovehouse
🗓 Saturday, May 9
⏰ 2:00–6:00 PM
🎉 Free and open to the public

👉 Bring your family. Bring a friend. Come experience it for yourself.

Much thanks to our sponsors for making this event and resources like ARNIE possible.
https://www.amentum.com/
Yorktown Systems Group, Inc.., Foundation 1781, The Fret Shop Signs By Tomorrow - HQ, CohesionForce, Inc., WellStone, Stratagem Solutions, Incorporated

04/08/2026

Today at Fresh Check Day at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, the RAN team connected with students and shared a preview of:

ARNIE — the Autism Resource Navigator & Information Explorer

An AI-powered tool built through collaboration between Little Orange Fish, UAH, and RAN, helping people find and navigate autism resources across Alabama .

🚨 MAY 9 — PUBLIC REVEAL 🚨
This is the moment.

Join us at Healthy Minds - Strong Community
📍 Stovehouse | 🗓 May 9 | ⏰ 2–6 PM
🎉 Free + open to the public

Come see ARNIE in action and connect with organizations supporting mental wellness across our community.

👉 Don’t miss it.

Much thanks to our sponsors for making this event and resources like ARNIE possible.
https://www.amentum.com/
Yorktown Systems Group, Inc., Foundation 1781, The Fret Shop, Signs By Tomorrow - HQ, CohesionForce, Inc., WellStone, Stratagem Solutions, Incorporated

03/20/2026

💜 Community Supply Drive – Let’s Show Up for Each Other 💜

R.O.S.S. (Recovery Organization of Support Specialists) is hosting a Supply Drive for our neighbors in need, and it’s a great opportunity to make a simple but meaningful impact.

They’re collecting:
• Travel-size hygiene items
• Basic first aid supplies
• Tampons/pads
• Individually wrapped snacks

📅 Now through April 15
📍 8211 Stephanie Drive, Unit A – Huntsville

No donation is too small—every item helps support someone in our community. You can also contribute through their Amazon wishlist or Venmo (see flyer for details).

Let’s come together to support those who need it most 💜

11/13/2025

Little Orange Fish is grateful to be part of a community that lifts each other up.
The Light the World Giving Machine is a simple way to support local organizations doing meaningful work every day, including several partners who serve individuals and families navigating mental-health and social-support needs in North Alabama.

If you’re out at Bridge Street between Nov. 14 and Dec. 2, stop by, learn more, and consider making a gift that directly helps someone in our community. Small actions add up, and together we can continue building a place where everyone has access to safety, support, and connection.

“A strong community is built of healthy individuals, and good health starts with a healthy mind.”