12 Months of April - Autism Advocacy Project in Pittsburgh, PA

06/14/2026

06/13/2026

Car is packed up and ready for a donation event with Middlesex Township Police Department and Middlesex Township Volunteer Fire Company! 🚒🚓🚑

Some of the kits are from Temple Ohav Shalom Center for Early Learning and Girl Scout Troop 20534! 🩵💛💚🤍

Tillotson School gave their surplus kits and I turned the plastic backpacks into “Stay-tion Kits” to occupy and comfort people when they are in a station waiting 💙💛💚

One of the things I love most about is project is how everyone comes together in one way or another to help everyone out! Thank you all! 🫶🏻

06/13/2026

Thank you to our recent donors!

Kingdom First Thrift for stuffies and little toys, plus a discount on tissues, crayons and markers!

Julie Hundertmark Panza for small stuffies (all the Minnie Mouses are already in kits!)

Kimberly McCue for stuffies!

06/12/2026

💚 PTSD Awareness Month 💚

As first responders, we are often called to help people on some of the worst days of their lives. We witness tragedy, loss, suffering, and trauma that most people never see. While we proudly serve our communities, those experiences can leave lasting effects on our own mental health.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a reality for many EMS professionals, firefighters, law enforcement officers, dispatchers, and healthcare workers. PTSD is not a sign of weakness , it is an occupational hazard of answering the call to serve others.

This PTSD Awareness Month, we encourage open conversations about mental health, support for our fellow first responders, and a commitment to reducing the stigma surrounding PTSD. Checking in on your coworkers, reaching out when you need help, and supporting one another can make a difference.

To every first responder carrying the weight of difficult calls: you are not alone. Your mental health matters just as much as the lives you work so hard to protect.

Stay strong. Stay connected. Take care of each other.

🚑❤️💙

06/07/2026

Powered by Love held a touch a truck event yesterday at Tour-Ed Mine and we went out to donate sensory kits!

4 kits to West Deer EMS
6 kits to Sarver VFC Fire/Rescue
10 kits to Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company
8 to Highland Volunteer Fire Department of Tarentum
7 kits plus a station kit to township police department
1 kit to We Rock the Spectrum Gym (coming soon to Sharpsburg!)
3 kits to Powered by Love
6 kits plus station kit to Frazer Township Police Department
(Freeport Fire-EMS was there as well but we donated kits to them recently…always more when needed!)
So many fun things to do at the event!
♥️💛💙

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

🚑Shout out to West Deer EMS! We saw them at a Touch a Truck yesterday and offered 4 more kits!

🟡 Not only were they sharing information about Yellow Dot Program with the public but they gave us feedback on kits that we donated before and how they are helping their patients!

“Are you 12 Months of April?!”
Yes we are! ♥️💛💙

06/05/2026

June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. I feel that it is very important to focus on this as Men historically face stigma over seeking help with experiences that would be heavy for anyone. I'm sure things feel very heavy in local communities due to the recent passing of a Police Chief.

We use so many resources to help us with things in life such as car maintenance, home repairs, medical care, finances and so on. Why not get support if you need help with your mind? Especially a traumatic event that changes your nervous system.

There are many other things in life that happen and are hard to fix on your own. Don't choose to struggle. Reach out! Forget what anyone thinks of you getting support, the judgement is on them.

Crisis Lines are great resources. Therapy is a great resource. I was on an episode with The Weight We Carry Podcast talking about my EMDR therapy experience and would be happy to speak with anyone more about it!

Thank you to The Weight We Carry Podcast and Healing The Hero for everything you are doing!

06/05/2026

Thank you to Jeff Youkers of Skyview Volunteer Fire Company West Mifflin #4 Station 296 for inviting us to present sensory kits and other basic strategies for helping with special needs in an emergency. 🫶🏻♾️ Leona chose to come with and as always, did a great job explaining the Sensory kits!

Homeville Volunteer Fire Company - Station 293 joined and we all shared past experiences and ideas for the future. 👩🏼‍🏫👩🏼‍🚒👨‍🚒

We left 38 Sensory kits at the department for participants and neighboring departments to take as needed. 🚓🚒🚑

Thank you so much for everything and we look forward to working with you more! ♥️💛💙