Better Together

We will build and create a multigenerational, autism informed community that transforms the way of life for our neurodiverse and aging populations.

Imagine Rena who had an active life raising her kids but now lives alone in her home after her kids have grown and moved away and her husband has passed away.  Loneliness is as hard on health as smoking cigarettes.  Rena could live a new life if we can create the opportunity.

Imagine Tim, our young autistic adult who makes social blunders that can get him into trouble with neighbors and police if he lives where they don’t understand his autism.  Did you know that it is estimated that between 20% and 40% of our homeless populations have intellectual disabilities, autism, or both?  Autistic adults have a high risk for homelessness. Most autistic adults live with their parents because there is no appropriate place to move to.   Parents don’t live forever.   What if we could create new opportunities for living that supported the greatest independence for all?  

In our vision for the future we believe that learning about neurodiversity and acceptance of each individual is the foundation for appreciating differences.  We will create community through education about autism and learning about each person in the community.  We will expect about six hours a week of volunteering in the community as a vehicle for creating relationships and supporting independent living.

We will work with existing organizations to create opportunities to learn about existing programs and resources and create new venues that serve needs of existing organizations already serving the community.

We plan ultimately to outreach into the greater community in our area, especially  to our autistic adults and our retiree generation.