A flyer, with a QR code that takes people to a donation site, for Be the Change for Autism in the window of Eclectic Jade in Franklin. The fundraiser supports Autism Community Connection, and was created by the Leadership Johnson County group Connect 6 for Autism.
For young people on the autism spectrum, and their parents, the support and community fostered by local school systems is a blessing.
Special programs allow them to get the best possible education, make friends and take part in school activities with their peers.
Then, once people age out of the school system, that community dissipates.
“A lot of these individuals tend to lose the majority of their support system and outside therapies by the age of 22,” said Kelli Higgins, executive director for Autism Community Connection, a local nonprofit. “Unfortunately that means a lot of them will remain living at home with their parents, being dependent on them. It’s very difficult for them to find out how to be independent.”
Autism Community Connection has created a series of social outlets and get-togethers for young adults with autism. With more funding, they know they could offer more.
This month, local residents will have the opportunity to support those efforts through a new county-wide initiative, Be the Change for Autism. Throughout the month of April, supporters can make donations at one of more than 40 local businesses.
People can also donate online through the campaign, a partnership between Autism Community Connection and Connect 6 for Autism, a group of Leadership Johnson County students.
The money raised through the effort will help fund a program to bring young adults with autism together to meet in small groups once a month around the community. The program focuses on making lasting friendships along with working on social and life skills.
“Parents of young adults with autism really struggle with making them a part of a social network once their children graduate from high school. Their opportunities to connect with others socially plummet once they’re on their own, and the parents are often left wondering, ‘Now what?’” said Donna Jones, a member of Connect 6 for Autism.
The idea behind Be the Change for Autism started with six members of this year’s class of Leadership Johnson County, a community program that prepares area residents for leadership roles. At the start of the program, participants break off into small groups, with each one team required to envision and enact a project that would benefit the community.
The small group that became Connect 6 for Autism discussed the causes and organizations they felt passionate about. A number of them have close connections to young people with autism.
More specifically, they understood how difficult it can be for those people, and their parents, once they are no longer in school, Jones said.
The group reached out to Higgins and the group she leads, Autism Community Connection. The nonprofit organization was born in 2005, when a group of Center Grove-area parents whose children were diagnosed with autism banded together to help one another and others. Known as the Johnson County Autism Support Group, they gained visibility through community events, fundraising walks and other programs.
But as the organization grew, they realized they could expand their services beyond just Johnson County. In 2019, the board decided to change its name to Autism Community Connection. That same year, they created one of their core programs aimed at those with autism.
The Young Adult Connection brings together individuals in small groups to socialize. Research has shown that young adults with autism who have a core group of friends are more successful and have a better overall quality of life.
In 2021, Autism Community Connection was the recipient of the Generosity Jar, a monthly collection for nonprofits organized by Main and Madison Market Cafe. The organization received more than $11,000 — an amount that let Autism Community Connection to hire a part-time program coordinator specifically for the Young Adult Connection program.
“For us as a small nonprofit, that was huge,” Higgins said. “That really helped us jumpstart that program.”
Another grant from the Johnson County Community Foundation further allowed the Young Adult Connection program to grow to include three small groups. Still, the need for this program is great among young people with autism, and more could be offered for them, Higgins said.
That’s what made Connect 6 for Autism’s offer to help so significant.
Members from the Connect 6 group contacted businesses across Johnson County, asking if they’d be willing to host a donation box through the month of April — Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. They also created a QR code that directed people to the Be the Change for Autism website, so people could also donate online.
Forty-four businesses agreed to take part.
“We are not asking the businesses to donate, per se, but if they would like to do something special and donate a portion of their profits to this cause, that would be a bonus for us,” Jones said.
Connect 6 for Autism is creating a marketing package and all of the pieces of the campaign for Autism Community Connection. The Leadership Johnson County group plans to give all of it to the organization to use moving forward.
With so many businesses taking part, Higgins is hopeful that the impact is amplified. For example, if each box brings in $100, that’s more than $4,000.
“That is going to give us what we need to build on our current programming that we can replicate in other counties and continue to serve individuals and families affected by autism,” Higgins said. “It’s just mindblowing how well this could work.”
How to Help
People can donate at any of these businesses:
- 10 Pins, Franklin
- A Piece of Cake, Greenwood
- Abby’s Closet, Greenwood
- Bargersville Wellness
- Bob-O-Link Liquors, Edinburgh
- Brave Nutrition, Trafalgar
- Chicago’s Pizza, Bargersville, Franklin and Whiteland
- Deck the Walls, Greenwood
- Dr. Bruce Records, Greenwood
- Dr. James Heck, DDS, Greenwood
- Dunn’s Hardware, Trafalgar
- Eclectic Jade, Franklin
- Energy Spot, Whiteland
- Essentials Hair Salon, Bargersville
- Flap Jacks, Greenwood
- Friend’s Diner, Whiteland
- Gateway Services, Franklin
- Greek’s Pizzeria, Franklin and Greenwood
- Grill Bar, Franklin
- Hi-Way Lanes, Franklin
- Jack’s Donuts, Franklin
- Johnson County REMC, Franklin
- Local Grind, Franklin
- Main Street Alterations, Greenwood
- Marco’s Pizza, Whiteland
- Mi Jefe Restaurante Mexicano, Trafalgar
- Milto Cleaners, Greenwood
- Mutual Savings Bank, Franklin, Greenwood and Trafalgar
- NSK, Franklin
- Rascals Fun Zone, Whiteland
- Snappy Tomato Pizza, Edinburgh
- South of Chicago Pizza, Greenwood
- Storm Chiropractic, Greenwood
- Studio 31, Whiteland
- Teresa’s Hallmark Shop, Greenwood
- uPaint Pottery Studio, Greenwood
- Whit’s Inn, Whiteland
- The Willard, Franklin
Donations can also be made at autismcc-in.org/be-the-change-for-autism
