When 17-year-old Jack Cullen began to notice people on streets holding signs requesting donations, food, or jobs, he started asking questions. He wanted to understand why they didn’t have food or jobs. He wondered whether they had homes or other belongings. The growing concern that Jack displayed led his Autism Support Professional, Holly, to ask him whether he would like to help people with these kinds of needs. Jack enthusiastically embraced the idea, and together, they began looking for ways that they could serve people whose most basic needs were unmet.
After doing their research, Jack and Holly chose to become involved with the local food bank, but it was in an old warehouse that did not have air conditioning, and the noise from the machinery was very loud. This environment presented a variety of sensory challenges that could have prevented Jack, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, from becoming involved. But instead of allowing those barriers to limit Jack, Holly helped him find a different approach. Instead of doing work inside the food bank, after food was already collected, Jack worked with Holly on a plan for his own food drive. This allowed him to collect and sort the food in a suitable environment, before delivering it to the food bank.
Together, Holly and Jack created flyers and collection bins for the food drive. Jack named his endeavor Chef Pepper Jack’s Food Drive, based on his favorite game, Skylanders. Holly coached him on how to talk to family, friends, and community members to solicit donations. He passed out flyers and set up collection bins, and it wasn’t long before donations starting coming in! As his box filled, he sorted the donations, loaded the boxes into the car, and, with Holly’s help, took them to the food bank. Jack also sent handwritten thank-you cards to friends and family who had made donations.
So far, Jack has made three trips to the food bank, with his biggest donation weighing in at 120 pounds! Jack’s original goal was to collect 500 pounds, but when asked whether he plans to keep the food drive going, he answered, “Yes! Absolutely!”
The Autism Society of NC provides a variety of community-based services that enable individuals with ASD not only to receive the day-to-day support they need and to gain valuable skills, but also to find and engage in opportunities to become involved in their communities in a meaningful way. Jack’s story is just one example of how ASNC is committed to empowering individuals to connect with others and achieve goals that bring them personal satisfaction and purpose. Learn more here or contact us at 800-442-2762.
Tags: ASNC, autism, autism society of NC, Autism Society of North Carolina, Autism spectrum, Autism Spectrum Disorders, autism support, autism support professional Go back