YORK, Pa. — One in 44 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, according to the latest CDC statistics.
In Central Pennsylvania, Autism York is doing its part to help support these individuals and their families.
Michael Saxmann was diagnosed with autism when he was 16 years old.
Now he's giving back to others who share the same challenges.
“The person before me helped me out with this and helped me get to these events so I return the favor and I want to help people," said Saxmann.
Michael is a volunteer with Autism York.
The non-profit organization brings individuals with autism - and their families - together through different events and support groups.
“We give the opportunity for individuals with autism to come together and have those shared experiences and just spend time together," said Julie Rasmuson, president of Autism York.
Autism York has been a part of the community for 15 years, and has grown to serve nearly 10,000 people across the region.
The organization is run by volunteers and funded completely by community donations.
That's why Rasmuson says money from "Give Local York" is so crucial.
“We have very little overhead since we’re volunteer-run," she explained. "Everything that we bring in goes right back into our autism community."
The funding especially helped through the COVID-19 pandemic, which made holding in-person fundraisers a challenge.
“We would not have been able to survive and continue to run our programming without the funding and support we’ve received from ‘Give Local’ as well as the local community," said Rasmuson.
With the community's help, Autism York hopes to continue supporting the local autism community for years to come.
“You get out of the house, you get to meet different people, you get to interact, you get to go different places, I just love doing it," said Saxmann.
On May 6, from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., donors can visit this link to support local nonprofits in and around York County.
To learn more about Autism York, you can visit the non-profit's website.
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