By Kenneth Books
The Ground Up Project, an organization designed to find homes for adults who have autism, plans a unique event next month to raise funds to further that goal. And it promises to be a “wacky” and “crazy” time.
“This is our inaugural marquee event,” said spokesperson Lisa Pitell. “We’re throwing a ball and we’ll judge the wackiest, craziest outfit to christen the wacky, tacky king and queen.”
The Ground Up Project has operated for a little more than two years. Its founders describe it as a “think tank” project.
“What about when the kids with autism are adults?”asked project board member Kendra Brownlee. She said Project members examined facilities for grownups with autism and “what we saw, we didn’t like. There was nothing to hope for.”
According to thegroundupproject.org, only 7% of adults with autism have access to living outside their family home, 48 percent of them report feeling lonely and no living situations are available in our area for individuals with special needs to live independent, fulfilled and happy lives.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain.
People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests.
Common signs of autism in adults include finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling, getting very anxious about social situations, finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on one’s own, seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to, finding it hard express feelings, taking things very literally – for example, not understanding sarcasm or phrases like “break a leg” and having the same routine every day and getting very anxious if it changes.
“Even when a child accomplishes something he didn’t do in the past, it opens up new challenges,” Project board member Eric Hambright told Life Media in 2023. If Ground Up Project is successful in creating this facility, he said, “there will be plenty of demand.”
The group’s concept includes not only a standard facility with plenty of amenities and first-class care, but a community of group homes and apartments, each suited to individual residents’ needs and desires. According to the group’s presentation to the commissioners, the facility will have a support staff onsite 24/7, along with security measures on multiple levels. Each residence will be centered around an activities center, furthering residents’ bonds with the community, sense of belonging and opportunity to be socially active.
“To my knowledge, between Pensacola and Panama City, there’s nothing like we’re contemplating,” says Lisa Pitell. “We’re trying to establish a real community.”
The goal is to establish a facility that will enable adults to live a little more freely,” says Project board member Kendra Brownlee.
“We want to ensure people like us don’t have to worry about people not doing what we planned to do,” Hambright says.
The gala event is scheduled for Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort. Ground Up hopes to see 150 individuals attending. Tickets for the event, which has been in the planning stages for about six months, Pitell said, are $150 per person. All proceeds will go toward a residential facility for adults with autism.
A disc jockey will be on hand, as will a photo booth, entertainment and a silent auction. Also provided will be heavy hors d’oeuvres.
“We’re hoping to sell out,” said Pitell. “This is our first year, so we don’t have any kind of expectations.”
The organizers hope to see outfits that are “the most outrageous or the silliest that we’ve ever seen,” Pitell said. “Of course, it’s not required that people dress up, but the goal is to get as many people participating as possible. Dress can be casual or formal. People can come with whatever level of dress they want.”
Some VIP judges have already been set: The event’s platinum sponsor, Life Media and another event sponsor.
For more information on the Ground Up Project, visit TheGroundUpProject.org.
