Family with Special Needs are in Dire Needs

Hello, my name is Joe Szivan. I am fundraising for the Frye family. They are a kind and caring family, mother Candi ,father Daren, and son DJ. They own, operate, and reside at DJ’s Russell City Store. The Frye’s bought the local business to move their son, who has autism, out to a place where he could thrive, and they could earn a living while caring for him. And that is the reason for the launch of this fundraising campaign. They are in danger of losing their store. It is their business and their home and even more than that, it is the respite of safety and security that has given their child a fighting chance at living an enriched life in his own home.

This is a FAMILY with a SPECIAL NEEDS son that is in DIRE NEED of VERY SPECIAL HELP.

Their son DJ is the very reason they decided to take such a plunge. You see, DJ has a deep level of autism that makes it challenging to provide care under normal circumstances. He is a strapping young man, fast and strong, and requires constant round the clock care by at least one of his parents, and often both. He can become agitated and lash out, he can run off, and he can stay up multiple nights in a row too. It can be exhausting and unpredictable to provide constant care for a child with severe autism and can sometimes make you feel like you have no answers. As DJ got older, it made sense for the Frye's to look into buying a place where they could take turns working and caring for their son, where DJ could even help with tasks and activities, and where he could have space to just be himself. There is one thing that really helps keep DJ in a centered place and be peaceful inside his mind. That is the rumble and speed of ATVs! So, they got the idea and opportunity to purchase a store in the Alleghenies of PA, where they could rent ATVs, sell hot food to hunters, provide supplies to campers, and have events supporting the special needs community.

And they did just that. And thrived. Until the last couple of years of stunted tourist visitations and health related restrictions, they had built the business into a community gem. This is not the story of a failed business; this is still a successful business. One that has the respect of the ATV community, the special needs community, the local folk, the hunters, the campers, the anglers, and so many more.

We are trying to raise $30,000 for the Frye family to be able to buy out the land contract, giving them autonomy and the ability to stock the shelves, dust off the ATVs and get this fine business going again. This is a onetime ask, meaning that this amount of money will solve the current problems and secure the future for the family. This is not a call for charity. THIS IS A CALL FOR INVESTMENT. This $30,000 is an investment into good people and back into the area they live in and its residents too. How many lives are touched by the feeling of that ATV therapy that centers DJ? Hundreds? How many people roll through the area and buy goods and food? Thousands? How many people with disabilities have they helped to explore something new? Counting my son (who also has deep autism), at least one. They even offer a pro bono service towing people out of the back country when they get in over their heads!

These are good people. They are deserving of this help. And they have limited options left for their son’s stability and their livelihood. If you were ever looking for that “real life movie-esque save-the-farm” moment, this is it. It may be technically a store, but if we can all donate a few bucks, pass this fundraising campaign around, and pull together, we can save DJ’s Russell City Store, and the Frye family too.