Support Crystal Rosenbaum's "Autism Mama" Non-Profit

My name is Crystal Rosenbaum and I am a wife to Jesse and mother of 3 children. I have been married for 11 years and have been blessed to be a mama for the last 5 years. We have a son Wesley (5), daughter Grace (3), and son Benjamin (5 months). Our family originally lived in Arizona and in August 2022 our family moved across the country to Winter Haven, FL. We moved here without any family or friends but it was going to be a new adventure for our family.

I've been lucky to be a stay-at-home mom to our littles since the birth of our first, but it was definitely an adjustment when moving out of state. Luckily, in a search for Awana locations for our oldest that month, I stumbled across Heartland Church and Heartland Moms here in Winter Haven. I had no idea how important these interactions would be to me in the future. I am blessed with the friendships I have made while being here and I know they have been built on a solid foundation. As the kids and I joined more and more playdates and events I started to realize that Wesley may be on the Autism Spectrum. I hadn't really noticed prior that it could be more than his initial speech delay that he had at the time. It took awhile to go through the initial emotions and process of getting the ball rolling, but in September 2023 we were able to receive his official diagnosis.

Wesley is absolutely brilliant. He has been reading and spelling since two years old and has always had a fondness for letters, flashcards and the solar system. Even with all of these amazing things we see him accomplish every day, it definitely still has been a lot to take on. I think consistently about his future and what that will entail. I also am taking him to therapies multiple times weekly whereas other children may be on their way to sporting practices and clubs.

I was having an emotional time at one point a few months ago and was talking to my husband Jesse and he suggested I look into finding an Autism parent support group. It was so simple, but somehow I hadn't even thought of it. I started researching anything remotely available nearby but was out of luck. There weren't really any groups anywhere nearby. The majority were Facebook groups online. After being a part of Heartland Moms, I knew the importance of in person interactions and how beneficial they could be. I called my mom, who I speak to daily via Facetime and phone calls, since she lives in California. She is a member of a support group for caregivers for loved ones with Dementia and they meet monthly. Since moving in with my grandmother who has Dementia a few years ago and caring for her during this stage of her life, she knows the importance of being with people who understand and share your frustrations, wins, and local resources. She had casually mentioned, "well you could start your own at a Starbucks or somewhere nearby," and instantly I knew that was God's plan. I told my mom, "Sorry mom, I've got to go start this right now! Talk to you tomorrow!" That's all it took. I got to work and started my Facebook group 'Autism Mama Support Group' that night and started spreading the word of my intention to start in-person meetings two times a month and the response was overwhelming.

Since June 23, 2024 we have already grown to 153 local mamas, grandmas, and other female caregivers within our group. We have children with Autism ranging all the way into their early 30s! It's so important to have these different age ranges because even when someone with a disability is an adult, it doesn't mean the need for support for them and their family goes away. Our Facebook group is for communicating, sharing resources and events, however our main priority is our in-person meetings. We have a wonderful event hall owner, Stacey, where we host our meetings. She has been such a blessing, and I know God put us in contact with each other for a reason.

I have found in the last couple months, most women are asking for a judgement free place to be vulnerable, share the good bad and the ugly, and ultimately know they are not alone. We need that village that most people are missing.

The event hall where we host our meetings can hold up to 140 people at a time and since she runs a business purely for events, we have access to tables, chairs, linens etc. for any event we may want to host. The possibilities are endless.

This group has been lifechanging for me and it makes me want to continue to improve our current processes. I want to do additional outreach to get in contact with other caregivers that don't have this support system. I want to be able to increase awareness about Autism and our Autism Mama Support Group(s). I would love to provide events for our families in the area, a childcare option during meetings, additional meeting dates/times, work with organizations to provide workshops and trainings and so on. I just want our group to help in any way it can.

In order to do these things and to start more formal outreach, marketing, and fundraising, I decided I would love to turn this into an official Non-Profit. It would be an honor to bring these groups and services to any area where we are able in the future.

If you feel led, I am starting this GoFundMe to cover the initial costs of forming our Autism Mama Non-Profit. This will include the basic non-profit business formation, state filing, the IRS 501c3 application, and any other associated startup costs.

Please do not feel obligated to donate to this cause, however I do ask that you share this link if you're comfortable. I also ask that if you are not familiar with Autism or any other disabilities that you come across, that you begin to educate yourself and support how you can. Let's become that village we all desperately need.