GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Samantha Robbins says her life has changed ever since her little sister Maggie Paiz was diagnosed with autism.
"It was the reason I started advocating for her because everyone around me didn't quite know what autism was. And I also, as a seven-year-old, didn't really know. And so I started educating myself and those around me," Robbins told FOX 17 News.
Robbins grew up supporting Maggie and raising awareness in any way she could.
"It was always a dream of mine. When I was growing up, I would create fundraisers in high school, I would design T-shirts and sell them to classmates and teachers, and then take the money and help teachers in the community that had special needs classrooms that needed extra things," she explained. "People should just be aware of these amazing individuals and how they work and how, you know, they want to be incorporated into everyday life. And they should be accepted, you know, within the communities...they are also human beings that need to be cared for and loved."
During the pandemic, Robbins took her efforts further by establishing Maguire's Purpose.
"It came to be kind of during quarantine. I ended up using the marketing background to help other nonprofits in the area and around the world. And then I kind of realized that it was maybe time to start my own. And so we use Maggie's name, which is Maguire, and then purpose because everyone has a purpose in life."
The nonprofit aims to help kids and young adults with autism and special needs by funding therapy and needed accommodations, while also providing acceptance and support.
"Our goal is to help one person at a time," she said. "We recognize that everyone's needs are different. And with each task that we are going to do, we hope that we can give them a better quality of life... I hope that it grows and hope that I can help as many people as I can."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 36 kids in the U.S. is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
April is Autism Acceptance Month.
To learn more about Maguire's Purpose visit the nonprofit's Instagram @Maguirespurpose, website or Facebook page.
