08/30/2026
❤️ EVERY ENCOUNTER MATTERS — AND TRAINING MATTERS.
This is worth the read and support!!🥰
Every so often, I want to use this group to shine a light on people and organizations doing work that can truly change lives. Today, I want to reintroduce you to my dear friends Autumn and Chris Timmins and their nonprofit, Preston’s Pursuit for Acceptance (PPA).
This mission hits very close to home for me.
As a mom of two now-adult sons who have traveled their own journeys with autism, I know firsthand that someone may communicate, process fear, respond to touch, or react to a stressful situation very differently than we might expect.
And through the work I do every day with seniors and families, I see similar challenges when first responders encounter someone living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
Just a few days ago, I was helping a gentleman with mid-to-late-stage Alzheimer’s who had experienced a change in condition. He is a big, physically healthy man, and we needed first responders to help us safely get him to the hospital.
Unfortunately, the first responders who arrived did not have the specialized training needed for someone in his condition, and the situation escalated when it didn’t need to.
It stayed with me.
I want to be VERY clear: I have tremendous respect for our first responders. I have many dear friends who serve, and throughout my years working with families, I have watched first responders handle incredibly difficult situations with compassion, professionalism and grace. They walk into situations every single day without knowing what is waiting on the other side of that door.
That’s exactly why this training matters.
We can support our first responders AND give them more tools.
Chris and Autumn understand both sides of this issue in a way few people can.
Their son Preston was diagnosed with autism at five years old. Autumn became a fierce advocate determined to make sure people saw Preston’s potential—not simply a diagnosis.
Chris spent 25 years in law enforcement.
Together, they recognized a gap: first responders needed more specialized, real-world education for interactions involving individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.
And Preston’s Pursuit for Acceptance was born. ❤️
Their mission is to equip first responders with knowledge, skills and practical tools that can help prevent misunderstandings, reduce escalation and create safer outcomes—for the individual, their family AND the first responder.
One of Autumn’s messages says it beautifully:
“Understanding comes before judgment, acceptance comes before assumptions, and education helps prevent fear.”
THIS is why I believe in what they are doing.
As the number of families navigating autism, developmental disabilities, dementia and other cognitive or communication differences continues to touch our communities, this type of education isn’t simply “nice to have.”
It matters.
And now we have an opportunity to support them! ❤️
🌽 Preston’s Pursuit for Acceptance Co****le Tournament
📅 Sunday, November 15
📍 HD South — Gilbert
⏰ Games begin at 2:30 PM
💵 $25 per person to play
Come play, bring the family, learn about their mission or simply support an organization doing incredibly important work in our community.
Please take a few minutes to learn about Preston’s Pursuit, follow them, share their mission, support their fundraiser or connect them with a first responder agency that could benefit from their training.
https://prestonspursuit.org/
Sometimes changing an outcome begins with simply understanding the person standing in front of us. ❤️
