Help Autism Center and RiseUP: Connecting Colorado Families With Support
Knowing that support exists and knowing where to begin are two different things. For a family looking for autism resources or disability services, a useful introduction can be a meaningful first step. Our partnership with Help Autism Center brings that idea into the RiseUP Elevation Challenge: move with purpose, share trusted resources, and help others discover organizations that may be relevant to their lives.
The September campaign is an opportunity to raise support, but also to make our community’s network of resources more visible. A donation invitation can start a conversation about acceptance, access, and the kinds of support families are looking for.
Get to know Help Autism Center
Help Autism Center focuses on awareness, acceptance, inclusion, and connecting people affected by autism and other disabilities with resources and support. Its website describes advocacy, referral assistance, and coordination with public and private organizations.
That role matters to the story of this collaboration. Instead of presenting every organization as offering the same service, we can help readers understand where different kinds of support fit. A resource connection, an educational setting, and ongoing support at home serve different purposes.
The partner’s website is the place to explore its current activities and ask about available assistance. Families can use this introduction to explore relevant resources and start a conversation about their own priorities.
Why this partnership makes sense for RiseUP
At RiseUP, we support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, educational, and community programs. Our Adult Family Caregiver Program provides support for care within the family home, while Talk to a Guide offers a starting point for questions about services.
For someone searching for autism resources in Colorado Springs or disability support in the Denver area, these are different pathways to investigate. Needs, eligibility, and program fit are personal; discovering one organization does not automatically mean enrolling in another.
Our fundraising collaboration creates room for those introductions. Help Autism supporters can learn about RiseUP’s work, while RiseUP’s community can learn about Help Autism’s focus on acceptance and connections to resources.
Choose a challenge and a cause
During September 1-30, 2026, participants in the RiseUP Elevation Challenge work toward 5,000 feet of elevation or 15 miles of distance. Participants can walk, hike, run, climb, stroll, or roll according to the campaign’s activity and accessibility guidance.
Choose Help Autism from the participating nonprofit options when registering. Half of the proceeds raised through your personal campaign page support your selected nonprofit under the challenge’s published fundraising model.
The movement goal gives you a reason to check in with your community throughout the month. Your fundraising message gives those updates a purpose beyond the numbers.
Make your message personal and respectful
A helpful page does not need to share someone’s diagnosis or private family history. You might explain that you believe families deserve easier access to information, or that acceptance should be reflected in everyday community life. Keep the story yours to tell, and ask permission before sharing anyone else’s experience.
Then include a clear request: donate through your page, share it with a friend, or join your team. Our fundraising outreach guide can help you organize a first message and follow-up.
You can support inclusion without taking the physical challenge
Donating and sharing are meaningful ways to take part. You can support a fundraiser, introduce a friend to Help Autism Center, or pass along RiseUP’s guidance page to someone who has asked for disability-service information.
Visit the campaign to participate or support a fundraiser, and explore Help Autism Center’s resources. The goal is not simply more activity during September. It is a community better connected to the people and organizations within it.
