July 23, 2026 - In June, Uniting Pieces (a ministry of Center Missionary Baptist Church) received an application for assistance from a Shelby County resident who is the sole provider for a family member with autism. The applicant requested both prayer and financial support to enroll their family member in the Helping House, a private, non-profit early intervention center in Nacogdoches for children with autism and developmental delays. The Uniting Pieces review board reviewed the application, evaluated the household income, conducted in-person interviews with the caregiver and the child, and ultimately approved the request for funds on July 22, 2026. A check in the amount of $12,600 was issued to The Helping House in the form of a scholarship in the name of this student. Upon receiving the news, the caregiver responded, “Thank GOD and thank you Uniting Pieces and Center Missionary Baptist Church!” The total tuition is $19,800 for the school year with the remaining balance covered by other scholarships and fundraising done at the Helping House.
In May, Uniting Pieces awarded a scholarship to another Shelby County resident to attend the 8-week summer program offered by the Helping House. This program ensures that students with autism who have gained skills throughout the school year do not regress over the summer break and lose those learned skills.
Uniting Pieces can help people with autism in more ways than just access to specialized education. The ministry can also assist with the cost of care items, such as electronic devices that generate speech for non-verbal individuals, flashcards with words and pictures to aid in communication, sensory items such as noise cancelling headphones or ear buds, weighted blankets, and more. In addition to financial assistance, Uniting Pieces also offers the opportunity to request prayer, or for caregivers to participate in a support group.
In April, Uniting Pieces held its first annual Superheroes for Autism 5K, which raised over $30,000 to assist Shelby County residents with autism in their development of foundational skills, including self-care, language and communication, independent work, and peer tolerance. Over half of the funds raised in April 2026 have been used to accomplish these goals. Next year’s Superheroes for Autism 5K is scheduled for Saturday, April 17, 2027. We hope to have an even bigger event, and we will need the continued support of this loving community to sponsor and donate so that this ministry can keep helping families in need.
For more information on Uniting Pieces, click here
For more information on the Helping House, click here
