02/20/2026
Happy Birthday Jamieeee! 🎉🥳
Almost six years ago, I posted on Instagram asking who would come volunteer with me in Morocco with Autism’s Dunya… and I wasn’t really expecting anyone to respond. But Jamie was in. We went on a several-week adventure that would change both of our lives. An adventure that very much paved the way for what would later become Little Mittens- although we may not have known it at the time.
We traveled across the world together to a continent we’ve never been to before — navigating ice-cold showers, new foods, a new language, locking the apartment keys inside (and getting yelled at for it), meeting new people, and solving brand-new problems every single day — working side by side to support families and figure it all out together.
I’ll never forget moving from house to house with a suitcase full of toys, sitting on floors with families, sharing everything we had — tips, tricks, encouragement, hope. We showed up with our whole hearts. We worked together, meeting the families where they were, and empowering them with practical tools.
And now here we are, six years later, using those very lessons and experiences to support families here in Michigan. What started as a leap of faith across the world has grown into a mission at home — and I’m forever grateful that I get to do this work alongside you - even on days (or weeks) that feel like a roller coaster that we can’t get off.
Here’s to you, to the journey that started with a “I’m in,” and to all the lives we’ll continue to impact together. 💜✨
-Emily
