Providing Resources and Tools for Children with Autism 

By: Taylor Mabrey, Content Manager 

When Jomaira and Andrew Ortiz’s son Aaron received an Autism diagnosis before the age of two, they did not realize the waiting game they were about to face. The couple found themselves helplessly waiting over a year to begin therapy for Aaron, though they were eager to get their son the tools he needed to thrive. 

As they talked to more and more families and learned more about how crucial those early development years are, Jomaira and Andrew realized their situation was not isolated – families throughout Charlotte and across the country experience the same waitlists and unanswered questions. 

The couple founded Rooted Hearts Ministries in 2022 to provide tools and resources to support families of newly diagnosed children while they wait for therapy to begin. 

Rooted Hearts Ministries is a First-Year grantee in United Way of Greater Charlotte’s Unite Charlotte initiative, founded in 2016 to provide unrestricted funding and capacity-building programs to local grassroots organizations.  

“I wanted to create some kind of solution, even though the bigger issue wasn’t going to be fixed overnight. I thought, ‘What can we do in the interim?’ And that’s where the sensory toolbox was birthed, which is our main project,” Co-Founder and Executive Director Jomaira Ortiz said. 

Jomaira describes the toolboxes as “therapy in a box.” She and Andrew connected with licensed occupational therapists to develop The Rooted Hearts Autism Toolbox, which is a curated gift box filled with toys, gadgets and education for families on how to leverage those tools and other best practices at home while they’re waiting for therapy to start.  

“The toolboxes are individualized, because no two kids are ever the same, and so we collaborate with the parents to be able to create these awesome toolboxes for the children that meet their special needs and interests,” Ortiz said. 

“Ensuring that we understand who the child is, what they like, and then including something to reflect that in the box, really helps the child feel seen. It’s an experience from the moment they receive it to the moment that they open it. Everything is very intentional in how we put the toolbox together.” 

The toolboxes are free to families with newly diagnosed children ranging between the ages of zero and eight, and they are available to families across the country and even beyond the United States.  

Aside from the toolboxes, Jomaira and her team piloted two new initiatives in 2024. The first is Sensory Autism Play Date, which involves creating more inclusive, sensory play spaces for children with Autism to be able to safely play with other children. The second is creating more community-based spaces for the parents of children with autism to be able to connect in more social settings – so they can get to know each other better, share challenges, wins and build community with one another. 

“Rooted Hearts will be here as long as God allows us to be in existence, but the parents will always be there, right? So having your own community to lean on is so important,” Ortiz said. 

Being able to lean on a community is one of the reasons Ortiz appreciates being a part of Unite Charlotte, as she has gained a number of connections and relationships through the initiative. 

“There is not a number or price I can put on the relationships that we have gained with other organizations, other coaches and other founders. The connections United Way has are so deeply rooted into the Charlotte community, and it shows,” Ortiz said. 

Receiving funds from United Way has also allowed Ortiz and her team to hire a professional CPA firm to assist with their financials, which Ortiz described as a huge help.   

“Those are just a couple of ways that we have been so blessed by our relationship with United Way,” Ortiz said. 

Looking ahead, Rooted Hearts Ministries would like to continue providing sensory toolboxes to families and hopefully expand their reach even further. Ortiz would also like to expand her two newly piloted initiatives to continue building community for families with diagnosed children as well as safe spaces for those children to play and have fun together. 

Rooted Hearts Ministries regularly brings volunteers together to assemble toolboxes, write encouragement cards and pray for each recipient by name. This combination of hands-on service and heart-centered ministry is what sets Rooted Hearts Ministries apart.  

It’s not just about providing tools and resources – it’s about providing hope, community and dignity in a time that can often feel unknown and overwhelming. 

Learn more about the Unite Charlotte initiative.