A $6,500 grant awarded to a Wimauma nonprofit in late 2025 is funding community outings for neurodivergent children in southern Hillsborough County. The first event: a Feb. 28 bowling trip at The Alley at Southshore in Riverview, where 11 children and their families practiced everyday skills while counselors observed.

The outing was organized by Inspira Tampa Bay's H.E.L.P. Program, which provides personalized counseling and support for children with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, sensory sensitivities, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities and developmental delays. The nonprofit, headquartered at 707 West Lake Drive in Wimauma, focuses on families in Ruskin, Apollo Beach and surrounding communities.

"We take the children, along with their parents and siblings, out into the community so they can experience new environments and practice everyday life skills," said Luz Gaona, founder and CEO of Inspira Tampa Bay. "Whether it's waiting in line, taking turns, moving from one activity to the next or staying safe, these outings give us a chance to see families using the tools they've learned in counseling, while supporting their children in real time."

The grant came from 100 Women Who Care Southshore, awarded in the fourth quarter of 2025. All 11 participating children, ages 3 to 8, attended free with their families.

Gaona said the outings give counselors something a routine trip to the grocery store cannot. During everyday errands, counselors must rely on parent feedback at the next session. At a structured community event, they can watch families apply therapeutic strategies firsthand.

Among the participants was 7-year-old Nevaeh Arroyo, an H.E.L.P. Program enrollee whose 3-year-old brother, Michael, came along for support. Volunteer Jocelyn Torres helped Michael lift a bowling ball during the event. Torres also registered 7-year-old Ellie Garcia, another program participant.

Ellie was diagnosed with autism at an early age. In separate coverage of another Inspira program, her father, Armando Garcia, told Bay News 9 in March that the family discovered she did not talk when she was 2 years old. With speech therapy through Inspira, she has since learned to communicate.

The need for specialized services is significant across the county. About 35,000 Hillsborough County students, roughly 15% of the student population, have individualized education programs, according to Janine Stewart, a doctor at Easterseals School for Limitless Learning. Inspira Tampa Bay focuses on families in the county's southern communities who may lack access to those services.

The nonprofit operates solely on private donations and organizational gifts. Its team includes speech-language pathologists, occupational therapy practitioners and community volunteers. Additional community immersion outings are planned for 2026, though specific dates have not been announced. Details are at inspiratampabay.org.