LINCOLN PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Michigan nonprofit is equipping first responders across southeast Michigan with specialized bags designed to help people with autism stay calm during emergencies — and a grant from Ford Philanthropy is helping expand that effort.
Mimi's Mission, founded by Lisa Vilella, created the 911 Ready Bags to help people with autism who may feel overwhelmed or frightened during an emergency. Each bag contains a weighted blanket, noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys and a snack — items chosen to provide distraction and reduce anxiety in the moment.
"We wanted to make sure that whether the first responder had training or not that these bags were going to be effective," Vilella said.
"It's all about distraction and reduction of anxiety and the moment," Vilella said.
Vilella's path to founding Mimi's Mission began while she was working as an insurance agent, when she started adopting families for Christmas — including 20 families with children on the autism spectrum. What she witnessed led her to start a support group.
"And I just thought someone's has to help these people. There's too many and they're just too tired to help themselves. No start, no one knows what to do, so I started a support group," Vilella said.
In 2018, she closed her insurance agency to focus on the nonprofit full time. The idea for the 911 Ready Bags was sparked by a young man in her support group named Danny.
"His name was Danny. He was big, 6'2", 6'3", 400 pounds, non-verbal, and I was afraid for Danny's life because if anybody were to encounter him I was afraid he would have gotten hurt," Vilella said.
A grant from Ford Philanthropy is now helping support Mimi's Mission, supplying 250 bags to police and fire departments downriver.
Lincoln Park Police is one of the latest departments to receive the bags, with one now in every patrol vehicle. Sgt. Sean Nicklas said the bags give officers the tools they need when responding to calls involving autism.
"The bag are just giving out guys the tools and essentials they need when they're dealing with these interactions," Nicklas said.
Nicklas said officers have already seen how the bags can help.
"There was a young man with autism that had locked his mom out of the house," Nicklas said.
"The mom had exited the home and we used one of our 911 bags in order to lure them out of the house and have a positive outcome instead of it could have been a negative outcome," Nicklas said.
For families of people with autism, knowing first responders carry those tools can bring peace of mind. Janie Cook, who has two sons with autism, said she feels reassured knowing first responders are better equipped.
"I feel like the first responders are now trained and equipped with resources to help me and to help the public understand my sons," Cook said.
Vilella said the goal is to give first responders more ways to help — and give people with autism a better chance of feeling safe when they need it most.
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