“We met families that were already Help Hope Live clients plus some who needed the extra nudge…”
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: we love Abilities Expos!
Here are a few highlights from our experiences at Abilities Expo Dallas from December 5 to 7, 2025 with Sonny Mullen, our Director of Outreach, and Andy Zimmer, our Spinal Cord Injury Outreach Representative.
An Epic Fundraising Follow-Up
“Jamie was excited to tell us that she had raised enough for a van through Help Hope Live.”
We interviewed client Jamie Carlson in January 2025 about her unique approach to fundraising as the “Cerebral Palsy Quilter.”
Jamie shared that she struggled to make the transition to using a wheelchair full time. She was used to making accommodations to do what she wanted to do living with a disability—so Jamie decided one way to combat her mental and physical challenges was to immerse herself in a new hobby.
She started quilting and “fell in love with the colors and patterns.” That artistry became a pathway to creative fundraising with Help Hope Live.
Jamie learned about us at an Abilities Expo event in 2023, so we were truly overjoyed to hear that 2 years later, she had achieved her first fundraising goal with the help of her friends, family members, and TikTok followers.
She had raised $19,000 when we interviewed her in January. Eleven months later, her campaign shows over $27,000 raised:
Workshops and Words of Hope
“We had the opportunity to speak twice throughout the weekend in front of a crowd excited to learn more about fundraising in their communities.”
Two workshops in one weekend! We’re thankful for the chance to showcase how we can help Abilities Expo attendees fundraise for everything they need to heal, live, and thrive—including a lot of the exceptional equipment and resources they find at these events.
Sometimes it’s the little things that make outreach opportunities memorable. We loved getting this note after one of our workshops:
For First-Timers and Never-Miss-Its Alike
“Some attendees were there to look at vans, wheelchairs, or service dogs. Others were attending for the first time to see what the community has to offer.”
One of the folks attending their first full Abilities Expo experience was Andy!
A sincere thank-you to everyone who helped bring Abilities Expo Dallas to life. We hope this spirited and hope-filled gathering is a sign of what’s to come for our Outreach team and our entire community in 2026.
