Meet Mireya Martinez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mireya Martinez.  

Hi Mireya, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
The “Just 4 Me” Non-Profit Organization came about when the Founder, Mireya Martinez, myself, who has a young adult daughter, Bianca, with special needs, was faced like many families in the disabled community as to what will happen once their loved one’s aged out of Special Ed. Many of these young adults get their socialization, confidence, and independence through the school for many years. The question many parents asks themselves, “What will happen when my loved one graduates or ages out of the school system. How will they keep their social and independent skills growing?” 

I am very passionate in my belief that it takes just one person to care! One person that sees the need that surrounds the communities we live in! One person that feels the heartache and frustrations that a human being is going through just because they behave or act differently than society is used to. One person that will hear the voice of the unspoken word hidden inside their peers because there is no sound coming from their mouth, but their hearts say it all! Empowering the special needs community of young adults to seek their potential, however it may look for each individual or how long it may take is a reward of life in itself! Helping parents advocate for their loved ones and helping them find resources is a game changer for them in every positive way! 

It does take a village because it is impossible to do it alone, but it just takes one voice to get things started. I wanted to ensure that my daughter and all the young adults with special needs had a place to continue to grow, be themselves, and meet and develop new friendships that can last a lifetime. So, I put my passion to work and created the “Just 4 Me” to help other parents and their young adults. 

We started in 2018 started with 4 young adults and the parents just getting together and hanging out. Word of mouth spread, and we started having other families that wanted to join. In December 2020, through the pandemic, we became a legal non-profit since it started to grow rapidly. As of today, we are currently with a membership count of 20 young adults and counting. We have a couple of meetings with potential new members this week. 

It is opened to any young adult with a learning disability or a physical handicap ages 18 and up. There is no cost to join or become a member; it is completely free. All counties are welcome!!! 

I was asked once, “Why is the Just 4 Me so important to the special needs community?” Great question. 

The reason our nonprofit started was because of the “lack of” more diverse social programs for young adults with special needs once they either aged out of special ed or out of an academic program. There are many early-on, adolescents, and preteens programs, but when it comes to the young adults/adults with special needs the variety of programs are very limited. Although some of these programs are free, our families do not have the financial means to travel to far places to take their loves ones to those programs. Many have a long waiting list, or you have to wait to get a scholarship for financial help. 

The “Just 4 Me” Nonprofit Organization gives families the ability to have their loved ones who are young adults with special needs the opportunity to be a part of a community with their peers without worrying how they will pay for it or if they will be accepted due to their differences. Finances is one of the biggest barriers for some of the families we serve which hinders the young adults to be able to continue to develop life skills. Our nonprofit gives the families the sense of comfort knowing that we understand all so well their challenges and are here to give support in any way possible including not having to pay for membership. 

The reason we are important in the special needs community is because we are comprised of families who all have a loved one with special needs that are young adults and need a program geared towards their continued development. We are trying to create opportunities for young adults with special needs and/or disabilities to live their lives to the fullest. We continue to help them become active members in the communities that they live in. That is what we offer to the special needs community we consider family! 

Our mission is to create a community of young adults with all forms of special needs whose common goals are to continue developing their social and independence skills, enhance confidence, have fun, and develop friendships that might last a lifetime! Our organization helps these young adults go out in the communities they live in and volunteer so that they can be seen, respected, heard (even when there are no words)! Our mission is to bring awareness and educate communities through events that we put together, giving them the opportunity to speak with our young adults and their families. I guarantee anyone, once the communities get to know the young adults in their neighborhoods and their families, trying for inclusion will be a thing of the past!!!

We have developed activities to help them with their continued social skills by way of Zoom meetings weekly. That way we can stay connected, and they feel valued. We go on outings and have events in the spring, summer and fall seasons. Some of our past events have consisted of Glam Photo Shoots, Picnic in the Park, Theatrical Role Playing, Karaoke Nights, Bowling, Zumba, etc. We are working on developing volunteering opportunities by reaching out to community leaders, etc. We have developed a mentoring system for life skills. We developed a “parent support group” to help support the parents with all the curves life throws at them in their journey with their loved ones. We want to create a village of support and strength! 

The sole vision of our non-profit is the young adults. The vision is making sure our young adults get a fair chance at opportunities that they deserve and need to enhance their daily lives! To be as productive as much as possible for them in this place called Life! We want to bring awareness to the communities, which will in turn, develop possibilities of inclusion for our disabled community. We want to develop a place where the young adults can feel supported and know that there is a village of communities that value and respect them! We are creating a space of respect for one another and a sense of belonging no matter the differences or diagnosis! They don’t need to be fixed like many in society think. They need to be understood, seen, heard, guided, and given the chance to let their potential shine!!! 

Our biggest goal is to have our own building where we can continue to create programs of life and social skill building. 

Our second biggest goal is to be able to own 2 sprinters coach buses, handicapped accessible. 

Some of our families do not have the financial means to be able to take their loved ones to all the events. Although, for now, we have phenomenal parents that help in carpooling, it is not always possible for them to do so. 

Having consistent donors would help immensely in this area. We need donations and people willing on taking a chance on these young adults that live in all of our communities. We have been blessed to receive some donations from families and non-profits helping ones starting up. We are extremely grateful for each and every donation we have gotten up to here! But we need more generous donations to help us reach our goals. We will not give up and continue towards reaching the goals. 

We will be celebrating our 5-year anniversary on September 9, 2023! I pray that we can put this together and find donors that will sponsor it!!! 

Thank you for taking time to have me answer these interview questions. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity bestowed upon us!!! Sorry, I wrote so much. This is the first time I’ve had to do this!! 

Mireya Martinez 

(313) 720-9700 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The most challenging part of our nonprofit is finding people that would like to dedicate time in helping out in the administration level. Many parents work, and the ones that are retired have a lot going on in their daily lives. Although we have a great team of parents who are always helping in the background, and they are front and center, we need help in the office part. 

We just developed a new Board, and it is phenomenal, but we are in a dire need of an administrative assistant. We need someone that can make sure the calls and emails are answered in a timely fashion, etc. We had a phenomenal young lady who was great, but unfortunately, like all things, she has gotten an opportunity to get a promotion at work with way more responsibilities. We are proud of her! 

We are in need of a social media person that can make sure to keep all of our platforms busy and up running. People not knowing about us is the hardest thing right now. The administrative assistant that just left developed a quick website for us because people were asking us did we have one. So, it was done fast. We are working on it. I don’t want to be the center of attention and unfortunately, there is a big pic of me as the founder on the website. It will be coming down soon. My focus is solely about creating a space for these young adults to have as their own. Even if I leave this earth, I would like for this non-profit to exist because, simply, these amazing humans exist!!! 

Another huge challenge is trying to get donors to help consistently. We have been fortunate that we have some families that are donating to our cause, but only one is consistent. We have also been fortunate to have other nonprofits give us donations, but it has been a one-time deal. We need consistent donors willing to sit down with us to discuss how can they help these young adults who desperately need our services reach the goals of a place they can call their own and transportation to get there!! There are so many vacant buildings that could be given to our cause. I have run into people that have heard about us, and in the moment, they give us their cards and say they are interested. When I call them as they instructed me to do so, they never pick up their phones, or they act like they don’t remember us. But that doesn’t stop us for continuing to knock on doors! lol 

As I said before, it only takes one person who cares about these young adults and has the position to help us out! 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I have dedicated my life to finding ways to help others. Coming from a poor background and only having one parent at the time was very humbling and eye-opening about life. Once I graduated college, I started working for the Federal Government. I loved everything about helping people and dealing with them at an early age. Front office work was very pleasing to me because I was able to interact with people in every aspect of life. Back then, the positions were called Executive Secretaries, but now the position is known as Administrative Assistants. I’ve had the opportunity of meeting community leaders giving so many positive perspective on change around us. 

When I had my daughter Bianca, and she was diagnosed with Autism, I realized that all of the knowledge I have obtained over the years were finally going to have its fruition in my life. I left the Federal Government and got into the healthcare system so that I could understand so much about my daughter’s special needs. Still in the forefront of the office, I was able to help countless patients and their families finding resources and getting connected. I had finally found my passion. It is what drives me to be a better person. 

One way I have been of service to our communities is in way of interpreting and translation. Spanish is my first language, and English is my second language. I am fluent in both. We had so many families that came into the clinic not knowing any English. As we know, understanding our medical needs can be a matter of life or death. Gaining their confidence by having them trust you is extremely imperative to working with them on a plan that could potentially save their lives. 

In my work life I am most proud of the fact that I have been able to assist so many people that have been in dire need of assistance. I have given “great” patient care and customer service!!! And still, through it all, I stay humble at the fact that God made me this way to be a light in the midst of this world’s chaos and the pain many people are experiencing without getting any form of help. Although I have my own challenges in life, I know that there are others suffering more than me or are in dire need of help. The satisfaction for me is not a pat on the back but seeing people, families, and individuals get the help they need, whether financial or mental help!! All praise goes to our God!!!

When the covid pandemic hit us in 2020, I left my work at Beaumont to take care of my daughter. She had just started a program, but unfortunately due to the pandemic, it shut down. That is the year I did a lot of soul searching and realized that I have work to do for the young adults with special needs and their families. I find myself advocating for families and the right to the services that they need. The best decision was to stay at home and build this nonprofit with the help of our parents and the Board!!!

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Podcasts:

-The Michelle Obama Podcast 

-Stuff You Should Know 

-The Daily 

-Oprah Super Soul Podcast 

-Oprah Motivation Ark 

-Kids Are Weird Podcast 

Books: Hello Beautiful, Ann Napolitano 

Finding Me, Viola Davis 

A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens 

Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

The Heart of A Woman, Maya Angelou 

I know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou 

And Still I Rise, Maya Angelou 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.just4menp.com
• Facebook: Just 4 Me Non-profit