East Bay nonprofit Joshua's Gift recognized by L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth

"We have an amazing son called Joshua. Joshua was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of two-and-a-half years old. We had no idea what autism was, didn't have a clue. That's when we learned more about autism. That was really scary for us. We decided to start Joshua's Gift and name it affectionately after Joshua."

"Fast tracking them through crowds. A baseball game or a football game or taking them to a restaurant, to have the opportunity to show society, hey, we are here. We want to be accepted, we want to be respected, we want to be included and treated with dignity and respect. That was our mission and our goal, and it still is today."

"When I met the women that were in my class, I was in awe of them. The work that they're doing, the impact that they're making, the lives that they're changing was incredible. It's become a sisterhood."

Mizpah Brown-Rich established Joshua's Gift Foundation after her son Joshua was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age two-and-a-half. The foundation now serves thousands of Bay Area families living with autism by removing barriers to social participation at events like baseball games, football games, and restaurants. The organization's mission centers on helping families navigate challenging environments and demonstrating to society that individuals with autism deserve acceptance, respect, inclusion, and dignity. Brown-Rich was honored as one of ten female nonprofit leaders by the 2025 L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Program, which recognizes grassroots changemakers providing mentorship and community support. The foundation also operates Code Joshua, an emergency alert system designed to train law enforcement in handling autism-related situations.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco