Inspired by a dream, husband-and-wife duo Mickey Perkins and Roger Smith have employed neurodivergent adults for countless hours through the nonprofit they co-founded, Schoolyard Dogs.

Husband and wife duo Mickey Perkins and Roger Smith co-founded local nonprofit Schoolyard Dogs, a food truck that employs neurodivergent adults who may otherwise not have opportunities to enter the workforce. Through their nonprofit they run two programs – Schoolyard Dogs, and Schoolyard Services – both of which aim to serve as job training, employment and experience for neurodivergent adults who are offered minimal resources to thrive in adulthood. For the past four years they have shown up to community events, including Wimberley’s Trail of Lights festival where they run concessions year after year working five nights a week to raise money for the nonprofit. The pair also partner with Wimberley Independent School District (WISD) to support Schoolyard Farms, a program that teaches 18-22-year-old neurodivergent adults various life skills including raising crops and quail, as well as selling eggs, produce, and other food items.

Mickey and Roger’s own two sons, Rufus and Jasper, were both diagnosed with autism at an early age. They saw firsthand the challenges that neurodivergent adults and their families face after high school, as they quickly learned that there are very few resources for disabled adults, especially in job training and employment. The idea for Schoolyard Dogs came to Mickey one night as she dreamed that she and her family were selling hot dogs out of a school bus, which was only the beginning of their story with Schoolyard Dogs.

To read more about their story, check out their Legend Page.