Throughout 2010, I will highlight websites monthly that I believe are doing important work on behalf of those with special needs. January’s well-deserved recognition goes to the HollyRod Foundation for Help and Hope.


Founded by actress and activist, Holly Robinson Peete and her football-star husband, Rodney Peete, the Foundation works to create better lives for those with special medical challenges by providing valuable resources and information, including about autism, a diagnosis impacting the Peete’s own son, Rodney, Jr.

Take special note of the site’s powerful and touching video called Rodney’s World: Come Into My World, which highlights the challenges of autism, as told honestly through the words/voice of Rodney Peete, Jr.

In recent years, Holly Robinson Peete has become a recognized name and solid force in the autism movement, helping create valuable awareness of this complex and challenging diagnosis by using her celebrity to get people to take notice. I commend her passionate dedication and commitment to her son and to others, and I look forward to seeing what this remarkable woman does in the decade ahead to keep the needs of those with autism and other special needs in the forefront.


Holly Robinson Peete is a great example of someone who is using celebrity and fame to do lasting work that matters.

To find out more about the HollyRod Foundation’s work, and to view Rodney Peete, Jr.’s video, click here.

Photo of camper Adam at RicStar’s Camp by Judy Winter 2009