Like all parents, John D’Eri of Florida always had high hopes and dreams for his son Andrew, who is autistic. But the world often puts limits on what it allows neurodivergent kids to do.

D’Eri didn’t want Andrew to just sit in a room being taken care of as an adult. So ten years ago, he opened the first Rising Tide Car Wash. The business has since grown from 35 to 90 employees – all on the spectrum – over soon-to-be four Florida locations.

Rising Tide provides a place where Andrew and others like him can feel the pride of hard work, their own paycheck, and a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves.

Click below to meet Andrew and the crew!

(Photo – Rising Tide Car Wash/Facebook)