Schoolyard Dogs was born out of necessity. Roger Smith and Mickey Perkins of Wimberley, Texas, are the proud parents of two boys: Jasper and Rufus. When they were 22 and 9 months, respectively, they were diagnosed with autism. Jasper was later additionally diagnosed with Intellectual Disability. Roger and Mickey worked tirelessly to make sure their sons received all available therapies and to ensure they had strong Individual Education Plans at school. Because of this planning, as well as the dedication of the literally hundreds of wonderful therapists, teachers, and instructional aides that worked with them over the years, Jasper and Rufus made great progress!

Then…they graduated!

Suddenly Roger and Mickey found themselves with two disabled adult sons and thought, “Now what?” As you may know, there are very few resources for disabled adults in just about every area of life: housing, recreation, life skills, but particularly in job training and employment.

With an eye to the future, Roger and Mickey purchased a “short” school bus with a plan to convert it into a hot dog food truck and train Jasper and Rufus to work on it. As time went on, they decided to run it as a nonprofit and hire and train other disabled adults in the Wimberley Valley. The school bus is currently in the last phases of conversion, with a goal of it being completed in Spring of 2023. In the meantime, they have been usign a donated “weenie wagon” to work special events.

As a newly-minted nonprofit, Roger and Mickey expanded their vision to include all kinds of job training and employment opportunities. Schoolyard Farms is a partnership with the Wimberley Independent School District (WISD), providing support for the life skills program to raise crops and quail, and sell eggs, produce, and other food items. A future goal is to convert another school bus into a smoothie and produce stand.

Their overarching goal is Schoolyard Services – a “day hab” center for disabled adults living in the Wimberley Valley, where they can receive job training, socialize with others, and have a place to be themselves. Really, the sky is the limit. Hot dog!