The history behind the organization
Built from one family's diagnosis and a promise to pay support forward.
Santino's Voice was born after Matt and Nikki Catherincchia saw how difficult it was to find and afford autism resources for their son. What started as a marathon team in 2009 became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2016 and continues to grow its reach today.
Santino receives an autism diagnosis, bringing clarity but also a difficult road ahead for his family.
The first Santino's Voice Detroit Marathon Team begins as a way to honor Santino and raise therapy funds.
The community effort becomes a formal 501(c)(3), moving from helping one child to helping many people.
The organization enters a new chapter with broader fundraising and scholarship goals for families and local entities.
Full story
Why Santino's Voice exists.
The idea for Santino's Voice took shape in a doctor's office in the winter of 2006. After nearly two years of searching for answers, Matt and Nikki Catherincchia learned that their son Santino was autistic. The diagnosis helped explain what their family had been experiencing, but it did not prepare them for the financial and emotional cost of finding the right support.
Very quickly, they discovered that one of the biggest barriers to care was access. Insurance often failed to cover the full range of therapies a child might need. The burden on a family could be overwhelming. Through scholarships, help from loved ones, and significant personal debt, they kept doing whatever they could to give Santino the best chance possible. And while it didn't often make sense, they always seemed to have what they needed, something they attributed to the many prayers lifted up on behalf of their young family. Fully aware of God's faithfulness to them, their heart's desire was always to find a way to pay it forward.
It was in that season that God birthed the dream that is now Santino's Voice. Matt envisioned running a marathon in honor of his son, who was already running what the family called the marathon of autism every day. In 2009, with one team member, the Santino's Voice Detroit Marathon Team was born.
The team grew into a network of more than 150 supporters. What began as a mission to help one special little boy slowly expanded into a way to bring awareness to the autism community and to help others in need. That growth culminated in 2016 when Santino's Voice officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Today, the mission is larger but more focused. Santino's Voice wants to resource individuals, families, and entities in the local community impacted by autism. That includes a continued commitment to fundraising, community partnerships, and future scholarships that can help cover therapy costs or strengthen the organizations already serving autistic individuals and their families.
Awareness rooted in lived experience.
The organization's public work grows directly out of the founders' personal experience with diagnosis, financial strain, and the search for support.
Families and local entities across the autism community.
The mission includes support for individuals and households, plus organizations such as camps, schools, and churches that are building inclusive programs.
What the next chapter centers
Not just awareness. Access, relief, and a more accepting local culture.
The next several years will focus on individual scholarships for therapy costs as well as support for community entities serving people with autism spectrum disorder.
Where impact can grow
Three paths the mission can strengthen.
Help reduce the out-of-pocket weight of therapy and care by directing support toward individual needs.
Strengthen camps, ministries, and schools that want to serve autistic children and adults with more confidence.
Work with established organizations already trusted by the community to expand reach and consistency.
Keep building awareness that is specific, compassionate, and tied to practical help rather than empty messaging.