BOARDMAN — Melissa Poland has taken a liking to preparing many of her wraps with Dylan Shope’s favorite ingredients such as potato chips, ranch dressing, lettuce and chicken.

She also has left plenty of room to mix in generous helpings of appreciation, gratitude and thankfulness that Shope’s mother, Amy Shope, has explained.

“It makes you want to do good when you’re surrounded by good people,” Poland, who owns Sweet Melissa’s Good Eats in Boardman and Columbiana, said.

Preparing the wraps is one way Poland also is contributing to Dylan’s House, a nonprofit foundation that her good friend Amy Shope and her husband, Kevin Shope, launched last fall and named after their son, Dylan Shope, 22, who is on the autism spectrum.

In addition, Poland was among the few hundred who came to the first Sunday Funday fundraiser on Sunday at Steel Valley Brew Works in the Southern Park Mall.

Acting as master of ceremonies was Erin Simonek, an anchor for WFMJ-TV 21.

Proceeds from the five-hour, family-friendly event will benefit Dylan’s House, which is committed to enriching and empowering those on the autism spectrum from adolescence through adulthood by providing homes to foster greater independence for them, along with support for caregivers. The foundation also is focused on creating greater support for the families of those on the spectrum.

The organization’s housing initiative’s sole purpose is to provide homes for those on the spectrum who are ready to transition to independent or supported living, according to its mission statement.

Last week, the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley donated two acres off Glenwood Avenue near Midlothian Boulevard in Boardman to Dylan’s House. The move will lead to the building of a home for those with the condition.

Since early April, which was Autism Awareness Month, for each such wrap she’s sold, Poland has donated 50 percent of the sales to Dylan’s House. During the Sunday Funday, she gave Amy Shope a $490 check from the proceeds.

Poland also intends to add the food item to her business’s regular menu, she said.

“I knew of Dylan and (Amy) came to me and said, ‘Would you be willing to design a wrap for Dylan?'” Poland recalled.

Kevin Shope said he hopes Sunday’s fundraiser will bring in at least $30,000, which will go toward building the home on the newly acquired property. He also hopes increased awareness will be placed on the great need for more housing in the Mahoning Valley for those on the spectrum.

Shope stressed that money raised is not just on behalf of his son, but “for other families in our position.” Dylan was the inspiration for the foundation’s birth, he said, adding that between 20 and 30 sponsors sold out the tables at the Sunday Funday.

In addition, Shope hopes to accelerate reaching his goals via building on partnerships Dylan’s House has established with various organizations and forming new ones, he said.

Shope added that his mother, Sandy Shope, also is a Dylan’s House benefactor in memory of Kevin Shope’s father, Robert Shope, whose death at age 82 last year also was a contributor to starting the organization. Robert and Dylan Shope enjoyed a close relationship, he continued.

In addition to helping to fill a housing void for some on the autism spectrum, Dylan’s House hopes to set up grants for caregivers, since many of them have high-demand jobs with little pay, Amy Shope explained. Grants the caregivers could apply for would provide them with bonuses to supplement their salaries, she noted.

Keeping such workers often can be like “a revolving door” because the difficulty of the job and low pay cause many of them to move on, she continued.

“These individuals (on the spectrum) deserve to live as you and I live,” Amy Shope said, adding that she often receives calls from struggling families.

Also at Sunday’s fundraiser was Anderson Shope, 19, Dylan Shope’s sister, who said her brother had a major influence on her college major and career choice.

“Growing up with him opened my eyes to it,” said Anderson Shope, a Bowling Green State University sophomore who’s majoring in special education and plans to be an intervention specialist.

Anderson also remembered when her brother moved from the family home when he was 17 as a challenge, yet a positive experience for Dylan, because it furthered his growth and independence. He lives in Cornersburg and has caregivers 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Providing the entertainment Sunday was the band RDNA, which played a variety of oldies and R&B songs.

To make a donation to Dylan’s House, go to www.dylanshouse.org.