Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities.  Mackenzie (18) from Canyon County, CA used her award for this year’s Code Read Book Fairs. Mackenzie founded Code Read in 2016 with the goal of bringing books to children who may not be able to afford them. Mackenzie and her team purchase books and book bags for elementary school children in low-income schools in Los Angeles County. Books are then distributed to K-6 graders via free book fairs, similar to Scholastic book fairs but with the exception that kids earn the books through good behavior and performance in the classroom.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet 17 year old Tracy from Philadelphia, PA.  Tracy belongs to Central High School’s Recycling Club, and she and other club members are trying to encourage recycling in and outside of school, as well as preserve and stabilize recycling at Central High. The Recycling Club is comprised of approximately 64 student volunteers who are all assigned individual floors at the school where they collect the recyclables directly from the recycling bins located in every classroom. The club’s goal is to inform the school and maximize the amount of waste being recycled. Tracy’s team conducts monthly audits by weighing the collected recyclables in kilograms in order to assess progress.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet 8 year old Riley from Bay City, MI. She and some classmates shopped for and purchased preemie clothing, mittens, and booties for babies who enter this world ahead of schedule, like she did. Additionally Riley and her classmates knitted hats to go along with the clothing, then they packaged up all the clothes and delivered them to McLaren Bay Region Hospital. Riley herself was born a month early and spent a week in the NICU. Her parents had no clothing for her so family members had to go shopping and deliver clothing to the hospital.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities.  Ada (12) from Harrison, AK used her award for Hope Chest, an ongoing project helping children of all ages entering foster care. Ada and volunteers purchased & assembled backpacks full of necessities and goodies such as toothbrushes, socks, underwear, toys, hair combs, shampoo, hair ties, deodorant, and other things depending on gender and age. She partnered with a local Department of Human Services worker to track the success and usage of Hope Chest in her county.