Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youth 18 years of age & younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Microgrant recipient Andrea (10) from Florida received two awards for her service project entitled Crafty Boxes Uplifting Kids which attempted to help sick children in hospitals feel better at difficult times by providing them with boxes filled with craft projects. The 4th and 5th grade classes at Andrea’s school helped by donating shoe boxes and supplies (glue sticks, scissors, 6 colors of paint & a paint brush, stickers & construction paper).  At the end of every month, she dropped off 15-20 crafty boxes at local hospitals. Andrea’s goal was to gift 190 boxes total for the first year of the service project. This project has special meaning to Andrea because 2 years prior to starting the project, she experienced severe stomach pains when with her mom at a church activity which resulted in a visit to the ER where she had her appendix removed. 

Meet Karma for Cara microgrant recipient Joseph (16) from Nebraska. Joseph founded & directs the Joy of Music, a volunteer organization comprised of musicians who play violin, viola, cello, or/and piano ages 7 through high school. The musical group performs at various senior living communities across the Omaha metro area. Joseph’s grandmother raised him until the age of 5 so he has always felt indebted to the elderly in his community. He is aware of the depression rates amongst seniors and believes music has healing power. Additionally Joseph has observed how the older youth in the group informally mentor the younger youth, the result being that the seeds of community service are planted in their hearts. The Joy of Music also participates in small gift drives & cookie drop offs at senior living communities in their area.

Microgrant recipient Tyler (6) from MD has always loved to read and realizes not all kids can afford books. When he was 4 years old, he founded Kid Time Enterprises and began accessing discounted, donated, recycled & free books and then having book parties at schools so young students can select books to take home for free. With his K4C microgrant, Tyler added school supplies to the mix to lighten the burden of teachers AND organized a reading area complete with a bookshelf at Eagle Charter Academy.

Meet Karma for Cara microgrant recipient Jordan (17) from California. Jordan is carrying the torch for his older sister, past microgrant recipient Mackenzie, who founded 501c3 nonprofit Code Read and now attends college. The mission of Code Read is to provide recreational books to elementary and middle school students in low income communities—but it is more than that!

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Microgrant recipient Andrew (16) from Cape Coral Florida & Youth United supported children in foster care in their community. Through their partnerships with with Children’s Home Society of Florida and the Children’s Network Services of Southwest Florida, they provided tutoring and mentoring as well as monthly birthday parties for youth in foster care.

Meet second time Karma for Cara microgrant recipient Tara (15) from Indiana. Tara founded the nonprofit Swimming for All in 2016 when she was 13 years old. The organization is dedicated to ending drowning across people of all backgrounds and abilities. You can read about her earlier K4C microgrant project here.

What inspired you to start this project?

Growing up, my uncle suffered from a severe mental disability which prevented him from learning how to swim….

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Microgrant recipient Sean (16) from Maryland led a high school community service project called EXXY (Empowering Female Youth) to encourage more young women to enter the field of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics). Sean & fellow high school student leaders from Christian Covenant Academy (CCA), Treasure for Teachers & Students (TFT&S), Girl Up & Young Engineers at Pikesville High School serve younger students from elementary through high school and offer unique opportunities that allow them to apply their skills and learn new things.

Meet Karma for Cara microgrant recipient Bryn (15) from North Carolina. Working with a newly established NC chapter of the SCUBAnauts, International, Bryn & team’s goal was to create and maintain a coral nursery at Radio Island Rock Jetty. The area is frequented by beach goers, recreational fishermen, and local SCUBA divers for fun, training, and food. A stony coral called Occulina Arbuscula grows along the rock jetty, and in May of 2018, a large amount of oyster shell was dumped onto the rock jetty which destroyed about a sixth of the environment that had existed there….

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Microgrant recipient Elizabeth (15) from Florida created an edible community garden at her high school, Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy. At the time of application, Elizabeth and team had already selected a location for the garden and collected cinder blocks for raised beds. With the school located in a food desert, many kids in the area did not possess a good understanding of how to access healthy food….

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youth who are 18 years of age and younger and spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Microgrant recipient Ava (10) from PA is a junior level Girl Scout. In pursuit of the bronze award project—the highest level award for her age group in GSA–Ava & other troop members made “welcome” bags for a local foster care facility. Their plan was to include toiletries, handmade blankets, and some special hand paintings for 20 foster kids….