Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. 12-year-old microgrant recipient Antavius used his award to launch a beautification project at his school. Antavius and other students of the Youth Empowerment Academy of Vance County Schools planted three trees to create a foundation for a garden for the school. This was the first step in the beginning of beatification of the school grounds and would later become a garden for the academy (in which students would plant flowers). The students at the academy are children who are on long term suspension and remediation and would like to still have somewhere to complete their schoolwork and not get too far behind in their studies. They want their school to look like a school and not a prison.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet 9-year-old microgrant recipient Grace Lauren from the Philadelphia area. She used her award to purchase new toys to donate to The Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department at the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital. Grace worked with her Service Learning Club and created a toy activity box that is now installed in the department.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. A 13-year-old from Summerville, SC, John Michael used his award to give back to members of his community in homeless shelters. His project involved learning how to cook and teaching his peer volunteers how to cook and man the grill. John Michael prepared and distributed full meals for men in a homeless shelter which included a protein, a veggie, and a side dish.

8 year-old microgrant recipient Jaiya used her award to launch Project JPAC (Just to Bring You Joy, Packed with Fun!) which provides ‘Bags of Fun’ for children who are ill in hospitals. JPAC bags contain fun activity items to keep children occupied during hospital visits including crayons, coloring books, stickers, books, colored paper, color pencils, pencils, markers & wrist bands.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. 14-year-old microgrant recipient Leigha from Louisiana wanted to help the Morning Glory Ministries in Kansas City during a National Ministry Convention. Leigha and her group of volunteers served meals and distributed snacks, toiletries & other supplies to homeless youth.

With their award 15 year old microgrant recipients Kyra & Emilia taught art classes to children at LA Family Housing which serves homeless & low-income families in Los Angeles. 

14 year old Abbey used her Karma for Cara microgrant to assemble 65 dental care kits & deliver them to the current residents at Place of Hope Children’s Shelter in Florida. When Abbey was 11, she founded her own non-profit Hygiene for the Hopeful so she had experience with providing dental & other personal care kits to children prior to this project.

Karma for Cara microgrant recipient Sydney (17) & volunteers built a children’s center for fifth through eighth grade children at Life Haven, a shelter for pregnant women and single mothers. Prior to construction, older & younger children co-existed in a space that was often loud and full of toys and commotion.  After construction, the older children have a quiet area to do homework, work on projects, and socialize together. 

Cousins Michael (12), William (9), Christopher (9), and Kevin (7) made care packages for senior citizens with their microgrant. Having previously distributed small packages at the VA center in San Francisco, the boys needed help to produce a larger quantity of packages with more useful items and worked with Meals On Wheels to distribute the packages to seniors.

17 year old microgrant recipient Frishta from Anaheim, CA used her award to facilitate a service day run by youth for youth. The purpose was to provide vital health education to African-American and Latino children in low-income, minority neighborhoods who are overwhelmingly developing diabetes and heart-disease. Local high school students were recruited as volunteers to carry out a free health literacy workshop. Frishta hopes this event will strengthen her community as well as raise awareness around these preventative health issues.