Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Maraya (16) from Canoga Park, CA who–along with the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley’s Keystone program–used her award to give back to her community in the areas of mental health awareness and emotional wellness. The group created an event connected to their local animal shelter called PAWSitivity. At PAWSitivity, community members signed up to visit & interact with shelter animals certified as therapy animals as well as participate in a wellness fair. Beyond creating a therapy event, the group also hoped the project would inspire more adoptions of the animals at the shelter. Maryaya chose to summarize the event in her own words!

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Brooke (17) from Woodstock, GA who used her award to host a field day at a local elementary school. From each student who participated, she collected $5 which she used to purchase holiday gifts for children in a hospital.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Anna (17) from Loretto, TN the founder of her school’s Recycling Club. Along with other Recycling Club members, she used her award to refurbish the recycling shed to make it easier and safer to use. The shed is used by everyone in their school and in the greater community. The newly created Recycling Club includes a branch of the UDL (Special Needs) class, and it was important for the club to include them in this project.

Meet Karma for Cara Foundation microgrant recipient Passion (14) from Kenosha, WI. She and other students in the ACE Program created blankets for the elderly and children in foster care. Alternatives to Corrections Through Education (ACE) is an alternative for youth, ages 12-17, who would otherwise be placed in a state correctional facility.

Meet K4C microgrant recipient Molly (10) from Washington state. She and a 4H Club used the award to gather & assemble personal care items–such as fleece blankets & toiletries–for children in the local foster care program.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Chase (12) from Tampa, FL, co-founder of the nonprofit read. repeat. Chase and his friend Vance have donated over 90,000 books in the past two years through their nonprofit’s activities. They collect books through book drives for their local county school system to be given either directly to schools or to children who might not otherwise own books.   However, most of the books they donate only represent a small percentage of the children attending those schools. They also realize there is a need for popular books with diversity, representing the minorities in their county. It is their goal to give kids books that represent them. They are leaders of the only “kid-run” book collecting nonprofit in their county and collected books through May 2019 for this particular project.

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Carlos (11) from Pennsylvania who created a fruit and vegetable garden in his school’s outdoor areas. His school outdoor space is open to the community, and with the support of the school, the gardens are now used for planting by the students and teachers. When the crops are harvested, students choose what they would like to do with the crops such as eat them as snacks or take them home and share with the family or donate to food banks.

Microgrant recipient Allison (17) from Freedom, IN and the Owen Valley Future Farmers of America made tie blankets for a nursing home during their annual lock-in event. The chapter members look for ways to raise awareness of the needs in their community that result in a project for the lock-in. Members donated their time to prepare and create lap tie blankets for both animals and people in need.  The following week, the Owen Valley FFA officer team delivered the finished blankets.

Microgrant recipient Alana (8) from Michigan‘s project supported the Humane Society of Bay County in helping homeless and abused animals. She and her 3rd grade classmates, otherwise known as Team Paws, made toys and blankets for the animals. They also sold some of the toys they made and donated the proceeds to the humane society. Alana & her classmates delivered their creations to the humane society so they could see first-hand the impact they made on the animals.  

Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet 18 year old Sophie from St. Louis, MO; this microgrant was Sophie’s 4th award from K4C! Sophie’s current goal is to engage youth in Kansas City, MO with building and growing multiple gardens in the urban area. She and her nonprofit Grow Healthy have branched out to Kansas City, Missouri since, like St. Louis, the community has both a high rate of childhood obesity and numerous families struggling to provide healthy and nutritious food options to their children. Her raised vegetable garden pre-school and low-income elementary school projects strive to raise awareness for childhood hunger in the community, to increase the amount fresh and healthy produce available at food banks and at childcare facilities, and to educate youth on the benefits of gardening and eating fresh produce while making a sustainable impact in the community. Her mission is to activate and engage teens in improving their communities. She recruits youth from area schools to build, plant and maintain produce gardens at low-income pre-schools, shelters and elementary schools. The project donates all the produce to families-in-need and to local area food banks.