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.
Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Taylor (12) from Brooklyn, NY. Her TaylorAde Healthy Kids Project supported community-wide healthy eating. Taylor and volunteers collected food & packaged healthy snack boxes and baskets for children living in poverty. They also created posters and flyers to raise awareness of childhood hunger.
Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Josh (16) from Spokane, WA, heads up a project called ReProduce81, a food donation program that collects food that students would otherwise throw away. Spokane is a city where a river separates two social classes, and with a student body mixed of the city’s wealthiest and most poor, Josh’s school sits at the heart of that difference. ReProduce81 bridges the gap between his school’s social divide.
Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Reese (17) from San Francisco, CA who co-founded the non-profit Reading Round the Clock to bridge literacy gaps within the Bay Area and international communities. The organization collaborates with 17 clinics and over 30 literacy focused organizations with the overarching goal of educating kids from families that are socioeconomically challenged about the importance of literacy. Besides providing books to read (over 4000 have been donated so far), Reading Round the Clock’s staff tutor several kids and provide various local community resources such as library cards so that kids have a daily supply of books.
Microgrant recipient Luke (6) from Texas started an Adopt a Grandparent project with his after-school program which serves over 120 at-risk youth on a daily basis. Luke took 13-15 youth on a weekly basis to the local retirement home. They worked directly with “grandparents” on different projects.
Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Emma, Arushi & Emily from Austin, TX whose mission is to provide easy access to healthy foods for low income families while reducing food waste. They made healthy eating a convenient habit by setting up a mini produce station in front of elementary schools at the end of the school day, making it easy for parents to grab a couple of healthy fruits and vegetables before dinnertime when picking up their children from school. The reduced price produce was bruised or “imperfect” by certain grocery store standards but was completely edible, fresh, and sourced sustainably.
Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Tyrin (18) from Huntington, WV whose project was the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Fun Day. In order to provide a fun experience for hospitalized children at the hospital, Ty and volunteers visited with the children to learn more about them outside of their illnesses, made crafts together, and decorated the children’s hospital rooms.
Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Morgan (6) from Bowie, MD who used her microgrant to fund a Birthday Party & Community Service Day Party. This year Morgan dedicated her birthday to the Lighthouse Shelter in Annapolis, MD. At the party she & her guests packed and decorated bagged lunches for the homeless. Morgan also donated some of the presents she received to the shelter. In addition to her birthday party she organized a Community Service Day Party to which she invited her entire 1st grade class, plus other friends, and kids in her family. They packed & decorated more lunch bags. A representative from the Lighthouse Shelter attended both events to discuss the work they do in an age-appropriate manner and explain how Morgan and her friends are helping them.