She’s EmPOWERed: Calgary student’s gesture to help friends grows into nonprofit providing essential support to the community

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When times get hard, people often find themselves in need of help. Sometimes, that help comes from strangers but other times it comes from supportive friends.

Meet Deep Braich – a friend on a mission to help those in need.

Deep, a 20-year-old university student from Calgary, Alberta, is the founder of Youth Helping Youth YYC. She started the organization at the height of the pandemic to provide much needed hygiene supplies to young people in her community.

“When the Covid lockdown was first announced, my classmates and I were doing our best to stay in touch with one another through social media because we all felt the drastic toll it had on our relationships with one another,” she said. “We shared with one another the problems we were having with families losing jobs, having an increase in financial difficulty because the university was going to start in the fall, and my female friends being unable to access feminine hygiene products because of financial difficulty, the inability to leave the home, and many more concerns.”

After hearing about the issues her friends and other associates were facing, Deep wanted to do her best to help. She started looking for any extra hygiene products like shampoos, pads, and tampons that she had at home and started packaging them up into brown paper lunch bags to keep them discrete.

“I would leave the package outside my front door and my friends would come to pick it up to take home,” she added. “The number of friends I was helping started to increase when those I had helped started telling their friends that this was something I was doing. Slowly people from all over Calgary – teenage and adult women – reached out because they were in need.”

Deep was initially funding the project with her own savings and the money she earned from babysitting and a summer job. But she needed more resources to meet the need in her community.

After receiving some local and even international media coverage about the project and the selfless work she was doing, Deep started receiving messages from people asking how they could donate. “Suddenly the project I had started to create a difference amongst my friends became a project to create a difference amongst my city,” she said. “ When organizations like the Women’s Shelter began to reach out to access feminine hygiene kits, I became more aware of the structure of our society and the people at the bottom of the economic triangle who are in need of hygiene products year-round, even more now because of Covid.”

Youth Helping Youth YYC was founded as a result.

What started as a thoughtful gesture to help friends has become an official nonprofit operating under Youth Helping Youth Alberta, an umbrella organization for Youth Helping Youth YYC.

“We started local with the YYC title and we wanted to provide support to more youth communities, therefore we registered ourselves as Youth Helping Youth Alberta Foundation to provide opportunities to establish smaller umbrella organizations in other cities,” Deep said.

To date, the organization has provided over 2,075 feminine hygiene kits to women in Calgary and parts of Alberta. The organization works with local emergency shelters as well as housing and youth organizations. It also offers mental health, anti-bullying and anti-racism workshops.

Youth Helping Youth is youth-run in all facets – from projects, ideas and planning to communications, social media and networking.

“We work together to build solutions to youth social issues and advocate for our fellow youth,” Deep noted. “We find that youth issues are often put aside and we want to bring the spotlight back on this community for politicians to recognize the support and resources our youth need.”

Deep is a true advocate with big aspirations. After completing her undergraduate studies, she plans to go to law school and become a lawyer while also continuing her work in the community.

Connect with Youth Helping Youth YYC:

Instagram

Facebook

Email: calgaryyouthhelp@gmail.com

She’s EmPOWERed: Eight-year-old Savannah girl sends message of hope with “happy bags” for the homeless

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It is estimated that more than half a million people in the United States are experiencing homelessness. 

While riding along with her mom in their Savannah, Ga. neighborhood, five-year-old Bethany Moultry witnessed people in her community without a place to call home. 

“We were running errands when we pulled up to a stop sign and Bethany saw a man holding a sign asking for help,” said Bethany’s mom, Colleen Moultry. “She cried and asked me if she could break open her piggy bank and give him all of her money.”

That encounter three years ago triggered something in little Bethany that inspired her to move from empathy to action. As a result, she founded Bethany’s Happy Bags for the Homeless.

The “happy bags” are gallon-sized bags chock-full of necessities like personal hygiene items, food, water or juice, utensils and homemade first aid kits. Some may also include items such as hand warmers, gloves, hats, emergency blankets, sun screen, bug repellent and more, but all are packed with hope and a hand-written note of encouragement. 

“I want every person experiencing homelessness to know that I see you and I care,” said Bethany, now 8 years old.

Since launching, Bethany’s Happy Bags for the Homeless has assembled and distributed more than 4,700 bags! 

“From what we have been told by our neighbors experiencing homelessness as well as from our partner agencies, her Happy Bags have literally saved lives,” Colleen said. 

The bags are distributed in Savannah through various channels. Partners like the Savannah Police Dept, Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless as well as several churches and shelters distribute the bags to some of the most vulnerable in the city. 

The work is expanding as the team has begun making bags to distribute in the Hudson Valley area of New York where some of Bethany’s extended family lives. 

In the future, Bethany plans to continue her mission to not only assist her neighbors who are experiencing homelessness, but her main goal to END homelessness. She would like to create an organization that assists with safe, long-term housing, offers mental health services and job training. 

With her passion, empathy and dedication, Bethany is definitely on the path to making this a reality. 

Learn more about Bethany’s Happy Bags for the Homeless at www.bethanyshappybags.com.

Connect with Bethany and her team via social media:

Facebook

Instagram

Tiktok

She’s EmPOWERed: Maryland Teen Inspires Youth to Serve with Small Things Matter Organization

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For as long as she can remember, Lana Anderson has been involved in her community. As a preschooler, she would make crafts for children as part of the National Institute of Health’s Thoughtful Treasures program. And as a middle school student, she was an active member of her school’s Difference Makers service club.

Those experiences fueled her passion for giving back. And now at 18, she continues to serve and encourage others through her nonprofit, Small Things Matter (STM).

“I started Small Things Matter as a way to empower younger children to serve and create lifelong habits of giving back,” said Lana, who is currently studying biology at the University of Maryland. “Our motto is kid-powered kindness for those in need.”

Small Things Make a Big Difference

Small Things Matter hosts several events and initiatives under three programs: a food distribution program, a literacy program and a crafting for charity program.

Through its food distribution program, STM provides nutritious grocery items to over 1,000 local families each month, totaling about 1 million pounds of food each year. “These fresh produce, dairy and nonperishable items allow families to feed their children healthy, delicious, high-quality meals,” Lana noted.

The Books for Bedtime literacy program provides new books to underserved children and their families in an effort to build a strong educational foundation.

Crafting for Charity gives children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to share their talents with those in need at children’s hospitals, shelters, etc.

Through these projects, STM hopes to nourish children’s bodies, minds and spirits and motivate youth of all ages to give back.

Lana’s work with Small Things Matter has been recognized by numerous government agencies as well as national organizations and businesses.

Thank you, Lana, for all you do to help improve the quality of life for others while being a positive role model for youth!

To learn more about Small Things Matter, visit www.smallthingsmatter.org.

Follow Small Things Matter on Facebook.

She’s EmPOWERed: Community Service is a Family Affair for Virginia Sisters and NEST4US Founders

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Service to the community is a strong value in the Venkat family household. So it’s no surprise that sisters Shreyaa and Esha are championing causes and inspiring others to do the same.

“Our mom would bring us along to volunteer at school and community events even back in elementary school,” said eldest sister, Shreyaa, 18. “That was when we were first introduced to the world of community service. The giving spirit has always been in our family for generations.”

The award-winning sisters believe it’s our responsibility as humans to give back to the people who need it the most. There are millions of people in the world that don’t have access to basic necessities like food and some don’t even have families or loved ones.

PURPOSE & PASSION

“This is proof that the world needs people to spark change and build a better future. So, we thought, why couldn’t that be us?” said younger sister, Esha, 15. That’s the inspiration behind why they formed NEST4US, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing volunteer solutions to the community to make the world better through kindness.

The sisters have made such an impact in their community and across the country that they have been honored with dozens of awards, including the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award. This year, Shreyaa was selected for the Clinton Global Initiative University 2021 Cohort by the Clinton Foundation. Additionally, the girls were among the L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth honorees and selected for the Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey.

It’s hard to imagine Shreyaa and Esha having time for anything else with all their NEST4US initiatives. But they do! These fierce founders are both travel soccer players, Kathak dancers, 3rd degree black belts, certified soccer referees and assistant martial arts instructors.

“Many people wonder, how do we manage to balance academics, extracurriculars and still keep time open in our schedules to give back consistently? Well, for us, we believe that you don’t need to have time, you should make the time to help others,” the sisters agreed.

ASPIRATIONS

Currently, Shreyaa is balancing her time as a freshman at Georgetown University majoring in Global Health studies. She aspires to enter the medical field and delve into healthcare management, through which she’ll continue providing aid to marginalized populations who lack equitable access to vital healthcare resources and treatments.

Esha, who is a high school student, is interested in studying neuroscience and/or computer science/animation when she goes to college. “Personally, I want to work in the neuroscience and technology field when I grow up, because I am interested in the brain and all things STEM,” she said.

You can keep up to date with all of the NEST4US initiatives and activities at www.nest4us.org.

Follow them at:

Facebook- @nest4us
Instagram- @joinnest
Twitter- @joinnest4

Empowered Flower Girl Launches Girl World Peace Academy

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Empowered Flower Girl (EFG), a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another and themselves, is evolving and expanding its mission after 10 years of service. Founder and chief empowering officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams announced the company will focus on building partnerships and facilitating programs that support North American schools and youth-serving organizations.

“We understand that there’s enormous pressure to not only ensure that young people are academic achievers but to also equip them with skills to be responsible citizens,” Rasheda said. “This may be challenging when also dealing with social and emotional challenges they face.”

This summer, EFG is launching Girl World Peace Academy, a self-guided virtual course that provides teachers, after-school professionals and other youth advocates tips, tools and strategies to inspire sisterhood, increase self-esteem and encourage empathy among middle and high school girls. The course includes one-on-one coaching as well as video lessons covering topics ranging from empowering 21st century girls to no-cost tools to promote your programs.

Why focus on girls?

After facilitating bullying prevention and empathy boosting programs for a decade, Rasheda has observed:

  • Girls often exclude each other because they really don’t know each other.
  • On and offline conflict can adversely impact classroom dynamics and student performance.
  • Educators, who often are overwhelmed with conflict and drama in the classroom, may lack additional support and resources to address and solve it.

Additionally, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that girls are three times as likely as boys to be victims of cyberbullying and online harassment.

“At the end of the day, most girls actually want positive, friendly relationships with one another. However, some don’t feel confident enough to break the ice. They have a desire to create lasting bonds, but sometimes lack the tools,” Rasheda added. “Our goal is to help youth advocates breakdown barriers, build trust and develop an authentic connection with students that ultimately inspires peace in classrooms and communities.”

Learn more and register at www.rashedakamaria.com/girlworldpeace. The first individual or organization to register for the course will receive an Empowered Flower Girl swag “bag” valued at over $50.

VolunTEEN Nation Helps Youth Discover Service Opportunities and Funding

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simone-bVolunteers make a difference in communities across the country and around the world. Studies have shown that giving back through service can positively impact mental and physical health. If that’s the case, then Simone Bernstein is the poster child of wellness. Simone, 24, is the co-founder of VolunTEEN Nation, a comprehensive national organization designed to help youth and families find volunteer opportunities. She’s been an active volunteer in and around her community for more than a decade.

We had a chance to connect with the George Washington University Medical School student last month after stumbling upon volunTEENnation.org.

1. When you were in middle/high school, what were some of your volunteer experiences? I first started volunteering at my local library when I was in middle school. I helped check-out and shelve books. Through word-of-mouth I learned of other opportunities for teens in my community. Since I was interested in a career in medicine, when I was 16, I volunteered at the local VA Hospital. Having a variety of volunteer experiences helped me network, develop skills and explore career options. I realized that all youth can benefit from volunteering, but there were limited ways for teens to find opportunities. So in 2009, I created a regional website for youth to find and easily connect with volunteer opportunities in the St. Louis region. The interest from the regional website encouraged my brother and I launch a national website to engage youth throughout the nation in service.

2. As a medical student and nonprofit founder, how do you balance academics and altruism? Med school is challenging, so we are truly fortunate to have a great team of high school and college students that volunteer their time to organize, plan and lead events for volunTEENnation.org.

3. What advice would you give to teens or young adults who want to make a difference but don’t know where to start? Call non-profit organizations in your area and ask how you can help either on site or off site. For example, a homeless shelter could benefit from a personal hygiene products drive or food banks welcome a healthy food drive. Students can also offer to oversee the social media tasks like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for an organization.

Don’t let money stop you: Get funding for your program

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Want to start a STEM program for your kindergarten class or host a financial literacy night for teens and parents in your community? If your school, community organization or house of workshop can use some extra funding to support extracurricular programming, then you should definitely check out this resource.

As a youth development practitioner, I’m always reading to keep my skill set current and relevant. Youth Today is my go-to publication for everything related to adolescents. The bi-monthly independent newspaper has a special section full of current grants.

If you need money and resources for your project, having this resource is a must.

Check out these available grants:

http://youthtoday.org/series/available-grants/

Youth Resource Summit connects the dots among Detroit-area youth service providers

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Youth Resource Summit
Detroit-area youth service providers gathered Memorial Day weekend for the first annual Youth Resource Summit, hosted by Better Detroit Youth Movement(BDYM) and ARISE Detroit.

Representatives from dozens of youth-serving organizations exchanged ideas for better supporting youth and families.

BDYM’s R. Lee Gordon unveiled details of the Resource Alert Project (RAP), an online tool to connect young people to programs, events and resources to help support their development.

 

Mentoring Girls & Inspiring Sisterhood

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Event celebrates women, addresses issues impacting girls

March is Women’s History Month and Empowered Flower Girl LLC is inviting a diverse group of women to network and celebrate sisterhood while addressing the issues that impact girls and young women.

“Mentoring Girls & Inspiring Sisterhood,” is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, at the Skyline Club, 2000 Town Center in Southfield. The event is the third in the Inspired Professionals Series, which gives civic- and community-minded individuals a chance to connect with others who care about kids and learn about opportunities to make a difference.

“Mentoring Girls & Inspiring Sisterhood” features a preview of the documentary Redefining Beauty, chronicling the lives of Detroit-area girls who candidly share their fears, dreams, challenges and hopes.

“Our goal is to promote the power of sisterhood and encourage women to celebrate themselves and each other,” said EFG Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria, a Royal Oak resident. “We want to make sure that our girls have positive role models to help them as they transition into womanhood.”

Attendees will be pampered and treated to appetizers, a drink ticket, and fabulous giveaways. Tickets are $25.

The first 25 guests to RSVP will receive a special gift. Register with the Skyline Club at 248-350-9898.

Mentoring Girls Flyer Invite

 

Empowered Flower Girl offers esteem, empathy building workshps for schools and communities

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Girls fight

Are you an educator, parent or mentor who cares about the wellbeing and livelihood of young people in your community? Are you concerned that they may be missing out on an inspired life because of challenges at school, at home or among their peer groups?

Those questions arise for many adults who work with youth. That’s why in 2010, Empowered Flower Girl was launched.

I was a mentor and youth advocate who wanted to do something to make a difference for middle and high school students – who like me – were teased, bullied and ostracized by classmates and even relatives. But I knew that in order to help those students who were bullied and harassed, I had to find a way to also help those who were the aggressors or perpetrators.

The prevention and treatment of bullying in both perpetrators and victims is vitally important.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions have shown effectiveness across educational environments, disability types, ethnicity, and gender.

Empowered Flower Girl’s programs equip youth with problem-solving techniques and encourage transformation and acceptance.

Ultimately, we believe that if students are equipped with the skills to peacefully and effectively problem solve as well as have the capacity for empathy, then they are less likely to be offenders of bullying, hazing or other disruptive behaviors.

Empowered Flower Girl offers engaging and interactive workshops and programs that inspire and entertain youth, teachers, parents and the community.

From workshops combating teasing, cyberbullying and cliques, to programs encouraging goal-setting and self-esteem, Empowered Flower Girl helps schools and organizations address critical social issues.

Schedule your workshop today!

info@empoweredflowergirl.com

248-629-0EFG