Feel Good Friday - Books for Wider Horizons

Did you know this week is National Library Week? What a perfect time to shine a spotlight on Books for Wider Horizons. 

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Oakland, California, Books for Wider Horizons  (BWH) is a program of the Oakland Public Library that recruits, trains, and places volunteer story readers in preschool and childcare centers throughout the city. The program began as a partnership between the Oakland Public Library and the City's Youth Services, and now BWH sends volunteers into Head Start centers and preschool sites each week to read aloud to children who might otherwise rarely experience the joy of a good book.

The mission is simple: support early literacy development and nurture a lifelong love of reading. Many of the kids served by BWH have few books at home and limited access to adults who read aloud to them. Volunteer readers fill that gap in a deeply personal way, showing up week after week to the same classroom, building real relationships with children and teachers, and becoming a familiar, beloved presence. Teachers report that volunteers are treated like rock stars. As someone who started volunteering with this organization at the beginning of the year I can confirm! Our storytime sessions always end with a giant group hug.

Volunteer readers come from all walks of life. They are students, retired teachers, and professionals on their lunch breaks. Bilingual readers are especially welcome, bringing multilingual storytime experiences to classrooms where many children are English language learners. The volunteer training sessions are engaging and informative and leave you well equipped to lead a weekly storytime at your assigned preschool. It’s amazing how much reading, singing and movement you can do in a 25-30 minute session. 

If this sounds like something you'd love to support, here's how you can get involved. Join the waitlist for the next volunteer training at Books for Wider Horizons and bring your joy of reading to an Oakland preschool classroom. You can also amplify their work on social media by following the Oakland Public Library on Bluesky, Facebook or Instagram and sharing their stories of joy and learning with your network.

Happy National Library Week!

 

Feel Good Friday - 10/31 Consortium

Happy Halloween! Today we’re profiling a krewe that’s been organizing Halloween events for children for the last 15 years, 10/31 Consortium.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 10/31 Consortium was started by a group of friends who love Halloween and wanted to find ways for the children in their area to have a safe an happy Halloween. You can watch this 2-minute explainer video to hear the origin story from one of the founders.

The goals of 10/31 Consortium include revitalizing the neighborhood tradition of trick-or-treating, providing comfort and support to children who are hospitalized, and creating outlets for the community to express its Halloween creativity. There are several programs that support these goals.

Trick or Treat assistance helps neighborhoods who want to encourage trick-or-treating by proving costumes for children, candy for neighbors to hand out, flashlights, street closures and security. Free costumes, both new and gently used, are collected during a costume and candy drive that runs from from September 1st through the costume giveaway day in mid-October.

In partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, 10/31 Consortium provides goodie bags for hospitalized children that can include art supplies, Halloween crafts and gift cards. There is also a Kids’ Court Youth Leadership and Volunteer Program that was created in 2018 to teach children ages 6-18 about organization, compassion and public speaking.

In addition to all of this, 10/31 Consortium organizes the Fifolet Halloween Festival every year. It is Baton Rouge’s largest free Halloween event and the 4-day festival culminates with a Halloween parade and food drive. The 2025 Festival took place earlier this month but now you know so you can plan your visit for next year. 

Since they began, 10/31 Consortium has collected more than 12,000 pounds of food, donated $25,000 to OLOL Children’s Hospital, and given away 6,409 Halloween costumes for a total financial impact of $335,247!

If you’d like to support their work you can volunteer your time, donate your money and shop for merch. You can also raise awareness on social media by following 10/31 Consortium on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribing to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - St. Mary's Food Bank

It’s the first Friday in September, which means it’s also National Food Bank Day. A perfect day to learn more about the organization that started it all, St. Mary’s Food Bank.

Founded in 1967 by John van Hengel and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, St. Mary’s Food Bank is the world’s first food bank! Their mission is “bridging the gap for Arizona communities with nourishment for today and hope for tomorrow.”

As they explain on their website, food insecurity is a problem for 2 million Arizonans, which includes 1 in 5 children. To address this issue, St. Mary’s Food Bank provides food at no cost to over 900 partner agencies across Arizona. These include organizations such as food pantries, homeless shelters, meal centers, domestic violence shelters, afterschool programs for at-risk children and low-income senior living centers.

The programs run by St. Mary’s Food Bank and their partners include food distribution through both food banks and home delivery, child nutrition programs that provide healthy meals to children in daily after-school programs and during the summer, and a skills center that provides tailored job training in the culinary and foodservice industry as well as the warehouse and logistics industry.

Working with their partner agencies, St. Mary’s Food Bank distributes over 300,000 pounds of food each day. In fiscal year 2023, the total was more than 123,000,000 pounds of food, which is the equivalent of 93,000,000 meals! This food has been a lifeline for so many families across Arizona. You can read individual stories at this link.

If you’d like to support St. Mary’s Food Bank on National Food Bank Day, or any other, there are many ways to do so. People in Phoenix can volunteer their time and the rest of us can donate our money. Everyone can raise awareness by engaging on social media. Follow St. Mary’s Food Bank on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel. 

Feel Good Friday - Kids in Need Foundation

It’s that time of year when summer vacations are coming to an end and back-to-school plans are being made. What a great time to learn about the Kids in Need Foundation.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota the Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) “works to create equitable learning spaces by distributing supplies and resources to teachers and students in underserved schools, where 70% or more of students qualify for free or reduced-cost meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)”.

In a survey conducted with teachers across 35 states, KINF found that 62% of students arrived without the necessary supplies on their first day, 62% of students did not have access to the necessary supplies at home and 69% of students did not have second semester replacement supplies. This lack of supplies not only impacts students class preparedness and participation, it affects their confidence levels, self esteem and social engagement at school. That’s where KINF comes in.

There are several programs focused on advancing educational equity. If you want to Supply a Student with the essentials for school, you can organize a backpack build for your organization or community group. Teachers working in schools where 50% of students are eligible for NSLP can receive a semester’s worth of core school supplies through the Supply a Teacher program.

The Second Responder program provides supplies to teachers and students affected by natural disasters around the country, and the The Rural and Indigenous School Equity program supports learning resource needs for teachers and students in rural and indigenous communities. Finally, there is a National Network of Resources Centers that provides teachers the opportunity to 'shop' for school supplies at ZERO cost to them.

In 2024, KINF provided $100 million in resources to more than 5 million students and over 200,000 teachers in all 50 states and Washington D.C. You can learn more by visiting the impact section of their website.

If this has inspired you, there are many ways you can support the Kids in Need Foundation. Volunteer your time, organize a backpack build, make a monetary donation and amplify their work on social media. Follow KINF on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Second Chance Toys

With the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays coming up and birthdays happening every year, toys are on my mind. What a great time to learn about Second Chance Toys.

Founded in 2006 by Sasha Lipton and headquartered in Springfield, New Jersey, Second Chance Toys (SCT) “keeps plastic toys out of the landfills by donating them to children in need.” Here’s why.

According to information on the SCT website, “toys can enhance a child’s development by helping promote socialization, creativity, emotional security, motor skills, and learning.” All that and they’re a lot of fun. However, with 11 million children in 2023 living in poverty in the United States, not every family can provide toys for their children. That’s where Second Chance Toys comes in.

Twice a year, SCT collects unwanted plastic toys and donates them to organizations that care for children in need. Because plastic toys often show little signs of wear, passing them on to other children diverts them from becoming waste in a landfill while also giving those children toys they might not otherwise have. This one-minute video gives a great overview: A Second Chance Toys Story.

The toy collections are held twice a year by SCT. First during April for Earth Week and then again in November and December for the holidays. Their demand for toys now exceeds 1,000,000 so let’s talk about ways you can help.

Donate any toys you no longer need. If you have toys that are plastic and clean with no small or missing parts, check this map for locations where you can drop them off. If you’d like to increase your impact, contact family, friends, or local businesses and schools to pool donations. Once you collect and prepare these toys, you can make arrangements with one of the eligible organizations to drop them off. If you really want to make a difference, get media coverage for your toy drive. Check out these resources such as flyers explaining what toys can be donated and posts for social media.

If you work at an organization that cares for children in need, or know someone who does, fill out this toy recipient registration form to find out if you’re eligible to receive some of the gently used toys from SCT.

Since they began, Second Chance Toys has collected and distributed 443,105 toys, which has kept over 1.5 million pounds of plastic out of landfills!

Finally, if you don’t have any toys to donate but still want to help, you can. Volunteer your time, make a monetary donation, and spread the word on social media. Like the Second Chance Toys Facebook page and follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - Caitlin's Smiles

The upcoming holidays inspired me to search for groups that support children and that’s what led me to today’s featured organization, Caitlin’s Smiles.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Caitlin’s Smiles is “a non-profit organization that provides arts and crafts activities to children in medical facilities.”

The organization was founded in memory of Caitlin Hornung, a young girl who spent years in and out of hospitals undergoing surgeries and treatments as she battled cancer. During that time she kept a positive attitude by finding joy in creating art. Although she passed away in 2000, her spirit is kept alive through the work of Caitlin’s Smiles.

The mission of Caitlin’s Smiles is encouraging “children with serious health challenges to explore their uniquely creative talents by taking part in arts and crafts activities. While creating feelings of self-worth and instilling confidence in these children, the efforts ultimately put smiles on the faces of everyone involved.”

The organization is run by volunteers and they coordinate and create several types of gift bags to be delivered. Bags of Smiles include a volunteer-made greeting card, two craft kits, two jars of Play-Doh, a journal, coloring materials and a small toy or book. Coping Kits are mini Bags of Smiles geared for children in emergency room or out-patient surgery settings. Camp-in-a-Bag kits were born in 2020 when in-person summer medical camps for pediatric patients were canceled. Each kit contained five craft activities that campers did together during online meetings.

The impact of Caitlin’s Smiles is impressive. Gift bags are sent to children in hospitals, clinics, emergency departments, and other medical offices throughout Pennsylvania and the surrounding states of Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. In 2023, they delivered 13,085 Bags of Smiles, 19,874 Coping Kits and 113,374 Craft Kits!

If you want to get involved bringing smiles to the faces of children stuck in medical facilities this holiday season there are many ways to do so. Volunteer your time, create homemade cards, or donate cash or supplies. You can also amplify their message by spreading the word on social media. Like the Caitlin’s Smiles Facebook page, follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

 

Feel Good Friday - Zdravotní Klaun (The Healthcare Clown)

Happy Feel Good Friday from the Czech Republic! I’m in Prague and want to highlight the local organization, Zdravotní Klaun, which translates into the Healthcare Clown.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Prague, Zdravotní Klaun has helped both pediatric patients and seniors endure the process of medical treatment with a smile. Their mission is “to bring joy, good spirits, and hope to places in need”. Those places are primarily hospital rooms and specialized clinics and care centers for seriously ill children or seniors.

Let’s start with their programs for children. The most common is pairs of medical clowns dressed as doctors and nurses visiting children’s wards to “prescribe laughter, banish stress and sadness, encourage small patients and prescribe more than a large amount of humor.” The medical clowns consult with medical staff on the condition of the children before their visit. You can watch this short video to see the clowns in action without having to translate the website.

In addition to children’s hospital wards, the medical clowns also visit intensive care units, emergency rooms and host virtual clown parties. For children with long-term illnesses, there is a weekly program that teaches them skills such as magic and juggling and culminates in a performance for their parents, other patients and staff.

The programs for seniors include medical clown visits to geriatric departments of hospitals, homes for the elderly, treatment centers for the chronically ill, and hospice centers. The clowns enlist the seniors to perform in variety shows based on their memories and favorite activities. Zdravotní Klaun also provides seminars for healthcare professionals to share techniques and methods of open communication the professionals can use with their patients.

Currently, there are 93 professional healthcare clowns in the Czech Republic who make over 300 visits each month to 66 hospitals, 11 nursing homes and one hospice center. That’s a lot of laughter and joy.

If you’d like to support the work of Zdravotní Klaun there are many ways to do so. If you live in the Czech Republic you can become a healthcare clown . The rest of us can make a donation and spread the word on social media. Like the Zdravotní Klaun Facebook page, follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Mother to Mother

You’ve likely already figured out today’s Feel Good Friday post is inspired by the fact that Mother’s Day in the United States is this Sunday. What a great time to take a closer look at Mother to Mother.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the mission of Mother to Mother is “connecting those in a position to help financially with the case workers and healthcare professionals who see firsthand the enormous needs of struggling mothers and children.”

There are hundreds of thousands of low-income mothers in Tennessee, and living in poverty makes accessing basic care and supplies financially impossible. Mother to Mother works with over 100 community partner agencies such as hospitals, domestic violence centers, homeless shelters, and public schools. They are active in 35 of the 95 counties across Tennessee.

Initial work focused on providing three basic essentials that often slip through the cracks of government subsidies and charitable support: diapers, car seats and cribs. Now Mother to Mother also provides families in need with clothing, strollers, toys, books, and other essentials. They accept donations of gently used supplies because that means valuable and needed items stay out of the landfill and go into the hands of children and mothers helping them to live a healthy and safe lifestyle. Watch this 2-minute news story from 2023 to learn more.

Since they began almost 20 years ago, Mother to Mother has provided supplies that helped 386,944 babies have a safer, healthier life. That includes 4.1 million diapers, 7,264 car seats, and 8,832 cribs and Pack n’ Plays to provide a safe place to sleep. Scroll to the bottom of this page to read stories of mothers who benefitted from a donation of supplies or get details from the latest impact report.

If you’re interested in celebrating Mother’s Day by helping Mother to Mother, there are many ways to do so. Make a donation of money or supplies, volunteer your time or amplify their message on social media. Like the Mother to Mother Facebook page and follow on them Instagram.

 

Feel Good Friday - Harvest Home

In many cities around the United States, figuring out how to care for, and house, the homeless is a challenging issue. One group that often gets overlooked in these discussions is pregnant women. That’s where Harvest Home comes in.

Harvest Home began in 1985 when a woman in Santa Monica, California opened her home to a pregnant young woman who was living on the streets. Since then, Harvest Home has grown into a residential program that “transforms the lives of homeless pregnant women and their children by providing housing, support, and programs that equip women to become great mothers.”

It’s estimated that every year in Los Angeles, 5,000 women are homeless at some point during their pregnancy. Despite these numbers, there are less than 70 shelter beds available in the city for women who are pregnant and in crisis. Harvest Home recognized these women would benefit from specialized interventions and created programs with these needs in mind.

It starts with a 30-60 day stay in the Venice Home. Here pregnant women participate in case management, therapy and programming to assess their short-term needs and set plans for lasting independence. In this short video women explain the impact of having their own room and participating in the program.

Next is the Pico Home, where participants can stay for up to 6 months after giving birth. While here, pregnant women and new moms participate in case management, therapy and educational classes on topics such as child care, financial literacy, and mental and physical health. The goal is for the women to establish long term stability and transition out of homelessness. The final step is joining the Alumnae Program. As alumnae of Harvest Home, women are eligible for ongoing case management, support and access to resources such as diapers.

The impact Harvest Home is having is impressive. They serve up to 70 women and families in their residential program each year, for a total of over 540 since they began. Of these program participants, 90% transition into stable housing, 95% are active in the alumnae program, and 100% of the women maintain custody of their children.

If you’d like to support Harvest Home and the work they do with pregnant women there are many ways to do so. Those of you living in the Los Angeles area can volunteer your time. All of us can donate items or money and spread the word on social media. Follow Harvest Home on Facebook and on Instagram.

Feel Good Friday - Santa's Helpers Foundation

Yes, it’s still early December but don’t be fooled - Christmas is around the corner! Not everyone in California has the means to provide gifts to the children in their families. That’s where Santa’s Helpers Foundation comes in.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Concord, California, the mission of Santa’s Helpers Foundation (SHF) is “to provide joy to children, and assistance to those in poverty.” They accomplish this goal by donating items of food, clothing, and gifts to low-income families.

Although Christmas and Santa Claus were the inspiration for this organization, SHF “is committed to creating a world where every child experiences hope, kindness and joy, especially during the holiday season.” They are inclusive of all families and donate presents to children for the many holidays celebrated during the winter months, including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Las Posadas, Diwali, and Chinese New Year!

While the Holiday Donation Program is the flagship program of SHF, it’s not the only one. Cheer for Kids provides sponsorship for sports activities that promote physical fitness, Komics4Kids donates reading level appropriate comics to children to encourage a love of reading, and Santa’s Nice List recognizes people in the community who are serving and helping the less fortunate. These individuals receive a thank you card and small token gift of appreciation. 

Any family in California who is struggling financially is eligible to participate in the SHF programs. Applications for toy donations end this Sunday so if you or someone you know can use a visit from Santa’s Helpers, fill out this application form. While limited resources mean not every family who applies will be approved, those who are get notified by email and a volunteer Santa’s Helper hand delivers the donation items before the family’s celebrated holiday.

If you want to spread some cheer this holiday season, consider supporting Santa’s Helpers Foundation. You can do so by volunteering, making a donation, and spreading the word on social media by liking their Facebook page. Ho, ho, ho!

Feel Good Friday - SPOON

For many people in the United States, the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday means friends, family and food. It’s a good time to reflect on what you’re grateful for, and it’s also a good time to highlight an organization focused on child nutrition, SPOON.

Established in 2007 by Cindy Kaplan and Mishelle Rudzinski and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, SPOON’s mission is “to nourish children who are highly vulnerable to malnutrition by empowering their caregivers around the globe.” 

Their work is focused on children with disabilities, and those living outside of family care because these children are much more likely to experience malnutrition than their peers. SPOON approaches this issue in three ways which you can learn about in this short video or by continuing to read below. 

The first step is training for caregivers such as community health workers, nurses and social workers. Topics include nutrition, feeding and disabilities. This training has been provided across 17 countries and there are also self-paced, online courses available to help the program scale.

Once training has been completed, the caregivers can access a digital health app called Count Me In. The app includes educational content and assessment tools. It helps service providers track mealtime, growth, and anemia for children in their care and makes recommendations for intervention when needed. 

Finally, data from SPOON’s work around the world is shared with their partners and used to advocate for inclusive polices, services and investments for all children.

The impact of this work is impressive. Last year, SPOON trained 352 people in 8 countries, who worked with over 13,000 children. For children being monitored with the Count Me In app, 35% saw an improvement in growth, 40% had a drop in anemia rates, and 82% experienced improvement in rates of safe feeding positions.

If you’d like to help SPOON increase their impact around the world, there are many ways to do so. Volunteer your time, donate your money and share their message on social media. Follow SPOON on Facebook and on Instagram @spoonfoundation.