Originally told by Loren Eisley, and now paraphrased by me 🙂
One day a man was walking along the beach. He noticed that a storm had washed many starfish ashore, stranding them there.
Then he saw a young boy picking up the starfish, one by one, and throwing them back into the ocean.
As he approached, he asked the boy, “Young man, what are you doing?”
“Throwing starfish back into the ocean,” he stated mater of factly. “The surf is up,” he continued, “and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they will die.”
The man chuckled and said, “Do you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and hundreds of starfish? You can’t possibly make any difference.”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it as far as he could into the ocean.
Then he turned, smiled at the man, and said, “It made a difference to that one.”
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I love this story!
At the heart of our work is a simple belief: if you really want to make a difference, it’s critical that you meet people where they are.
Real change begins when we show up for those who need us most.
We are a non-profit committed to making a difference – not by chasing headlines, but by quietly and consistently meeting real needs with real solutions.
Change doesn’t always ROAR. Sometimes it starts with a whisper; a single act of love and kindness can ripple, and those ripples travel a long, long way.
Many of the people we serve, face overwhelming challenges: poverty, trauma, violence, lack of a support system, the list goes on.
We see each of them as a story… one that is still unfolding… and we treat them as a future definitely worth saving!
Through mentorship, life skills training, educational support, and safe spaces, we empower each one of them to believe in their own worth. We do this by teaching them the skills necessary to re-write their individual story and then we give them the proper tools to become changemakers out in their larger community.
Why?
Because every story matters; every step counts.
We know we can’t save them all, but we will never stop reaching.
So, when we ask for your support, we are not just asking for support through funding. We are asking you to share in our belief in second chances, in grace, and in the quiet, daily work of transformation.
We can’t promise miracles, but we do promise action.
Please do not let our lack of a dedicated office (with staff and overhead) dissuade you!
We run lean; we are not looking to generate salaries for ourselves. We do the most we possibly can with every single dollar and every single volunteered moment we receive.
We are accountable.
And we are deeply invested in the communities we serve because we live here, too.
We are not just helping, we are healing… together.
Everything you contribute, whether through time or funding, helps us continue our hard, often unseen work: feeding families, mentoring youth, supporting mental health, creating safe spaces, and building bridges where others have built walls.
It’s rarely glamourous, but it is a vital component in affecting tangible and lasting change in our communities.
Bottom line…. your support helps us to keep showing up, again and again, to plant the seeds for a better tomorrow.
No one expects anyone to do everything. But everyone can do something.
And today, that something will make ALL the difference!
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