Kids Helping Kids Santa Barbara Honored to Receive Substantial Grant from State Farm

Kids Helping Kids Santa Barbara, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, has raised over $1,000,000 for charitable purposes since its inception in 2002. Recently, Kids Helping Kids received a boost to aid humanitarian efforts in local and global communities. State Farm® Youth Advisory Board granted $78,400 to the organization.

Kids Helping Kids is one of 68 community organizations to receive a youth-led service-learning grant across the United States and Canada.

“Kids Helping Kids is incredibly grateful to receive such a substantial grant from State Farm,” said Kids Helping Kids CEO Carter Hudson. “To know that the model we have put together at San Marcos has been recognized on a national landscape is extremely encouraging. It is a testament to the diligence and commitment of the past and present Kids Helping Kids students and the support of the Santa Barbara community.”

Kids Helping Kids Santa Barbara is currently comprised of 140 AP Economics students at San Marcos High School. The foundation is headed by teacher president Mr. Jamie DeVries. Over the past 11 years Kids Helping Kids Santa Barbara has raised over $1,000,000 for charitable purposes. Contributions have been made to various local and global organizations, projects ranging from covering the annual AP costs for lower income families and donating over $75,000 to the Santa Barbara Unity Shoppe, to funding the building of a pre-school in Rwanda and a safehouse in Nicaragua.

In spring of 2013, a branch of Kids Helping Kids started in Sacramento, California, expanding Kids Helping Kids ability to help others two-fold. In the months to come, Kids Helping Kids Santa Barbara looks forward to expanding nationally. The grant from State Farm will be used, in part, to fly Kids Helping Kids representatives across the country, mentoring other high school students and training the starting of a new branch.

“The State Farm grant is the first step in a long process of expanding nationally,” said Hudson. “Although there is still much to do, with State Farm and the community behind us, we are confident this will be the best, most successful year yet.”

The State Farm Youth Advisory Board has granted over $24 million in grant money since its inception in 2006, empowering youth to implement service-learning in 397 communities.

Here is a copy of an article one of our San Marcos students Krista Bowdle wrote. Sorry I did not send a press release I was unsure when I didn’t receive a response. Thank you for responding! I will attach a picture and caption.

“Director of Public Relations Laurel Mead, among other Kids Helping Kids management members, was interviewed by KEYT regarding the State Farm Grant.”