Kidz2Leaders

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to break the cycle of incarceration by providing stability, opportunity, and a Christian community for children of inmates. 

Our 10-year program continuum is designed to cultivate long-term, supportive relationships, beginning with children at age eight and serving them and their families through young adulthood. All of our programming and services are provided at no cost to families. 

We believe it is only through this long-term commitment that can we truly end generational incarceration.

OUR IMPACT

Since its start in 1999, Kidz2Leaders has served more than 1,500 children and family members impacted by parental incarceration, providing summer camp programs, mentoring relationships, educational scholarships, internship opportunities, professional development training, emotional and financial resources for families, and an ongoing source of supportive community. 

99% of our program graduates are living free from incarceration, 84% report pursuing post-secondary education, and 82% report that they are living free from government financial assistance.

2023 In Review:

• Camp Hope: We held two sessions of Camp Hope, an overnight week-long camp for kids with parental incarceration. We hosted 209 campers including 67 new campers - the most ever! Camp provided a safe and fun environment to build confidence and create meaningful relationships. 
• Interns4Tomorrow: We provided our 18 Interns4Tomorrow participants with a year of training, professional attire, and paid summer internships with local business partners. Our 2024 internships launch this month, and we have a record-breaking 26 interns, more than ever before! 
• Anchored2Hope:  We hosted two weekend family retreats at camp for families to enjoy time of connection and growth together. Throughout the year we connected families with food, housing, employment, and counseling/mentoring resources. We were also able to provide our families with back-to-school supplies for every child in the household. We are now gearing up for Hope4Christmas, our annual holiday event, which will also be the largest ever! 
• Alumni Community: We are excited that our Alumni Council relaunched this past year, maintaining the critical community of support. We provide social, service, and professional development opportunities for our alumni. 

THE NEED

As we increase the number of children who participate in Camp Hope each summer, their entire families are eligible for programming throughout the year. Initiatives to increase volunteer and participant retention, grow the number of new participants and volunteers each year, and increase the level of support for children and families will require significant investment in 2024.  

Moving forward in 2024:

• Camp Hope: We will be returning Camp Twin Lakes in July for two sessions of Camp and aim to max out our bunk capacity at 300 campers!
• Interns4Tomorrow: Our new interns are looking forward to their year of in-person training and employment placements during the summer of 2024, and the graduates will round out their summer with a trip to New York City. 
• Anchored2Hope: With faithful support of our staff, donors and volunteers, we will continue to serve our families with physical, emotional, spiritual and financial support.  
• Alumni Community: In addition to alumni gatherings and providing support as needed, we will continue to offer scholarships to our college students who qualify, and to expand our alumni community resource offerings. 
• Development: We look forward to another year of fundraising and meaningful community events! 

Thank you for your support!

Your generosity allows children of inmates to experienced stability, opportunity, and a Christian community in 2024 and beyond.