Programs That Empower Children to Reach Their Full Potential
The Believe & Achieve Foundation team will develop, identify and support programs that work to fulfill basic needs. These programs empower children to develop and reach their fullest potential. All qualifying programs must incorporate the Believe & Achieve Program Pillars. Each pillar focuses on common developmental needs and tools critical in a child’s path to success. Each is backed by significant research and is a vital part in mentoring our participants to believe in themselves and to achieve their goals.
Program Pillars
- Provide a safe environment to grow and thrive
- Promote a growth mindset
- Promote a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and physical activity.
- Promote positive self-esteem
Current Programs
B&A Boost
Believe and Achieve will partner with area school districts and community youth organizations to enhance their summer programming. The “B&A Boost” will provide scholarship opportunities, experiential learning, enrichment activities, field trips, and nutritional support. The goal of these partnerships is to strengthen students’ view of self, their connection to others and their community, develop a growth mindset and reframe their self-perception as successful, innovative young learners.
B&A Farm Fresh Market
The mission of the Believe and Achieve Farm Fresh Market is to provide fresh nutritional assistance and education to children and families in need in a positive and supportive way. We have created a model that promotes a self-esteem boosting way for the children to safely “shop” fresh produce and pantry staples. This model reduces the stigma of receiving traditional food support and has educational benefits that our partners can incorporate into their summer program curriculums.
B&A #100meals Campaign
The #100meals Campaign launched in November of 2020 just before Thanksgiving, and just after the second restaurant shut down in Pennsylvania. #100meals seems to be the magic number. It is a manageable number of meals for a small business to produce on a single occasion. #100meals is also a very realistic number for partner agencies and feeding sites to safely and effectively distribute without any food or money going to waste. The partner restaurants are reimbursed by the foundation for $9 per meal, helping their small business during the pandemic, while giving those facing food insecurity, a quality restaurant meal. During the pandemic over 3,000 meals have been provided those in need throughout Chester County. Believe and Achieve will continue to provide #100 meals to our community partners on a quarterly basis.
Past Programs
Believe and Achieve After-School Scholarships
The Believe & Achieve Foundation partnered with the YMCA to offer scholarships for after-school care and summer camp for children ages 5 to 15 living in poverty or low-income situations. This scholarship program provided a safe environment and quality enrichment after school and during the summer months at no cost to the child’s family. The Foundation has helped to provide over 600 year-long scholarships between 2010 and 2020.
The Weekend Backpack Nutritional Support Program
Nearly 14,000 school-aged children in Chester County qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program. Every weekend, there are children who go home hungry. The Believe & Achieve Weekend Backpack program provided children with nutritious, non-perishable, easy-to-prepare foods such as peanut butter, tuna, chicken, fruit cups, juice, healthy cereal, pasta, and shelf-stable milk. In partnership with the Chester County Food bank, the Foundation was able to help provide over 30,000 backpacks annually between 2010 and 2020.
