Every day at Believe in Me, we see what happens when a community chooses to invest in marginalized kids: doors open, confidence grows, and futures expand. This Thanksgiving, we’re turning the spotlight outward—toward the incredible nonprofit partners who make our mission real in classrooms, shelters, gyms, art studios, and outdoor spaces across our region.
Think of this as our Digital Gratitude Wall: a collection of heartfelt notes to the grantees who embody our Five Pillars of Caring—Basic Human Needs, Love & Belonging, Community Support, Education, and Enrichment. We invite you to read, reflect, and then add your own gratitude to the wall by learning about these organizations, amplifying their work, and standing alongside them in whatever way you can.
To the Arts & Creativity Champions
Art has a way of reaching places words can’t, especially for kids who are still discovering who they are. This section of our Gratitude Wall is dedicated to the grantees who use creativity, culture, and storytelling to help young people express themselves, heal, and feel proud of where they come from.
Arts Corps – igniting creative power
To our friends at Arts Corps: thank you for proving that creativity is not a privilege—it’s a birthright. Your culturally engaging arts education programs open doors for young people who might otherwise never see themselves as artists, creators, or leaders. You’re revolutionizing arts education by centering youth voice and honoring their lived experiences, and in doing so you help them build the confidence to transform their schools and communities.
Light a Lamp – shining hope for students in crisis
To Light a Lamp: thank you for noticing the students who are often unseen. Your work supporting young people facing physical and mental health challenges reminds them they are not alone, not invisible, and never beyond hope. By recognizing their inner strength and walking beside them with care, you help students feel worthy, capable, and deeply valued.
Crossroads Carnegie Art Center – making “Art for Everyone” real
To Crossroads Carnegie Art Center: thank you for opening your doors—and your hearts—to people of all ages and abilities. Through classes, workshops, exhibits, and community events, you transform a historic building into a living, breathing creative hub where young people can experiment, fail safely, try again, and discover their own artistic voice. Your commitment to “Art for Everyone” makes the arts feel accessible, welcoming, and joyful.
To the Protectors of Safety, Healing & Family
Before kids can dream big, they need to feel safe, cared for, and believed. Here, we honor the organizations that stand in the hard places—protecting children, strengthening families, and offering healing when life has been anything but easy.
Partners with Families & Children – breaking cycles of harm
To Partners with Families & Children: thank you for standing on the front lines of healing. Your team works every day to prevent, interrupt, and repair cycles of abuse and neglect so that kids can grow up safe, seen, and supported. From trauma-informed care to mental health services, you help families move from crisis toward stability, and in the process you give children a chance to reclaim their childhoods.
Spokane Youth for Christ – showing up in under-resourced neighborhoods
To Spokane Youth for Christ: thank you for being present where it matters most. In Spokane’s most under-resourced neighborhoods, you build long-term, trusting relationships with youth ages 11–19 and walk with them through school, family struggles, and big life decisions. Your holistic, relationship-based approach reminds young people that they are more than their circumstances and that their dreams are worth fighting for.
Spokane Angels – wrapping love around the foster care community
To Spokane Angels: thank you for surrounding children, youth, and families in the foster care system with consistent, intentional care. Through relationship-building, mentorship, and practical support, you help kids feel cherished and help caregivers feel less alone. Your vision—that every child who experiences foster care can reach their fullest potential—beautifully aligns with our own, and we are honored to walk beside you.
ROOTS Young Adult Shelter – creating a safe place to call home
To ROOTS Young Adult Shelter: thank you for opening your doors—and your hearts—to young adults experiencing homelessness. By offering safe shelter and partnering with them on their journey to stability, you provide more than a bed for the night; you offer dignity, consistency, and respect. Your work reminds young people that housing is a human right and that their futures are still wide open.
To the Guides of Education, Opportunity & Access
Education and opportunity can change the entire trajectory of a young person’s life. This part of our wall celebrates grantees who open doors to learning, college, and careers, making sure that where a child starts doesn’t limit how far they can go.
Palouse Pathways – expanding paths to college and careers
To Palouse Pathways: thank you for championing rural and underserved students who dream of college and meaningful careers. You provide clear, accessible information and one-on-one support so that geography and circumstance don’t limit opportunity. Your vision—that all students, regardless of where they live or what they’re facing, can access the resources they need to pursue higher education—is exactly the kind of systems-level change our kids deserve.
Kids In Concert – healing through music
To Kids In Concert: thank you for using the healing power of music to cultivate compassion and well-being in young people. In your orchestras and ensembles, kids learn far more than technique; they practice patience, collaboration, empathy, and leadership. You work hard to remove barriers so that every child who wants to participate can do so—and in the process, you create a community where every note and every child matters.
Seattle Adaptive Sports – leveling the playing field
To Seattle Adaptive Sports: thank you for proving that athletic excellence and joy belong to everyone. By connecting athletes with physical disabilities to competitive and recreational sports, you create spaces where young people can test their limits, grow their skills, and experience the thrill of teamwork. You help athletes see themselves as strong, capable, and fully included in the world of sports and beyond.
To the Builders of Joy, Wellness & Belonging
Joy, wellness, and a deep sense of belonging are not extras—they’re essentials for healthy development. These notes go out to the partners who create spaces where kids can move, play, explore the outdoors, and feel completely accepted for who they are.
The Bronze Chapter – centering youth of color in the outdoors
To The Bronze Chapter: thank you for creating affirming, joyful outdoor experiences for marginalized youth of color and their families. Through skills workshops, nature-based adventures, and community-building, you help young people feel at home on trails, in forests, and on the water—spaces where they have too often been excluded or underrepresented. Your work nurtures belonging, curiosity, and confidence in every fresh breath of outside air.
PrismMoves – reimagining what an inclusive fitness space can be
To PrismMoves: thank you for building a fitness community that welcomes women, BIPOC individuals, LGBTQIA2+ people, larger-bodied folks, and youth exactly as they are. In a world saturated with body shaming and toxic norms, you create a sanctuary where movement is about joy, health, and self-respect—not punishment. You model what it looks like when wellness is accessible, trauma-informed, and deeply inclusive.
Spokane Youth for Christ & community recreation partners
To Spokane Youth for Christ and other community-based recreation partners: thank you for combining fun, mentorship, and safe spaces in ways that make young people excited to show up. Whether it’s a basketball game, a leadership activity, or a quiet conversation over a snack, your programs remind kids that community is built one small moment at a time.
A Wall Built on the Five Pillars of Caring
When you step back and look at all of these notes together, a bigger story comes into view. Every organization on this wall brings one or more of our Five Pillars of Caring to life, weaving safety, belonging, community, learning, and enrichment into everyday experiences for kids.
Our Digital Gratitude Wall is just one way to say, “We see you, we appreciate you, and we’re proud to stand alongside you.” But gratitude grows stronger when it’s shared. That’s where you come in.
Join Us in Adding Your Gratitude
Gratitude grows when more voices join in. This section is your personal invitation to go beyond reading and start participating—by thanking a grantee, sharing their work, or standing beside them through your own support.
If one of these organizations resonates with you, we invite you to take a next step:
- Visit their websites and learn more about their work.
- Follow them on social media and share their stories with your own networks.
- Send a note of thanks, sign up for their newsletter, or look for volunteer opportunities.
- Support Believe in Me so we can continue funding programs like these across our Five Pillars of Caring.
When you give to Believe in Me, you’re not just making a single gift—you’re helping sustain a whole ecosystem of grantees who are changing kids’ lives every day.
Add Your Name to the Wall
This Thanksgiving, our deepest thanks go to the staff, volunteers, and board members of:
- Arts Corps
- Light a Lamp
- Crossroads Carnegie Art Center
Partners with Families & Children - Spokane Youth for Christ
- Palouse Pathways
- ROOTS Young Adult Shelter
- The Bronze Chapter
- PrismMoves
- Spokane Angels
- Seattle Adaptive Sports
- Kids In Concert
Because of you, young people are finding safety, community, creativity, and courage. Because of you, kids who have been marginalized are stepping into spaces where they can finally thrive.
Will you join us in honoring these programs today?
Add your gratitude to the wall by sharing this post, reaching out to a grantee, or making a gift to Believe in Me so we can continue funding life-changing work like theirs. Together, we can ensure that every child has the love, support, and opportunities they need to believe in themselves.
