OUR MISSION
The mission of Kids Helping Kids is to facilitate the development of leadership skills through youth-led service projects. Why? Because there is nothing like it. KHK gives students a voice, the tools, the belief in themselves, and a path to take their power and positively impact others!
We empower kids to turn empathy into action by designing and implementing service projects that benefit other children in the community. All of our projects are created, planned, and led by youth. They provide meaningful and enriching experiences, foster personal connections, help our youth develop critical 21st-century skills, and fill a need for kids throughout the community.
Our volunteers are elementary through high school students who are looking for opportunities to make an impact in their community. Kids can sign up to participate in any project based on their availability or choose to spark a project based on their own interests. Our unique model provides an opportunity for kids to become actively engaged in their community while developing critical skills, finding their voice as leaders, and making service a part of their lives. Kids Helping Kids is sustained by our eternal enthusiasm to help all young people find their unique ability to make a difference in the world.
Lexi Kelley, Founder of KHK
OUR STORY
Kids Helping Kids (KHK) is a 501(c)3 organization founded in the summer of 2009 by twelve-year-old Lexi Kelley. Lexi received an incredible outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, and classmates after being involved in a serious car accident and undergoing facial reconstructive surgery. She was incredibly moved by this kindness and generosity and she thought to herself: “If we can continue to have lots of kids do just a little, we can really make a difference for those in need!”. So Lexi and a small group of friends organized their first KHK project in order to give other kids her age the opportunity to feel the impact, joy, and reward of helping others.
KHK has now developed into a group of diverse students working together, all committed to doing the same thing: improving the lives of other kids while simultaneously developing their own leadership skills. As the team of volunteers has matured our organization has grown to great new heights. We are proud to say that over a decade later, KHK has had over 6,000 student ambassadors from 136 different schools involved in one or more projects. All of these youth-inspired, youth-developed, and youth-led projects have helped enrich the lives of over 60,000 local youth!
OUR IMPACT
Our student ambassadors are continually inspired to lead and/or participate in multiple service projects each year. These service projects help develop and strengthen their 21-century skills all the while benefiting the lives of other local youth.
540+ Service Projects To Date
65,000 Children Served By KHK Projects
Student Ambassadors From Over 140 Schools
6,000+ Student Ambassadors To Date
The reason why being part of Kids Helping Kids is so important to me is because KHK has really improved my ability to work with others. I am now able to respect the ideas of others, even if I have a different opinion. It has helped me to appreciate new and different perspectives because I know we are all working toward a common goal: impacting the lives of the children we serve.
Ava
Student Ambassador
I no longer sat in the back of the classroom while avoiding eye contact with others, but sat in the front and actively engaged in all conversations or activities. I finally had the understanding needed with a diverse group of people in order to intensely work towards achieving a common goal. I gained the courage to talk in front of a large crowd, and the positive energy needed to inspire those that surrounded me. Most importantly, I gained confidence which continuously allows me to trust and believe in myself.
Biyeni
Student Ambassador
The coding program is amazing because my son gets to learn an amazing skill. He also gets to interact and communicate with peers and instructors, which has been tough during the pandemic.
Nikki
Parent of Project Participant
My daughter has enjoyed all the programs that KHK has to offer in which she was able to participate so far. She was able to meet new people, She's been learning new things and we are very grateful for all the things KHK does for the children.
Lina
Parent of Project Participant
