Utilizing the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation’s KIND Fund program, spouses of Utah’s legislators shopped for children in need at the Target in Centerville on Feb. 9.
“We’re honored to have some of Utah’s most notable figures work with our KIND Fund program,” Tami Olsen, the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation’s director said. “Last year, we were able to help over 2,100 children in need. This program’s growing, and we’re looking forward to making it more impactful across Utah and Idaho.”
An event orchestrated by Olsen and Melissa Schultz, the wife of Rep. Mike Schultz, the legislators’ spouses met with Young Caring for Our Young at Utah’s State Capitol to hear a presentation about the KIND Fund — a program where educators can request help for students.
Each attendee was given a $150 gift card and a KIND Fund request that outlined the clothing needs of a Utah student. The legislator’s spouses then went to Target to purchase the items.
“I’m really excited that everyone was here today supporting our Utah students,” Schultz said. “That’s the focus that we really need to hit on in Utah is our kids. That’s our future, and so whatever we can do to help make a difference in their lives will benefit them.”
Together, event attendees were able to provide 25 children in need with over $150 worth of clothing.
“I just am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this,” Roxane Whyte, the wife of Rep. Stephen Whyte said. “It was really satisfying to be involved in something where you knew that in a day or two, this child is going to be able to have items that they desperately need.”
Standing for Kids In NeeD, the KIND Fund was launched in 2022 by the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation. The program uses educators to identify children in need of clothing and essentials. Once a request has been submitted, the Foundation provides a volunteer with a $150 gift card to shop for the student.
To date, the KIND Fund has helped nearly 3,500 students in need. The Foundation also released a new app for the program, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
“We’re grateful to have helped so many children across Utah,” Olsen said. “Our foundation is dedicated to providing children with a brighter future, and the KIND Fund has become an instrumental part of that.”
