Fun & Play Community Engagement Initiative

Designed to create safe, welcoming spaces where immigrant, refugee, and low-income youth and families can come together to build connection, resilience, and joy. Weekly sports and monthly community engagement sessions, these gatherings provide structured recreational activities such as sports, games, arts, and wellness sessions alongside shared meals and community dialogue.

For many of the families we serve, barriers such as language differences, limited transportation, financial hardship, and social isolation make it difficult to access recreational and community spaces. The Fun & Play series intentionally removes these barriers by offering free, family-friendly programming that prioritizes belonging, mental wellness, and positive youth engagement.

Each event brings together youth mentors, volunteers, community partners, and families to create an environment where young people can develop leadership skills, strengthen peer relationships, and experience the benefits of healthy play and community support. In addition to recreational activities, families are connected with resources, hygiene supplies, and information that support their overall wellbeing.

By investing in Fun & Play, funders help strengthen community cohesion, promote youth development, and ensure that families who often feel unseen have a place where they are welcomed, valued, and supported. Donations directly support program supplies, food and refreshments, sports equipment, and essential resources that make these monthly gatherings possible.

We are currently accepting donations to support our Fun & Play Monthly Initiative. Items we are in need of include:

• Water and sports drinks
   
• Juice boxes
   
• Individually wrapped snacks (granola bars, chips, fruit snacks)
   
• Fresh fruit
   
• Paper plates, cups, and napkins
   
• Hygiene kits (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant)
   
• Soccer balls and sports equipment
   
• Gift cards for food or supplies
   

If you would like to donate, please contact Amina Shale at 502-956-1414 or info@morethanasmilefoundation.org. Your support helps us create joyful, safe spaces for youth and families each month.

Health and Me empowers immigrant, refugee, and low-income youth to take ownership of their mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing through culturally responsive mentorship, wellness education, and creative expression.

The program combines mental health awareness, sports, and life skills to help youth understand the connection between mind, body, and community. Each month, participants receive hygiene kits filled with essential items that promote self-care, confidence, and dignity—helping address barriers many youth face in maintaining personal health.

Through group discussions, mindfulness activities, cooking and fitness workshops, and weekend sports sessions, youth learn how to build healthy routines, manage stress, and support one another in a safe and inclusive space.

By centering wellness and accessibility, Health and Me breaks the stigma surrounding mental health, encourages positive coping strategies, and promotes leadership rooted in self-care and community care.