Project2Heal was a project providing Labrador Retrievers to service dog organizations in turn helping children with special needs and wounded warriors.  From Charlie Petrizzo, Founder, Project2Heal: "We purchased a van with the grant from Make An Impact Foundation. The van is used to transport pups and dogs in training to and from venues where they need to be trained, or to the vet. It is also used to transport the pups to schools or assisted living homes to interact with the residents, or to transport pups to organizations to which they will be donated. We just did a trip to Indiana with pups that are donated to ICAN. In the past, that trip would have taken some managing, but now because we have a van with flexibility for either more or less seating—and more or less space for crates—the trip was very easy for both us and the puppies. The [...]

The Bit of Hope Ranch is a place of refuge and therapy for hurting children and families. The need was to create a therapy room to help the children feel welcomed and give them the opportunity to have 1:1 session as well as group therapy. Now the kids have a climate-controlled environment where they can fully relax, open up and heal. The second need was to build a shed that will house the therapy horses in their natural environment. Having multiple sheds helps keep the horses from being bullied and allows constant access to hay and shelter. Sheds were built to withstand storms and with the ability for cleaning on a daily basis to prevent disease and poor hoof conditions.

Through the platform of baseball, we furthered Children’s Hope Alliance’s mission of empowering youth by providing them a space where they can learn, love and thrive through practicing the sport of baseball.  By building a baseball field, titled a Field of Dreams, we enabled children in the area to build confidence, camaraderie and compassion for themselves and their peers. The legacy that was left behind in the Barium Springs community will, for many years, provide kids with a sport in which they can participate, learn team building skills, get exercise, and create connection.

Third Creek Elementary School in Statesville, NC, is an Iredell County Title 1 School. Over 85.5% of the students are economically disadvantaged. In 2017, we were able to provide the school with a large shade structure for their existing playground allowing the students outdoor play during the hot North Carolina summertime. Their STEM teachers use the existing tables and benches under the shaded area for outdoor lessons. Through our generous donors we established a small fund allowing the music teacher to order classroom supplies for the last three years. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this wonderful project truly making an impact for all students and teachers at Third Creek.

Many students express a desire to visit the YMCA Camp Harrison summer camp but the cost is prohibitive for their families. As they head to middle school, it’s important for these children to have opportunities to explore nature, be exposed to different people, places and experiences. They need space to figure out who they are and who they want to be. Our School’s Out Scholarship is allowing students to partake in this life changing experience and in its first few years impacted the lives of seven students with plans to expand in the future. We are excited to continue this project with our generous supporters.

Over the past 3 years, the Impact Summer Enrichment camp impacted over 250 boys, ages 8-12 years old. The free weeklong camp take place at Johnson C Smith University. Each day the kids are fed, participate in athletic training (football, basketball, etc.) and academic sessions. The camp introduces the boys to different trades, entrepreneurs, policemen and firemen who share their personal stories to give them hope and encouragement. They also partake in a college tour exposing them to all different paths of life. We are proud to continue and scale this project in the years to come.

The Montagnard organization ministers to MONTAGNARD children, the indigenous people of Vietnam. When they first began their tutoring program, most of these children were dropping out of school, even some in middle school. They were attending some of worst Charlotte schools where less than 20% of the entire school body passed minimum state educational requirements. They did have use of the North Regional Public Library, which gave them every resource they needed. But without the ability to transport the children, they were helpless. Make an Impact Foundation stepped in and supported the purchase of a 14-passenger van. This van enabled them to transport the children to tutoring. Today over 95% of these children are graduating high school. Several are even in college. One remarkable young Montagnard boy is now a second-year pre-med student studying Neurology at the American University in Washington D.C. With this van, they literally transformed the lives [...]

The infant toddler playground at Lakewood Preschool needed refurbishments. Make an Impact Foundation provided support by installing a new environmental playground. The environmental playground contains lamb’s ear, rosemary, blueberry and butterfly bushes. It has a working creek bed that trickles like a brook located in the mountains. The children can bring toy trucks outside and have truck races on smooth pebbles in the truck pit. When they run out on to the playground and step on the colored steppingstones, they remember that their little hands made parts of the sidewalk. Through a partnership with MAIF, the children can now learn how to care for our environment and experience nature in an urban setting at Lakewood Preschool.

In collaboration with Classroom Central, Make an Impact Foundation and our partner EDU Healthcare were able to surprise local students on their first day of school with brand new backpacks filled with school supplies. Since 2016, we have been able to bless over 850 students through our collaboration.