Mental Health Kits

In 2022, TFD had a dream of creating healthy coping skills for Proviso youth. After experiencing many young souls lost to suicide, TFD wanted to become a space where mental health is normalized and honored. We exercised this through various types of mental health workshops like yoga, breathwork, group therapy, and art therapy. Yet, we wanted something that could provide our youth with healthy coping skills to deal with hard emotions It took many trials to dream up what our kit could look like, and at the end of 2022, we were ready to launch.

Our Big Bag of Feelings, was inspired by listening to our youth to see what they might want in the bag. We asked ourselves when we were younger, what may have aided us in our mental health journies. When you open the bag, you will first see a welcome card that includes everything included plus our creative partners, who happen to almost all be past mentees. Next, you will see a journal with journal prompts and pens. There is a feelings wheel, which helps identify what you are feeling with a matching keychain that allows you to write out said feeling. There are also many different fidget tools like a pop-it, stress ball, slug, flex rings, and more! As we launch more kits and hear more feedback, we will continue to update what comes in the bag.

TFD’s goal is to give away over a thousand kits to our local youth. This December, we were given the opportunity to hand out 150 kits to local high school students. We heard feedback like, “I needed this” or “I love what this says”. This January, we were also given the opportunity to visit two schools and hand out more kits.

None of this work would be possible without our friends and donors. We thank you for believing in us and the importance of our work. If you are interested in buying a bag, we have the option to buy a single kit or a Buy One Give One to sponsor a kit given away to our youth. Additionally, with a code, anyone from 15-22 who lives in the Proviso area can be given one for free. Reach out to our executive assistant, Maya (maya@thefirehousedream.org) for more details.

Our First Open House!

Photo Credit: Mya Rose

Last month TFD hosted our very first Open House Fundraiser! We wanted to give our donors a chance to view the space and meet the youth they have made such an impact on. Our group of 4 mentee alumni employees planned this entire event over the Summer with our Treasurer, Karina. They worked hard to plan the layout, decor, food, invites, and more, all while applying their creative skills learned at TFD!

The event went smoothly and it was a blast! From dinner and conversation, to mentees expressing how TFD has impacted them, and presenting the work they have created. New connections were made and old ones strengthened. Opportunities like this are something we strive to provide. After this incredible experience, we are so excited to be hosting our second Open House Fundraiser at the end of Sept. Want to join us? You can RSVP Here!

It is a pleasure getting to build impactful relationships with those who have helped TFD become what is it and we are grateful for each and every one of you who supports this DREAM!

If you would like to partner with TFD, you can do so by visiting the give page on our website.

Thank you!

Photo Credit: Mya Rose, Amie, Mariah

Kevyn Tapia | One Year Later

Kevyn, or Kevo Nobody, began his journey with TFD back in the Summer of 2021! It has now been a full year since we have gotten to know Kevyn. He is a YouTuber and this past year has been full of creating new content. He got to develop his skills and learn new things from his mentorship like how to tell a story creatively. Over the last few months, he has been working at TFD as our Video Content Creator. A year later, Kevyn is now working on a short film that will be coming out soon as well as continuing his growth at TFD! We are so excited to see what else Kevyn will accomplish!

Photo Credit: Mya Rose

Houmam Kassar | One Year Later

Video Credit: Kevyn Tapia

Houmam Kassar is an almuni of our Summer ‘21 cohort! He enjoyed learning how a nonprofit is ran and enjoyed the small joyful moments from his mentorship. Houmam also talks about how he has learned the importance of networking. One year later, he is beginning his journey into college at St. Mary’s University to study business anylytics and play soccer! We are so proud of him and can wait to see what he accomplishes! Go Houmam!

Photo Credit: Mya Rose & Suha Kassar

Mya Rose | One Year Later

In the Summer of 2021, Mya Rose began her mentorship program here at TFD! Since the beginning, Mya has always had an interest in photography, which she began to take significant steps to learn during her mentorship. She is now part of the TFD team as a content creator and photographer! Mya plans to continue photography and to learn other skills within the creative field. We are so excited to see Mya’s next steps and watch her continue to grow!

Photo Credit: Jasmine, Houmam, & Suha