In partnership with the non-profit organization Village Book Builders, The Heart & Solle Charitable Foundation has funded the construction of a community library in Ixhuatlán del Café, as well as a virtual learning hub for the community library in Cuchapa, Mexico. These libraries help supplement and stimulate the education of over 300 students in the rural regions surrounding Veracruz, Mexico.

Village Book Builders is an award-winning non-profit that helps children open their minds to a whole world of possibilities through learning and global mentorship with the goal of increasing graduation rates and opportunities within rural communities. Local leaders are required to collaborate and apply to be a part of Village Book Builders’ program. The charity then works closely with local leaders throughout the entire process to ensure the long-term success and maintenance of the library and other learning programs hosted there.

Want to learn more about Village Book Builders?

Working with Koins for Kenya, the Cynthia M. Reed Heart & Solle Foundation funded the construction of a 35,000 gallon water cistern in Chiferi Village, Kenya. This cistern now provides access to clean water and better health for a school of more than 300 children in Chiferi and the surrounding areas.

Koins for Kenya is a non-profit organization that has been around for decades with the mission of improving community well-being through various investments in community education, construction, health and agriculture.

One of the ways in which they work with communities in Kenya to accomplish this is through the funding and building of water cisterns, which allow better clean water access, a necessity for healthy minds and bodies.

"You, through so much generosity of the Solle team, have changed the landscape for a couple hundred kids here in Chiferi Village." - Bret Van Leeuwen, Koins for Kenya Founder

The Heart & Solle Foundation is a ongoing sponsor of Hope Squad, a school-based organization that focuses on educating children and teens about mental health in an effort to prevent teen-suicide. Our foundation has donated to Hope Squad’s efforts to digitize their curriculum, funded a Hope Week at a local school, and hosts annual fundraisers for them during the month of May.

Hope Squad was founded by Dr. Gregory A. Hudnall, who has served as a high-school principal and educational administrator for many years, and over time developed the philosophy that the most effective way to prevent teen-suicides was through peer-support and founded Hope Squad. He and his team developed a program that teaches students how to recognize which of their peers may be struggling and trains them what to do when they hear or see things that signal someone may need help.

Each Hope Squad across the country partners with local community agencies and resources to then be able to refer struggling students to safe places where they can get the help they need; they have currently referred over 8,000 students for professional mental health support.

Want to learn more about the Hope Squad?

In partnership with the non-profit organization Village Book Builders, The Heart & Solle Charitable Foundation has funded the construction of a community library in Ixhuatlán del Café, as well as a virtual learning hub for the community library in Cuchapa, Mexico. These libraries help supplement and stimulate the education of over 300 students in the rural regions surrounding Veracruz, Mexico.

Village Book Builders is an award-winning non-profit that helps children open their minds to a whole world of possibilities through learning and global mentorship with the goal of increasing graduation rates and opportunities within rural communities. Local leaders are required to collaborate and apply to be a part of Village Book Builders’ program. The charity then works closely with local leaders throughout the entire process to ensure the long-term success and maintenance of the library and other learning programs hosted there.

Want to learn more about Village Book Builders?

Working with Koins for Kenya, the Cynthia M. Reed Heart & Solle Foundation funded the construction of a 35,000 gallon water cistern in Chiferi Village, Kenya. This cistern now provides access to clean water and better health for a school of more than 300 children in Chiferi and the surrounding areas.

Koins for Kenya is a non-profit organization that has been around for decades with the mission of improving community well-being through various investments in community education, construction, health and agriculture.

One of the ways in which they work with communities in Kenya to accomplish this is through the funding and building of water cisterns, which allow better clean water access, a necessity for healthy minds and bodies.

"You, through so much generosity of the Solle team, have changed the landscape for a couple hundred kids here in Chiferi Village." - Bret Van Leeuwen, Koins for Kenya Founder

The Heart & Solle Foundation is a ongoing sponsor of Hope Squad, a school-based organization that focuses on educating children and teens about mental health in an effort to prevent teen-suicide. Our foundation has donated to Hope Squad’s efforts to digitize their curriculum, funded a Hope Week at a local school, and hosts annual fundraisers for them during the month of May.

Hope Squad was founded by Dr. Gregory A. Hudnall, who has served as a high-school principal and educational administrator for many years, and over time developed the philosophy that the most effective way to prevent teen-suicides was through peer-support and founded Hope Squad. He and his team developed a program that teaches students how to recognize which of their peers may be struggling and trains them what to do when they hear or see things that signal someone may need help.

Each Hope Squad across the country partners with local community agencies and resources to then be able to refer struggling students to safe places where they can get the help they need; they have currently referred over 8,000 students for professional mental health support.

Want to learn more about the Hope Squad?