Oprah’s Angel Network

The Garden Project | San Francisco, CA

“I think that because they’re giving, it helps to heal them in a way that I don’t think anything else can.” –Cathrine Sneed, founder of The Garden Project

Cathrine Sneed is no stranger to reaping the fruits of hard work. She was 17 years old, homeless and pregnant when she came to San Francisco. Determined to make a life for herself and her children, Cathrine went to law school and began a career counseling prisoners.

When hospitalized with kidney disease, Cathrine was inspired by the book The Grapes of Wrath. Said Cathrine, “When people had a connection to land, they had hope in their life.” Cathrine encouraged the jail where she was working to convert old farmland into The Garden Project.

Garden Project participants are primarily prisoners serving misdemeanor sentences of less than one year who tend not to be violent offenders. The prisoners work on the jail’s 145-acre farm and when released, they are eligible to be employed at The Garden Project through the Sheriff’s Department.

Generations of Hope | Rantoul, IL

“Hope is doing exactly what its name says—it is giving children hope.” —Brenda Eheart, founder of Generations of Hope

When Brenda Eheart learned that one-third of foster children never return to their homes or are adopted, she knew she had to do something. Taking a cue from the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a family,” Brenda founded Hope Meadows, a multigenerational, planned community in Illinois where her foster care and adoption agency called Generations of Hope is located.

Hope Meadows is comprised not only of families with adoptive/foster children, but also senior citizens who agree to devote time each week to the children in exchange for reduced rent. “Hope is doing exactly what its name says—it is giving children hope,” says Brenda. Kids who once felt rejected and shuffled from house to house are now finding the love and support they need to help them regain their childhood.

Update: Oprah’s Angel Network followed up with Brenda recently, and learned that since receiving the Use Your Life Award, Generations of Hope has gone on to receive national recognition. Read more.

Girlstart | Austin, TX

“We’re changing the way that the world thinks about girls, but more importantly we’re changing the way girls think about themselves.” —Rachel Muir, founder of Girlstart

Like many girls, Rachel Muir struggled with math and science in school. Inspired by her experiences with web design and eager to change female stereotypes, Rachel founded Girlstart—a program to get 11- to 15-year-old girls interested in math, science and technology. Girlstart recruits women working in science and technology to be mentors. Rachel said, “Girls need to see women in the technology fields so they can think that it is possible for themselves … We’re giving girls every opportunity to excel and see themselves as astronauts, as pediatricians, as engineers.”

By helping girls overcome their inhibitions about science and technology, Girlstart is showing girls that their future potential is limitless. Rachel said, “Studies show that when you empower a girl, she is less likely to abuse drugs, have an unwanted pregnancy, drop-out of high school or be a victim of domestic abuse … We’re changing the way that the world thinks about girls, but more importantly we’re changing the way girls think about themselves.”

Hobart Shakespeareans | Los Angeles, CA

“When a 10-year-old who doesn’t speak English as his first language steps in front of you and does a scene from Shakespeare, there is nothing that they cannot accomplish.” —Rafe Esquith, founder of the Hobart Shakespeareans

Rafe Esquith is using his passion for Shakespeare to transform inner-city children at Hobart Elementary School in Central Los Angeles into brilliant scholars. Rafe started the Hobart Shakespeareans to help economically disadvantaged children get into top universities and improve their lot in life.

According to Rafe, “The biggest disadvantage that these children face is that none of them speak English as their first language. When a 10 year old who doesn’t speak English as his first language steps in front of you and does a scene from Shakespeare, there is nothing that they cannot accomplish.”

The Hobart Shakespeareans are more than just actors—they are serious students. “My students come at 6:30 in the morning because they are hungry, they want out. They want to go to a top school.” The classroom mission is “Be nice, work hard.”

Rafe said, “It’s the first thing the children learn from me. If I want my children to work hard, I better be the hardest working person they’ve ever met. If I want the children to be nice, I better be the kindest human being they’ve ever met.”

For Rafe’s students, the classroom has become more than a haven for protecting them from inner-city violence—it has become a world where their dreams really do come true.

Inner-City Arts | Los Angeles, CA

“They have the ability to express their fears, doubts, joys and happiness. Once you open that door, I believe that door will never close again. It’s like cracking the door open to a great treasure room.” –Bob Bates, co-founder of Inner-City Arts

Inner-City Arts helps thousands of inner-city children discover their creative spirits and the power of their imaginations by offering education in music, art and dancing. Artistic Director and co-founder Bob Bates takes the children “as they are, where they are” and encourages them to reach their creative potential. Children can paint, play musical instruments and take ceramics at the performing arts center. The organization provides opportunities for children from local elementary and middle schools in the downtown Los Angeles area.

Inner-City Arts focuses on problem solving to help children realize they can do anything they set their minds to do. Bates claims the children score higher in math, language and science because the skills they learn doing artistic projects make them better students. With music, for example, the children learn to count and keep time, repeat ideas and work together.

Jacob’s Heart | Capitola, CA

“Jacob’s Heart is a family of families. It’s a place where people can come and you don’t have to worry about being bald. You don’t have to worry about crying.” –Lori Butterworth, founder of Jacob’s Heart

Jacob’s Heart is a support network for families of children with cancer. The program offers a number of services: direct financial assistance, grocery delivery, counseling in Spanish and English, a bilingual resource library and referral service, art programs and community education. Jacob’s Heart also hosts celebrations for children who recover and provides memorials for those who don’t.

The organization was founded in 1998 when Lori Butterworth learned that her friends’ son, Jacob, was hospitalized with a deadly form of leukemia. She organized “Jacob’s Jam” to help raise money for Jacob’s family and was inspired to start Jacob’s Heart to help other families.

Jubilee Family | Lynchburg, VA

“There were so many negative things pulling them away, pulling them into the drugs, or pulling them to having poor grades, or pulling them to be rebellious against their parents, and I felt I needed to be a strong source, I needed to pull just as strong.” –Sterling Wilder, founder of Jubilee Family

Sterling Wilder had a dream to build an educational and recreational center for kids in the inner city. An auditor in Washington, D.C., Wilder used to drive four hours to Lynchburg, Virginia every weekend to tutor children. When one of the boys he tutored ended up in jail, Sterling knew he could prevent that from happening to other children. Jubilee Family Development Center was born, Sterling said, because “I don’t believe in just talking about things. I believe in doing.”

Jubilee Family Development Center was established to provide children and their families in Lynchburg with a structured haven away from drugs and violence. Jubilee provides youth and family-development services, including after-school tutoring, computer training, cultural activities, mentoring, community service activities and access to health screening.

Read about more Use Your Life Award recipients: A–B | C–F | M–R | S–Z