Celebrating A Decade of Kids Changing the World

During the summer of 2016, when we were just 6 and 8 years old—my sister Brooke and I had a simple idea: kids could make a difference too.   Armed with lemonade stands, backpack drives, and a lot of enthusiasm, we set out to help others and created OC Kids Giving Back. Just a few months later, our cousins Hailey and Leah Miller, ages 5 and 7, launched LA Kids Giving Back, and what began as a family passion project quickly grew into something much bigger.  Together, we formed CA Kids Giving Back. 

This summer of 2026, as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we're incredibly proud of how far this journey has come.

Over the past decade, hundreds of kids and teens have joined us to organize service projects, volunteer in their communities, and raise funds for causes they care deeply about. Together we've supported organizations including Orange County Rescue Mission, WisePlace, Breakthrough T1D, Friendship Circle, Baby2Baby, LA Family Housing, Wags and Walks, and many more.

As we grew older, CA Kids Giving Back evolved from a handful of projects into a platform that empowers young people to lead their own philanthropic ideas. We launched high school chapters at Orange Lutheran, Foothill High School and Brentwood, helped students organize their own service events, and encouraged kids across California to discover that they don't have to wait until they're adults to create meaningful change.

One of our proudest traditions has become our annual summer camp at the Orange County Rescue Mission, where volunteers spend the week creating unforgettable experiences for children experiencing homelessness. Watching friendships form, confidence grow, and smiles spread has reminded us year after year why we started this organization in the first place.

Our impact has grown in ways we never imagined. In 2024, after our grandfather died of leukemia, we took our philanthropy group to a new level. Team Hope for a Cure, led by candidates Hailey Miller and Lia Bhatia, participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (now known as Blood Cancer United) Student Visionaries of the Year campaign.  Our team raised an incredible $707,000 for blood cancer research and patient support in just seven weeks—breaking a record for Los Angeles and earning the national title of Student Visionaries of the Year.  Hailey and Lia appeared on Good Day LA discussing this event. This past year, our team did it again.  Led by Leah Miller, the team raised over $609,000, bringing our total fundraising for Blood Cancer United to an astounding $1.3 million. What began with lemonade stands had become a movement capable of changing lives on a national scale.

As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary milestone, we're also excited to look toward the future.   Our 10-Year Anniversary Giving Event on Auguust 9th is centered around Kiva, an international nonprofit that allows everyday people to lend as little as $25 to aspiring entrepreneurs and students around the world. Rather than simply making a donation, Kiva empowers families to build businesses, pursue education, and create lasting opportunities for themselves and their communities. We love that even a small loan can create a ripple effect that changes someone's future.  The details on our event are below:

• Event: CA Kids 10 Year Anniversary Event

• Date: Sunday, August 9th, 2026

• Time: 3:00pm to 5:00pm

• Location: Provided upon RSVP

• Details: Supporting Kiva

• RSVP: Please email me, Taylor Rowen, at taylorerowen@gmail.com if you would like to attend our 10 Year Anniversary event. 

Looking back over the last ten years, we're amazed by what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to lead. What started with four little girls who believed kindness mattered has become a community of hundreds of volunteers proving that age is never a barrier to making a difference.  To everyone who has volunteered, donated, partnered with us, attended an event, or simply cheered us on—thank you. You have helped shape the first ten years of CA Kids Giving Back.