Uplifting Girls in Foster Care
Hello! My name is Crystal Starr, a recording artist from Los Angeles, California, and the Founder of Little Voices. It all began two weeks before Christmas in December 2011. With a heart for kids in foster care, one willing friend, Little Voices Co-Founder Kem Anyanwu, and $3,000 in my savings, I had an idea to produce a Christmas concert benefiting children in the foster care system, called "A Crystal Starr Christmas".
I was told I was crazy and that it was impossible to produce such a large-scale concert within two weeks. I was told I should quit. Well, with a heart for others, I knew that anything was possible if you put your mind to it. So along with my friend Kem Anyanwu, we pursued this impossible dream of giving a child in care and their families the type of Christmas I always had as a child. I then asked my musician friends and performers if they would participate.
Within two weeks, we had fiscal sponsor, a 17-piece all women orchestra led by Noriko, 5 celebrity performers, 2 choirs, a marching band, a theater in the heart of Hollywood, 1,000 gifts for the kids, an appearance from Santa, 300 kids in foster care (two of which were adopted that evening), and the biggest tree a child could imagine (donated by CAA). We pulled it off! It changed all of our lives forever and we knew we had to continue.
In 2012, we grew from having 300 kids to 1,000 kids in care. We had even more gifts to give, more opportunity to provide, and more love to share. We proceeded to rent a larger theater and performers, such as Wayne Brady, Judith Hill, and other various Nickelodeon stars and myself all made an invaluable contribution that evening. It was amazing! Again, funded with my life's savings.
As I continued to grow in my career, I realized how much more we needed to give. In 2017, we felt the need to provide a focused love to girls in the foster care system, birthing a benefit concert called "SHE SESSIONS". This benefit gathers women from all walks of life to stand for girls in need. We as woman need to stand together and be the mother to the motherless, the hope for the lost, and the love to a society that sometimes seems like its failing. We wanted the room to be filled with love and support for the girls, filling them with the message of YOU ARE ENOUGH! And teaching them that no matter what you've been through in your life, your story makes you stronger. Think of it like sitting in the living room with your mom, sisters and grandma with the comfort, love and trust you feel when you tell them you've had a bad day.
We as women have that ability to make anyone feel loved and needed. It is the innate nurturer embedded in our hearts. Myself and my friends, Andra Day, Judith Hill and Kyra Dacosta donated our performances to the girls. Rapper Common even came and did a surprise performance. It was amazing to see 600 girls staring back at us and shouting I AM ENOUGH! Their unbelievable stories did not make them weaker, but stronger. But with 2 weeks before showtime, our investors fell through and I was left once again to fund the benefit with my life savings. Please view last years concert here: https://youtu.be/Upq7FqQhsVg
I knew we had to continue, and so we did. It was worth it! We bused in 600 girls and 200 participated in our pop-up sections, getting their hair and makeup done, called "She Beautiful". They also experienced free tap dancing lessons through "She Moves", and "She Talks" led by powerful female CEOs.
The benefit was a huge success. With 15 amazing partnering organizations like Parents of Watts and I Have A Dream Foundation, we knew we could do so much more if we officially became a non-profit organization. On August 14th it was official. Little Voices was born (EIN: 824089789)!
Last year we have grown to accommodate more than 1,200 girls to attend She Sessions and over 20 partnered organizations will be in attendance, from Salvation Army to Miracles for Kids.
On December 1, 2018, Little Voices (a 501c3 non-profit organization) hosted a concert at the Montalban Theater in Hollywood to inspire, educate and build self-esteem in youth who are in Foster Care. We would like to reach at least 2,000 in 2019.
With your help you can sponsor a girl in foster care to attend our amazing events taking place in 2019. All it takes is just $150 tax deductible dollars to sponsor 1 girl to attend "Listening Sessions" (taking place each month), "She Sessions" (taking place December 1, 2019), or "A Crystal Starr Christmas" (taking place in December 2019).
This is what they get with your gifts:
1) 15 buses rented to pick up 1,200-1,500 girls from the inner city.
2) At 3pm, the pop-ups begin for 250 girls; She Talks: led by 17 year old entrepreneur Niamani Knight for STREAM Global Innovations & STREAM Kids Expo ; She Knows: further teaching participant how to utilize various skills to contribute to their entrepreneurial aspirations; Shes Beautiful: consisting of beauty tips and make overs; She Moves: dancing techniques hosted by tap sensations Chloe and Maud; She Wins: allowing participant to put all they learned during She Sessions into a performance during the concert.
3) 6pm the concert begins. Because the victory is in the kids, this year we have decided to keep the artists performing a surprise to everyone. Because we want to make sure the reason why people give is solely for the girls in care, and not for the artists involved. This concert is produced on the scale of the Grammys, produced by Michael Keeling (Founder of Project X).
The girls leave the benefit feeling loved and renewed. We can change these following statistics together:
60% of girls become pregnant by age 19 after leaving the foster care system
40% of girls will have a second child by age 21
47% of youth leaving foster care are unemployed
33% receive public assistance
The girls will also take home with them pamphlets sharing with them information if they are in need of any help, from suicide hotlines all the way down to college scholarship information.
Please sponsor a girl and help continue this incredible journey. We plan to do this all over the world. But we must start with today. Our Listening Sessions (mini workshops inspired by "She Sessions" to gain clarity into what the youth feel and seek to experience) will begin March 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. We only have 2 months left to prepare for all of 2019. Please help and donate today to make these amazing events happen.
Below you can find out more about Little Voices and what more we do for our youth. Little Voices offers youth in foster care scholarships, internships, and mentorship, preparing them for a successful life with our program called "Listening Sessions," visiting the children’s homes on a monthly basis throughout the year offering mentoring services.
Picture: Crystal Starr mentoring one of our youth at the El Nido Boys home
Our unique concert programming gives girls in foster care the opportunity to be surrounded by strong influential women in different fields, encouraging them by telling their own personal triumphs and how they can overcome any circumstance. She Sessions also gives our partnering organizations the opportunity to expand their own impact by working together for the advancement of our youth.
Become A Proud Sponsor: Your donations will cover the cost of over 1,200 girls attending our various monthly (Listening Sessions) and annual retreat (She Sessions). Your donations will cover
concert entrance for each girl, transportation to and from our event, and a meal.
Entry into our #SHE SESSIONS includes:
1) “She Talks”, "She Knows", "She Moves", "Shes Beautiful", and "She Wins" sessions
2) Mentoring Sessions
3) Self-Esteem Building
4) Makeovers (Shes Beautiful)
5) Dance Lessons (She Moves)
6) Food & Beverages
7) Games & Giveaways
8) Scholarships Presentation
Donate now to become a voice for girls in Foster care.
Thank you in advance!
Crystal Starr
Founder | Little Voices
Littlevoices.me/donate
I was told I was crazy and that it was impossible to produce such a large-scale concert within two weeks. I was told I should quit. Well, with a heart for others, I knew that anything was possible if you put your mind to it. So along with my friend Kem Anyanwu, we pursued this impossible dream of giving a child in care and their families the type of Christmas I always had as a child. I then asked my musician friends and performers if they would participate.
Within two weeks, we had fiscal sponsor, a 17-piece all women orchestra led by Noriko, 5 celebrity performers, 2 choirs, a marching band, a theater in the heart of Hollywood, 1,000 gifts for the kids, an appearance from Santa, 300 kids in foster care (two of which were adopted that evening), and the biggest tree a child could imagine (donated by CAA). We pulled it off! It changed all of our lives forever and we knew we had to continue.
In 2012, we grew from having 300 kids to 1,000 kids in care. We had even more gifts to give, more opportunity to provide, and more love to share. We proceeded to rent a larger theater and performers, such as Wayne Brady, Judith Hill, and other various Nickelodeon stars and myself all made an invaluable contribution that evening. It was amazing! Again, funded with my life's savings.
As I continued to grow in my career, I realized how much more we needed to give. In 2017, we felt the need to provide a focused love to girls in the foster care system, birthing a benefit concert called "SHE SESSIONS". This benefit gathers women from all walks of life to stand for girls in need. We as woman need to stand together and be the mother to the motherless, the hope for the lost, and the love to a society that sometimes seems like its failing. We wanted the room to be filled with love and support for the girls, filling them with the message of YOU ARE ENOUGH! And teaching them that no matter what you've been through in your life, your story makes you stronger. Think of it like sitting in the living room with your mom, sisters and grandma with the comfort, love and trust you feel when you tell them you've had a bad day.
We as women have that ability to make anyone feel loved and needed. It is the innate nurturer embedded in our hearts. Myself and my friends, Andra Day, Judith Hill and Kyra Dacosta donated our performances to the girls. Rapper Common even came and did a surprise performance. It was amazing to see 600 girls staring back at us and shouting I AM ENOUGH! Their unbelievable stories did not make them weaker, but stronger. But with 2 weeks before showtime, our investors fell through and I was left once again to fund the benefit with my life savings. Please view last years concert here: https://youtu.be/Upq7FqQhsVg
I knew we had to continue, and so we did. It was worth it! We bused in 600 girls and 200 participated in our pop-up sections, getting their hair and makeup done, called "She Beautiful". They also experienced free tap dancing lessons through "She Moves", and "She Talks" led by powerful female CEOs.
The benefit was a huge success. With 15 amazing partnering organizations like Parents of Watts and I Have A Dream Foundation, we knew we could do so much more if we officially became a non-profit organization. On August 14th it was official. Little Voices was born (EIN: 824089789)!
Last year we have grown to accommodate more than 1,200 girls to attend She Sessions and over 20 partnered organizations will be in attendance, from Salvation Army to Miracles for Kids.
On December 1, 2018, Little Voices (a 501c3 non-profit organization) hosted a concert at the Montalban Theater in Hollywood to inspire, educate and build self-esteem in youth who are in Foster Care. We would like to reach at least 2,000 in 2019.
With your help you can sponsor a girl in foster care to attend our amazing events taking place in 2019. All it takes is just $150 tax deductible dollars to sponsor 1 girl to attend "Listening Sessions" (taking place each month), "She Sessions" (taking place December 1, 2019), or "A Crystal Starr Christmas" (taking place in December 2019).
This is what they get with your gifts:
1) 15 buses rented to pick up 1,200-1,500 girls from the inner city.
2) At 3pm, the pop-ups begin for 250 girls; She Talks: led by 17 year old entrepreneur Niamani Knight for STREAM Global Innovations & STREAM Kids Expo ; She Knows: further teaching participant how to utilize various skills to contribute to their entrepreneurial aspirations; Shes Beautiful: consisting of beauty tips and make overs; She Moves: dancing techniques hosted by tap sensations Chloe and Maud; She Wins: allowing participant to put all they learned during She Sessions into a performance during the concert.
3) 6pm the concert begins. Because the victory is in the kids, this year we have decided to keep the artists performing a surprise to everyone. Because we want to make sure the reason why people give is solely for the girls in care, and not for the artists involved. This concert is produced on the scale of the Grammys, produced by Michael Keeling (Founder of Project X).
The girls leave the benefit feeling loved and renewed. We can change these following statistics together:
60% of girls become pregnant by age 19 after leaving the foster care system
40% of girls will have a second child by age 21
47% of youth leaving foster care are unemployed
33% receive public assistance
The girls will also take home with them pamphlets sharing with them information if they are in need of any help, from suicide hotlines all the way down to college scholarship information.
Please sponsor a girl and help continue this incredible journey. We plan to do this all over the world. But we must start with today. Our Listening Sessions (mini workshops inspired by "She Sessions" to gain clarity into what the youth feel and seek to experience) will begin March 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. We only have 2 months left to prepare for all of 2019. Please help and donate today to make these amazing events happen.
Below you can find out more about Little Voices and what more we do for our youth. Little Voices offers youth in foster care scholarships, internships, and mentorship, preparing them for a successful life with our program called "Listening Sessions," visiting the children’s homes on a monthly basis throughout the year offering mentoring services.
Picture: Crystal Starr mentoring one of our youth at the El Nido Boys home
Our unique concert programming gives girls in foster care the opportunity to be surrounded by strong influential women in different fields, encouraging them by telling their own personal triumphs and how they can overcome any circumstance. She Sessions also gives our partnering organizations the opportunity to expand their own impact by working together for the advancement of our youth.
Become A Proud Sponsor: Your donations will cover the cost of over 1,200 girls attending our various monthly (Listening Sessions) and annual retreat (She Sessions). Your donations will cover
concert entrance for each girl, transportation to and from our event, and a meal.
Entry into our #SHE SESSIONS includes:
1) “She Talks”, "She Knows", "She Moves", "Shes Beautiful", and "She Wins" sessions
2) Mentoring Sessions
3) Self-Esteem Building
4) Makeovers (Shes Beautiful)
5) Dance Lessons (She Moves)
6) Food & Beverages
7) Games & Giveaways
8) Scholarships Presentation
Donate now to become a voice for girls in Foster care.
Thank you in advance!
Crystal Starr
Founder | Little Voices
Littlevoices.me/donate
Organizer
Crystal Starr
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
Little Voices
Beneficiary