I'm raising money for the Cauliflower Collective to help support children in the child welfare system.

Cauliflower Collective is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the way foster, adopted, and special needs children navigate through life by introducing them to Jiu Jitsu and Wrestling. Together we are the Cauliflower Collective and it takes a Collective to raise a child.

Children and youth are taken into state custody and placed into foster care primarily on the basis of substantiated physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. Every day 1,200 kids enter foster care daily in the United States. Children placed in foster care are at high risk of mental health issues due to their history of adverse experiences such as abuse, neglect, and separation from parents and other attachment figures. Nearly 80% of foster children exhibit emotional and behavioral delays they seldom receive the consistent empirically validated mental health services (Garland et al., 2001; Horwitz et al., 2012; Keil & Price, 2006).

Positive educational experiences such as jiu jitsu and wrestling have been found to contribute to resiliency factors and to be a resource for helping children recover from trauma and stressful home environments. Children in the child welfare system may benefit from involvement in these activities through the promotion of positive social interactions, engagement in a positive community, and decreased time and motivation for problem behaviors.

Your donation will be used to provide children the opportunity to participate in jiu jitsu or wrestling at no charge to them. Additionally, they will be provided with uniforms and other equipment they need to participate.

I know there are a great deal of wonderful causes out there; however, next time you give think of the Cauliflower Collective and the opportunity these children will have because of you.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and contribution.