Truly Valued Inc

Thank you for visiting Truly Valued's Giving Tuesday page!

Truly Valued is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering and equipping young individuals with the necessary skills and support to thrive as successful adults. Our purpose is to foster personal growth, develop essential life skills, and promote a strong sense of identity among youth and families.  All the money raised this year will go towards funding our I AM Academy. 

I AM Academy is a character and confidence building program for youth in ages 10-18 that meet weekly on various school campuses throughout Manatee and Sarasota Counties. The Academy is dedicated to empowering at-risk youth, fostering personal growth, and strengthening community ties with local organizations, including law enforcement. 

Mentoring and Skill Development, Academic Support and Conflict Resolution and Mediation.

We measure success in the I AM Academy by having 80% of students show positive behavior changes in at least two of our four key pillars: character development, confidence building, educational opportunities, and self-esteem and awareness.

As of April 2024, at 11 sites, we have achieved the following results:

• Out of 112 students, 96 (86%) identified two valuable lessons that demonstrated growth in character, confidence, opportunities, and self-awareness.
• Out of 112 students, 96 (86%) shared that they’ve made positive changes, such as choosing better friends, improving their behavior, and focusing on raising their grades.
• An inspiring 108 out of 112 students (96%) reported gaining greater self-respect and heightened awareness of their surroundings, thanks to the lessons they’ve learned.

Founded in 2016, Truly Valued is a unique, compassionate organization that changes the lives of struggling youth and their families in Manatee, Desoto, and Sarasota counties. We build trust and instill self-esteem in youth in need of support who have often given up; teach parenting skills that allow families to be reunited and flourish, and inspire young people with scholarships, career, and job aspirations.

Our mission is to promote positive self-esteem, education, confidence, and character among youth and families. 

We stand apart from other organizations because we are intentionally small and we leverage our lived experiences to forge deep, meaningful relationships with the youth and families we serve. We do not just offer services; we commit to staying with them, continuously engaging through various stages of their lives to genuinely break the cycle.

With impactful programs that empower and transform the lives of people made vulnerable by unfortunate circumstances and systemic inequities. The need is great and there are many opportunities for investing in our youth in need of support and families.

We seek your support to sustain and expand our work uplifting those most in need. This effort will enable us to dramatically increase the number of people served, plan for the future, and invest in youth in need of support, families, and communities.

To learn more, visit www.trulyvalued.org.