Together We Rise Corporation

The mission of Together We Rise is to transform the way youth navigate the foster care system in America. TWR was created in 2008 after founder Danny Mendoza discovered his 9-year-old cousin was living in a car. Due to DCFS’s policies limiting care provision for adults under the age of 21, Danny’s attempts to provide relief to his cousin were consistently stymied. Instead of giving up, Danny decided to dedicate himself fully to improving the lives of children like his cousin who are navigating the foster care system. Danny’s vision became a reality as Together We Rise was born. Since then, TWR has grown into one of the nation’s largest volunteer engagement organizations, making it possible for anyone, anywhere to make an impact on the lives of foster youth.

By collaborating with a network of volunteers, social workers, foster agencies, individuals, foundations, and corporations, Together We Rise has been able to change the lives of a record-breaking number of children in the foster care system. Here's how!

Despite the fact that over 70% of the kids in foster care enter the system in a sibling set, less than 10% remain in placements together. Every year, TWR reunites hundreds of siblings who have been separated by the system for a day of fun at Disneyland.

When children enter foster care, they are often provided one to two black trash bags to move their few belongings in. To address this, TWR developed Sweet Cases. Sweet Cases are personally designed, brand-new duffle bags that are filled with comfort items and necessities such as a teddy bear, a hygiene kit, a blanket, a pillow, art supplies, and a personalized note. With a Sweet Case in hand, foster youth now have a bag that will stay with them throughout their journey, providing them comfort and storage no matter where they are or where they go. TWR provides an average of 50,000 Sweet Cases annually.

Children who are experiencing the foster care system often miss out on simple childhood joys, such as riding a bicycle. Through TWR’s Bike Build program, we provide free bicycles to thousands of foster care youth annually. These bicycles spark lasting memories of laughter, hope, adventure, and community for a foster child. TWR provides an average of 3,000 bicycles to foster youth annually.

Youth who are attempting to navigate the unpredictable world of foster care are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to establishing extracurricular hobbies and interests. Our Build A Board program seeks to address this by providing foster care youth with their own, brand new, personalized skateboard. On average, TWR provides 2,000 skateboards to foster youth per year.

Childhood birthdays create lasting memories of togetherness, warmth, and love. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for foster youth to miss out on this experience as their special day can easily go forgotten. TWR developed Birthday Boxes, a personalized box that comes with a hand-made birthday card and decorations to remind each child how special and important their day truly is. On average, TWR provides 10,000 birthday boxes to foster youth annually.

TWR developed the Superhero Box program to remind foster youth that they are S.U.P.E.R. (Self Assured, Uplifted, Proud, Empowered, and Resilient). Superhero Boxes come packed with a cape, mask, power cuffs, and bracelet so that each child can look like the hero they are. We also include a pencil, eraser, pencil pouch, a bouncy ball, temporary tattoos, pillowcase, and a Hero ID card. On average, TWR provides 4,000 superhero boxes annually.

Foster youth continue to lack access to quality STEM education contributing to the abysmal academic outcomes they face. Each of TWR's STEM Boxes contains four science experiments that focus on the four elements of STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. We include a fun project for each of these areas, including a dinosaur dig kit, waddle bot, catapult, and tangram puzzle. Together, these activities demonstrate that STEM learning is exciting, innovative, and accessible. In addition to the experiments, each box contains a lab notebook, lab coat, safety goggles, name badge, and a lightbulb cup.

With 50% of foster youth dropping out of high school and only 3% graduating from college, TWR's Family Fellowship and Rapid Response programs work to make a measurable impact on these statistics. To date, the Family Fellowship program has graduated 26 students with ten currently pursuing advanced degrees and four having already graduated with at least a Master’s. Our Rapid Response program has provided emergency financial assistance to over 2,000 former foster youth who were at imminent risk of dropping out, experiencing homelessness, and/or suffering from food insecurity.

Other special annual events include our holiday stocking initiatives, back-to-school backpack programs, Socktober, and more. TWR remains dedicated to the provision of innovative, evolving services to meet the varied needs of this vulnerable population.