Founding Story

It all began with one act of kindness.

 

In 2008, our founder, Roxana Colorado volunteered at a soup kitchen on the morning of New Year's Eve. She went in expecting a festive event with great food and music for the attendees to enjoy, instead, she experienced the complete opposite. There was no ambiance and the food being served was unappetizing.

 

Yet, the toughest part for Roxana that morning was discovering that she wasn't just serving meals to homeless adults. She was in complete shock when placing the food on a plate for a child. At first, she wondered why he was there. It took her a while to process that he and his family were actually homeless and living in New York City shelters. She could not believe this unspoken crisis was a reality.

 

Children were not only being displaced from their homes. They were suffering extreme consequences (e.g.: health issues, low attendance in school, poor grades, depression, anxiety) because of the instability and trauma created by their dire circumstances.

 

Roxana later learned that parents and their children were being displaced from their homes for an array of reasons - none of which had to do with drug addiction or other stereotypes so many have of the homeless population. Some families were just one paycheck away from homelessness while others suffered from domestic violence issues or catastrophes that led them to lose it all.

 

During that first year, Roxana worked with her childhood friends to deliver one special Thanksgiving celebration to working poor and homeless families. Their mission was to provide children in need with one great memory they could cherish and cultivate to create a better future for themselves. 

 

In the process, Roxana met with other nonprofits and homeless children in the system to gain more knowledge about their needs. She realized that a holiday event was not enough to help homeless children survive and thrive. Roxana believed that if we - as a society - really want a better future, it starts with investing in helping children tap into their full potential. This is when she decided to leverage her corporate experience and extensive network to do more. 

 

Since serving their first meal in 2009, Dare2B has developed a 7 step developmental program and impacted the lives of over 4,700 children in USA, Africa, Chile, and the Dominican Republic.

 

The more Roxana learned about homeless children, the more she wanted to do to empower them for success. Thanks to everyone that has joined our efforts Roxana has achieved that and much more. Since 2009, hundreds of individuals and a few businesses have united efforts because they too believe that every child deserves an opportunity to survive and thrive.