A Mindful Moment: Groundbreaking Nonprofit to Host Fundraiser for High-Risk Baltimore Youth

Baltimore, MD, August 27, 2015 (Newswire.com) - The Holistic Life Foundation (HLF) will host its 4th Annual Seeds for Growth Fundraiser benefitting the organization’s Mindful Moment program.  Mindful Moment is an initiative that teaches 346 Robert W Coleman Elementary School students and more than 1,300 Patterson High School students how to manage the stress, trauma, and anxiety of inner city living through mindfulness, yoga, and meditation. In Mindful Moment’s first year at Patterson High School, incidents of suspension due to fighting dropped from 49 to 23 students and freshman promotions and GPA both increased. In 2014, HLF’s founders discussed the program’s success in a TEDx Talk.

Seeds for Growth will take place on Saturday, September 12th at 1407 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD, 21231, and will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.  The event will feature a silent auction, cash bar, delicious food, and live entertainment by DJ FACE. HLF suggests a $40 donation per guest for admission. Business casual dress required. To RSVP, please contact Rachel Voss at: [email protected] or (410) 235-4300. Space is limited.  

"The kids are changing before their very eyes and Baltimore is a better city because of their work. Knowing how yoga has helped me synchronize my mind and body and build resiliency, when I saw young, inner-city Baltimore youths sitting on yoga mats practicing mindfulness, I immediately wanted to see that in cities across the nation."

Tim Ryan, Democratic Congressman, Ohio

The Holistic Life Foundation has served more than 10,000 youth and 3,500 adults since 2001. Last school year, HLF's mindfulness programs were in 11 Baltimore City Public Schools, serving 2,500 students per week. A Johns Hopkins study based on HLF mindfulness and yoga techniques showed that students significantly improved their ability to regulate emotions and experienced lower rates of rumination (a strong precursor to both anxiety and depression). HLF received national recognition for this study and other programs on NBC Nightly News. HLF’s expertise in teaching mindfulness and yoga has provided them opportunities to speak at the White House, as well as teach and train across Europe.

About the Holistic Life Foundation

Brothers and West Baltimore natives Ali Smith and Atman Smith, along with their friend Andres Gonzalez, founded the Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. in 2001. HLF is a Baltimore-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization committed to improving social, educational, and emotional outcomes in low-income, underserved communities through multi-faceted programming such as Yoga, mindfulness, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about us visit hlfinc.org, or call us at 410-235-4300.