THE VISION

To empower the community to work together educating others about the importance of Mental Health Awareness. While helping decrease the stigma around conversation of mental illness and cultivating relationships working together for growth in all communities.

HOW IT STARTED

The DL Handy Foundation was founded in September 2022. As a child I always wanted to be a part of helping to change this world in some aspect. Didn’t quite know in what way at the time or what that may look like, but here we are today. “Christmas in Paris” was the first start to this great vision. This came to me as I was thinking of a way to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, while being able to give back to my community.

I thought of “Christmas in Paris' ' under the notion of, who doesn’t want to be in Paris during the holiday season? And the theme evolved from there beginning in 2019! In 2019, I dedicated the charity event to my uncle and cousin who lost their battles to cancer; the late Tommy Thomas and the late Stephanie Johnson.

The charity event and the love for giving back is what birthed the vision of this foundation. My main vision of this foundation is to be a change advocate in the community through empowerment and giving back efforts. I challenge you to be a part of this vision. This is just the beginning, however we are looking forward to many things coming forth in the near future.

THE MISSION

Our mission is to empower families and communities through education, scholarships, and mental health awareness initiatives—providing resources, support, and opportunities that inspire growth, healing, and lasting impact.