Portside’s 1% Back to Maine is proud to share it has granted Valo a $10,000 grant to support efforts to proactively, and positively impact emotional well-being, resiliency, relationships, communication, and feelings of community belonging in Westbrook youth.
"Valo is a place where you can be yourself and not be worried about not being accepted into the group and having your story heard. Valo is a place where you are not just valued as a person, but it’s also a place where you are able to grow." - Valo youth
Valo is a Maine-based nonprofit with a mission to help youth cultivate emotional well-being in unplugged settings through conversation, small group connection, and lots of fun. Valo empowers young people to build social connections and hone tools to serve their emotional well-being.
Openness, curiosity, vulnerability, and building connection through conversation are at the core of its work. In Valo programs, young people practice empathy, self-reflection, active listening, and thoughtful communication all while unplugged from technology.
We all know how critical it is for children to know they matter and that adults are listening. Valo creates spaces for peer- to-peer and adult-to-youth connection. Valo remains committed to lasting impact, and every program includes the opportunity for follow-up. Valo youth learn to create community and connect authentically wherever they go.
Valo has been running programs for over a decade, and our work has never felt so relevant.
In March of 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared a youth mental health crisis, with the CDC reporting a significant rise in poor mental health and prevalent thoughts of suicide among teens, especially girls and LGBTQ+ youth. The CDC recommends fostering connection to address these issues.
Connection is at the heart of all Valo does. And we look forward to continuing expanding our reach so that more teens can feel the power of true belonging and connection.
“I went into Valo with a hope for a new beginning - a place where I wasn’t afraid to make connections, a place where I felt like I belonged and that my presence was noticed. Valo was the first time that I was able to find this.” - Valo youth
Check out Valo’s podcast ‘Embers’ now streaming on your favorite media outlet!
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