About Us
volunteer
About Us
Established in the memory of Jacob and Andrea to benefit programs and education supporting mental health advocacy and the prevention of at-risk lifestyles in adolescents.
Jacob’s life reflected his unwavering concern and caring for others, and he was truly in his element when he was shouldering the weight of being everyone’s best friend. In good times and bad he was always listening, always honest, and forever supportive to countless ‘best friends’.
As a career, fun-loving nurse Andrea connected with thousands with her tender loving touch and genuine concern for those in need of care and attention. Her encouragement to ‘laugh out loud’ was infectious for all who were lucky enough to be in her company.
Helping friends, adolescents in need, BWell today for tomorrow.
Our Mission
Who We Are
Friends and family established BWell Today For Tomorrow, a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, in memory of brother and sister Jacob Mark Blackwell and Andrea Saenz. It would have been their wish that we honor them by doing meaningful work in our communities. Both of our children were in their element when shouldering the weight of being everyone’s best friend. Every day their lives affirmed an unwavering concern and caring for others. Now, through BWell Today For Tomorrow, we carry on their mission.
What We Do
We enthusiastically provide grants and ancillary funding to organizations that are aligned with our mission. Our goal is to work, support, and assist with the development and creation of an effective arsenal of programs to help:
- Prevent at-risk lifestyle behaviors in adolescents
- Support mental health activities
- Implement wellness in the everyday lives of the families we reach.
- Support programs which lend a helping hand
- In 2019 we are supporting a number of programs. They include stay-in-school efforts, anti-trafficking education and awareness, outdoor challenge programs, targeted mental health initiatives and self-esteem strategies, and programs which ensure our kids understand the difference between a healthy and unhealthy relationship.
How We Do What We Do
- Using hands-on programs, school-based prevention, real-life realities, and science based education, we support the delivery of honest information in order to reach and influence young people and their parents with compelling information about the risks of bad choices.
- We incorporate the support of outdoor activities and healthy nutrition. We embrace, support and encourage activities that have outdoor challenges linked with skill development to enhance ones ability to create personal goals and strategies to help deflect negative peer influence.
- We raise funds for all our efforts through annual fundraisers, donor and donation campaigns, and social marketing.
Why We Do It
Why is our focus on at-risk lifestyles, mental health, and wellness? Simply put,
These are real issues that are growing; they are not going away.
-Adolescent substance abuse-Suicide-Mental health-Trafficking-Peer pressure-Low self-esteem-
Everyday a youngster or neighbor slips into a gap of available services. Reality says, if we can fill a gap; touch more children and families earlier, help them make better choices, prepare and equip them better…
…we may help save a life or help a family.
Making the right choices allows for wellness today and a greater likelihood to translate into wellness for the rest of their lives.
BWell Today For Tomorrow… for the body, mind and soul.
A Letter from the Directors
BWell Today For Tomorrow continues the journey we began a two years ago to strategically invest resources to support our mission and achieve specific goals. We know we are not alone on this journey. Rather, we are accompanied by countless individuals and organizations that are working with us to do good work and succeed. Together, we are helping prevent high-risk behaviors in our children and young adults and helping those needing assistance in returning to sobriety. We continue to believe in and support multi-faceted programs founded in experiential learning and Outward Bound wellness protocols. Our efforts encompass mental health education and wellness for our environment, as well as efforts to spread awareness about the exploitation of children.
While we are still a work in progress, we have made and continue to make meaningful impact to the community. We remain solidly grounded in the genesis of our formation. The loss of our beloved children and brother and sister drives our desire to help others. We are humbled to initiate, collaborate and participate as volunteers in meaningful efforts in their honor and memory.
So, how do we fuel this journey? With patience and perseverance and through partnerships with individuals and organizations who share our mission, passion, and determination to make meaningful impact. This is the legacy of our beloved Jacob Mark Blackwell and Andrea Saenz.
We are proud to be a part of the greater non-profit community and the people within who are our partners in making good things happen. Our journey continues and is a labor of love; we are committed. Let the boots hit the ground and do good work!
We believe in the work of BWell Today For Tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Richard and Linda Blackwell
Richard and Linda Blackwell