August 2025
Kids Empowered on the Move
$5,555 (includes Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation donation)  
Nominated by: Helen Riedel
​Website: Link
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On the Move is a 501c3 that started as Girls Matter in 1998. For eight years, Girls Matter organized conferences for girls and parents on empowerment issues, with conference attendance growing to 700 girls and parents. During the next phase, Girls Matter provided empowerment programs for schools and camps in areas of poverty. The organization grew into Kids Empowered: On the Move (KEOM). For the last several years, KEOM has organized Surviving the Social Jungle and Growing Up: 2020 conferences for kids and parents. When COVID-19 hit, founder Kimber Bishop-Yanke, as the Chair for the Oakland County Task Force on Poverty and Homelessness, began organizing food deliveries to 250 food-insecure families. As Kimber and the amazing team of volunteers got to know the families and their needs, the efforts expanded into delivering furniture and clothing, and meeting other needs, including delivering birthday cakes! To further support families, Kimber launched Sponsor-a-Family for Christmas that provided gifts for 175 families, a book buddy reading program to promote literacy for elementary students, and an Easter Basket and Meal delivery program.