Brianna Noble was our first Make a Change Monday feature. Founder of Mulatto Meadows &The Humble Project, Brianna's mission is to expose underprivileged and marginalized communities to the horse world, hoping to create opportunities for young, underserved people of color to gain experience through her horses.

The Compton Cowboys is a collective of life-long friends on a mission to uplift their community through horseback and farming lifestyle –– all while highlighting the rich legacy of African-Americans in equine and western culture. "Streets raised us. Horses saved us." 

Cowgirls vs. Cancer is a yoga and horse retreat for women who have had breast cancer. As a 501c3, they provide scholarships that allow women to experience solace, rejuvenation and healing through yoga and horses in the wild of Montana. These retreats focus on self-care and encouraging women to take action to do what they can to prevent cancer and recognize the importance of screening for it regularly. 

Kareem Rosser, an accomplished polo player and financial analyst from Philadelphia, began a life changing equestrian adventure at Work to Ride in Philadelphia. Kareem grew up in the city in a neighborhood where survival was the main focus. His older brothers stumbled upon Work to Ride while biking, joined the program and later introduced Kareem. Kareem and his brothers remained dedicated to the program. It exposed him to a world he wouldn't have had an opportunity to see, gave him a second chance at life, and an incredible amount of support. According to Kareem, most kids he grew up with "talked about surviving and not education." Through his dedication to the program, school, the mentoring of Lezlie Hiner and the WTR community, he completed college at Colorado State to then return home to work as a financial analyst and assist the WTR program as Executive Director of fundraising.

Founded in 1994 by Lezlie Hiner, Work to Ride (WTR) is a 501 c3, non-profit community-based prevention program that aids disadvantaged urban youth in Philadelphia through constructive activities centered on horsemanship, equine sports, and education. This setting provides a unique opportunity to bring urban youth in contact with animals and nature. WTR is designed as a long-term program for 7 to 19 year-old youth who must commit to a minimum of one year of participation and receive help with college enrollment. Most participants, like Kareem, also choose to return to Chamounix to mentor new participants.

Donations can be sent directly to Work to Ride on their website. Additionally, they are seeking volunteer help in any capacity.

John Ferguson is a social documentary photographer and visual storyteller. He is drawn to communities, subcultures, societies, and groups that are sometimes either without voices or presence. He came across the black cowboy community many years ago, so he made his way over to America to seek out these forgotten cowboys.

This lead him on a photographic road trip across six different southern states of America in search of the forgotten African-American cowboys. During his travel, John met modern cattlemen and cowboys to highlight the forgotten cowboy community with a series of environmental and portrait photographs. The journey proved fruitful and enlightening in examining and discovering the rich history of this almost forgotten community. 

Fletcher Street Stables represents a legacy of horseback riding in urban communities, encouraging youth to express creativity, diversity, and culture from their perspective. Teaching them that it’s not all about how you started, it’s more about how you finish.

Saddle Up and Read is a 501(c)3 nonprofit which works to promote literacy through horsemanship. Connecting young children with horses and create lifelong readers.

Young Black Equestrians is a platform that highlights the passion, culture and lifestyle of Black horsemen and horsewomen in the industry. Through their podcast, YouTube channel and social media platforms, YBE has developed a safe space where Black horse people can consume culturally relevant content and share their experiences within a tight-knit community.

Caring Cowgirl is a full inclusion program giving access to the universal language of empathy through interactions with their mini donkey and mini horse.

As an immigrant’s daughter, founder and executive director, Elizabeth Beeson Evans, grew up watching people speak down to her mother because of her accent or her darker skin. This lead her to be passionate about being fully inclusive and celebrate those with different skin tones, or those who speak different languages. Being raised in a biracial home taught her to be a kind and caring human to all. She has made it her duty to help others that could not help themselves and for this reason she is forever a caring cowgirl.

After teaching adaptive horseback riding to children with special needs at a local ranch, she wanted to reach more people living in the city. So the idea of getting minis to the masses was born.

You can schedule a visit and they can come to you in person or virtually on her website.

Founded in 2008, The Children's Grand Adventure brings childhood cancer survivors to Jackson Hole and the Tetons for week-long programs of adventure and experiential education in an incredible outdoor setting. The children, whose lives have been previously put on hold due to the rigors of cancer treatment, experience travel, nature, introspection, self-reliance, physical activity, bonding, and friendship, enabling them to kickstart their healing processes and to create incredible lives after cancer. Stacey Kayem, CGA's founder, recognized the unforgettable power of place in her own healing process, inspiring her to share these awe-inspiring experiences with others.

Our friend and fellow retailer, Trisja Malisoff of Kiki Bean and Bedhead PJs, told us about this charity in Peru. She and a few other concerned people noticed on a trip to Cusco how many children in the community were on the streets with no place to go. Under the direction of Helen Ingelnath, they began Niños del Sol — a children’s home for kids who are survivors of trauma, abuse, and neglect in Cusco, Peru. The goal is to provide a home filled with love where they can heal, grow, and receive the tools they need to break the negative cycles in their families for all future generations. As we produce some of our products by hand in this artisan rich community, we are proud of our friend for the safety net she has created to give these children both care and a chance at life.

Campaign One At A Time, is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping children impacted by life-threatening illnesses around the globe. They are able to provide positive experiences and fulfill the dreams of children fighting a life-threatening illnesses one child and one campaign at a time.

Ally Global Foundation works to prevent human trafficking and restore survivors of abuse through local partners in Nepal, Laos, and Cambodia. They offer long-term safe homes, reintegration support and prevention programs for women and children.

The BOMA Project is helping women entrepreneurs — 33,000 and counting — start new businesses in Eastern Africa. They empower women in communities suffering from climate change, teaching them the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. These women are then able to use the income from their businesses to educate their children and keep them healthy.

Community Forklift provides free and low-cost home repair supplies, building materials, appliances, and other home essentials to households with limited resources, community organizations, and small businesses. Using donated new and gently-used materials, they divert these usable items from the landfill and redistribute them to people who need them.

They continue to help their community and provide green jobs for returning citizens and others with barriers to traditional employment.

Chemocessories’ mission is to help women with cancer hold on to their strength and sense of themselves during treatment. They create personalized sets of accessories, including jewelry, scarves, and turbans that are designed to lift spirits and to remind each woman that treatment in no way diminishes the beautiful woman within.

To date, they have provided over 9,000 sets of scarves, jewelry, and turbans to women across the country –– free of charge. Warming hearts one accessory at a time.