Lift Up America

LIFT UP AMERICA IS A 501(C)(3) EDUCATIONAL, HUMANITARIAN AID, NONPOLITICAL, NONRELIGIOUS NONPROFIT. LIFT UP AMERICA'S AMBASSADOR OF COMPASSION PROGRAM PROVIDES HOPE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS FOR YOUTH BY ENGAGING TODAY'S LEADERS AND PARTNERING WITH CORPORATIONS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, EDUCATION, MEDIA, GOVERNMENT, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. LIFT UP AMERICA SUPPORTS THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH AND CHALLENGES THEM TO BECOME AMBASSADORS OF COMPASSION TO HELP LIFT UP THEIR OWN LIVES, COMMUNITIES, AND AMERICA.LIFT UP AMERICA'S FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TYSON FOODS, HAVE PROVIDED ALMOST 25 MILLION SERVINGS OF HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN TO ENCOURAGE AND BRING HOPE TO AT-RISK FAMILIES. THE GROUPS THAT LUA HAS PARTNERED WITH HAVE PROVIDED OVER $100 MILLION OF GIFTS-IN-KIND AT LUA EVENTS.

HISTORY - LIFT UP AMERICA (LUA) BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2004 WHEN FOUNDER DAVE HANNAH BROUGHT TOGETHER TYSON FOODS, THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, AND 30 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO DISTRIBUTE 74,000 POUNDS OF FROZEN CHICKEN - THE EQUIVALENT OF 296,000 MEALS - TO FAMILIES IN NEED IN MIAMI AND KANSAS CITY. THE NEXT YEAR OVER 27 PRO AND COLLEGE TEAMS IN 23 CITIES ACROSS AMERICA PARTICIPATED IN THE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS. LENSCRAFTERS, PEARLE VISION, AND STARKEY HEARING AIDS JOINED WITH LUA TO PROVIDE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF VISION AND HEARING EXAMS AND GLASSES AND HEARING AIDS TO THE LESS FORTUNATE AT LUA EVENTS. CINEMARK THEATERS PROVIDED THEIR MOVIE THEATERS FOR LIFT UP AMERICA MOVIE PREMIERES WHERE AT-RISK YOUTH ARRIVED IN LIMOS, SAW THEIR FACES ON THE GIANT JUMBOTRON, AND WALKED THE RED CARPET WITH CAMERAS FLASHING, AS THEY BECAME MOVIE STARS FOR ONE WONDERFUL EVENING. CHEERING DIGNITARIES, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, AND ACTORS WELCOMED THE YOUTH AND ASKED FOR THEIR AUTOGRAPHS.LUA HAS DONE SPORTING EVENTS WITH TEAMS SUCH AS THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, MIAMI DOLPHINS, MINNESOTA TWINS, TEXAS RANGERS, FC DALLAS, AND THE BOISE STATE FOOTBALL TEAM. AT-RISK KIDS WERE TREATED LIKE PRO ATHLETES AND MVPS FOR A DAY AS THEY RAN ACROSS THE FIELD IN FRONT OF A CHEERING CROWD, WATCHED THE GAME, AND MET THE PLAYERS. SOME OF THE OTHER CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED WITH LUA ARE INTERSTATE BATTERIES, TY BEANIE BABIES, DISNEY, NESTLE, MANN'S THEATERS, GRAUMANS CHINESE THEATER, GRAUMANS EGYPTIAN THEATER, BEST BUY, COOKIE LEE JEWELRY, CHIPOTLE, FREEMAN DECORATING, HOME DEPOT, AMERICAN AIRLINES, CDI COLLEGE, VANCOUVER CAREER COLLEGE, DALLAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, BOISE STATE, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS, PHOENIX COYOTES, SAN DIEGO PADRES, LOS ANGELES ANGELS, CLEVELAND INDIANS, KEN BLANCHARD COMPANIES, SELECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT, IRS PROBLEM SOLVERS, AND UTOPIA. LUA PRESIDENT ERIC HANNAH FOUNDED LIFT UP AMERICA'S AMBASSADORS OF COMPASSION (AOC) LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH LAUNCHED IN 2010. AOC IS A FOURTEEN-SESSION, COACH-LED, INTERACTIVE MEASURED PROGRAM THAT RAISES UP THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS BY EQUIPPING THEM WITH RESILIENCY, HOPE, AND THE PERSONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO NAVIGATE AND SUCCEED THROUGH LIFE'S INEVITABLE CHALLENGES. THE AOC PROGRAM IMPARTS THE CRITICAL LIFE PRINCIPLES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR YOUTH TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. AOC FOCUSES ON THE HURT AND PAIN THAT MANY IN THIS GENERATION CARRY IN THEIR HEARTS. IT IS DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN TO FORGIVE AND OVERCOME THEIR NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES TO ENABLE THEM TO LIVE A SUCCESSFUL LIFE AND REACH THEIR GOALS AND DREAMS. LUA HAS FOOTBALL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, AND COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL PROGRAMS. THE AOC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM BEGINS WITH A LIVE, TELEVISED, OR RECORDED KICKOFF EVENT FEATURING WORLD INFLUENCERS, HOLLYWOOD PERSONALITIES, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, AND PEOPLE WITH LIFE-CHANGING STORIES. WEEKLY MEETINGS LED BY TEAM COACHES FOCUS ON AOCS LEADERSHIP MODEL: TRAIN, MEASURE, HONOR. THE PROGRAM CONCLUDES WITH AN HONOR EVENT TO CELEBRATE THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE JOURNEY AND SHOWN, THROUGH MEASURABLE ACTIONS, THAT THEY ARE SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN LIVES. MANY YOUTH HAVE SEEN REMARKABLE TRANSFORMATIONS IN THEIR OWN LIVES AS THEY CLEANED UP PARKS, BUILT A COMMUNITY CENTER, PLANTED TREES, REMOVED GRAFFITI, MENTORED STUDENTS, HELPED THE ELDERLY, AND DID MANY OTHER ACTS OF LABOR. EACH SCHOOL HAS ITS OWN HONOR EVENT. SOME HONOR EVENTS HAVE BEEN HELD WITH THE CLEVELAND INDIANS, SAN DIEGO PADRES, DALLAS COWBOYS, LOS ANGELES ANGELS, ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS, AND BOISE STATE.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2017:AMBASSADORS OF COMPASSION LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - 2017 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR GROWTH AND EXPANSION AS LUA CONTINUED TO TRAIN STUDENTS USING THE L.I.F.E. PRINCIPLES: (L) LABOR, (I) INFLUENCE, (F) FORGIVENESS, AND (E) EXPERIENCES AND THE R.I.S.E. PRINCIPLES: (R) RESPONSIBILITY, (I) INITIATIVE, (S) SERVICE, AND (E) EXPECTATIONS. LUA MEASURES THE HARD DATA OF STUDENTS GOING THROUGH THE AOC PROGRAM. THE RESULTS HAVE SHOWN DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN STUDENTS BEHAVIOR AND RESILIENCY, THE CAPACITY TO COPE SUCCESSFULLY WITH STRESS AND ADVERSITY WITH A PERSONAL GROWTH MINDSET. THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE LIVES OF THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE AOC PROGRAMS. IN ONE STUDY OF 67 STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE AOC PROGRAM IN 2017, THE RESULTS WERE STRIKING. STATISTICS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ABSENCES (52%), DISCIPLINE INFRACTIONS (88%), AND TARDINESS (61%). THE NUMBER OF FS DECREASED BY 48% WHILE AS INCREASED BY 37% AND BS BY 13% FOLLOWING THEIR AOC JOURNEY.IN A STUDY INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF AOC STUDENTS, THE RESEARCH SHOWED 83% REPORTED THEY HAD BETTER RELATIONSHIPS AND WAYS OF COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS OR GUARDIANS AFTER THE PROGRAM. STUDENTS REPORTED STRONGER SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-BELIEF IN THEIR POTENTIAL AND THEIR ABILITY TO FORGIVE THEMSELVES AND OTHERS AS PART OF THEIR OWN JOURNEY FORWARD. 92% OF AOC PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THEY FELT GOOD ABOUT WHO THEY ARE, AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER TO OTHERS. STUDENTS ALSO REPORTED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A POSITIVE SUPPORT RELATIONSHIP IS AND WHY RELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT. AFTER GOING THROUGH THE AOC PROGRAM, 87% REPORTED THEY WERE BETTER AT CHOOSING FRIENDS THEY CAN TRUST WHO ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE POSITIVE CHOICES. THE AOC JOURNEY HELPS YOUTH DISCOVER THEIR LIFE'S PURPOSE ALONG WITH PROVIDING THEM WITH A SENSE OF HOPE AND DESTINY.DR. WAYNE HAMMOND, A FOREMOST AUTHORITY ON RESILIENCY, HAS MEASURED THE RESILIENCY OF 800,000 YOUTH. AFTER MEASURING THE RESILIENCY OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE AOC PROGRAMS, DR. HAMMOND SAID, IN MY 25 YEARS OF WORKING WITH COMPLEX STUDENTS, THE RESULTS FROM AMBASSADORS OF COMPASSION ARE THE MOST POSITIVE I'VE EVER SEEN FROM A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PUPIL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR A LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT IS USING THE AOC PROGRAM SAID, AOC IS THE ONLY PROGRAM THE DISTRICT ALLOWS DURING SCHOOL HOURS. ONLY AOC GETS THE STUDENTS AND MENTORS DISCUSSING THE REAL ISSUES AND THAT IS WHY TRANSFORMATION IS OCCURRING. LIFT UP AMERICA HAS NOW TRAINED ABOUT 35,000 STUDENTS NATIONWIDE WITH ITS AMBASSADORS OF COMPASSION PROGRAM. FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS - IN 2017 LUA PARTNERED WITH TYSON FOODS AND COLLEGE AND PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS TO PROVIDE CLOSE TO A MILLION SERVINGS OF HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN TO NONPROFITS AND FOOD BANKS IN SIX CITIES.