About RISE & DREAM Foundation
Dignity is where change begins.
RISE & DREAM Foundation was built on a simple belief: every person has value. We meet urgent needs while creating pathways toward greater confidence, stability, opportunity and possibility.
Our Story
Born from lived experience.
Built to serve differently.
RISE & DREAM Foundation grew from founder Kristin A. Sewell Hodge's lived experience as a single mother raising four children while working multiple jobs. She understood firsthand how quickly a hardworking family can find itself needing support — and how often the smallest unmet needs can become barriers to moving forward.
She also saw that traditional assistance often stopped before reaching the everyday needs that directly affect a person's confidence, stability and ability to move forward.
A backpack. A haircut. A pair of shoes. A meal. Athletic opportunity. A mentor. Practical life skills.
Each may appear small on its own. But when provided with dignity and intention, each can remove a barrier and help change what becomes possible next.
That belief became the foundation of RISE.
Why We Exist
Solving the need.
Restoring dignity.
RISE serves children, families, underserved communities and individuals experiencing homelessness through a whole-person approach.
We address immediate needs while investing in the confidence, resources, relationships and opportunities that create longer-term change.
Every Person Has Value.
Our Mission
RISE meets urgent needs with dignity while building the confidence, stability, skills and opportunity that create lasting change.
RESTORE
Dignity and hope to individuals and families experiencing hardship.
INVEST
In children's education, health and long-term futures.
STRENGTHEN
Families through food security, essential resources and community connection.
EMPOWER
Communities through opportunity, partnership and sustained support.
Charity With Dignity
How we serve matters as much as what we give.
RISE believes every interaction should preserve dignity, choice and respect.
Charity should never make someone feel smaller. The goal is not simply to provide something. The goal is to remove a barrier, restore confidence and help create what becomes possible next.
Charity With Dignity.
Love in Action.
Together We Rise.
Leadership
Leadership shaped by experience.
Kristin A. Sewell Hodge
Founder & Director of Operations & Programs
Kristin founded RISE from lived experience and a belief that every person has value. For more than 15 years, she has led the organization's programs, partnerships and community initiatives with a focus on dignity, practical solutions and lasting opportunity.
Connect with Kristin on LinkedInPut Your Love Into Action
Whether you give, volunteer, partner or advocate, there is a place for you in the work of RISE.