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Meet Tonya Sandis of Free2Luv

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya Sandis.

Tonya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Can you imagine losing your children, your classmates, your friends, neighbors, nieces and nephews, all to an epidemic that has become one of the leading causes of death among youth 10 – 24 years old? I was done losing our future. The next inventor, doctor, poet, artist, peacekeeper is being lost to youth suicide.

We couldn’t take it anymore. We had to take a stand for all of the innocent lives being lost. In response, my family and I started Free2Luv®, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering, uplifting, and saving the lives of youth through the arts. As a parent, I knew we had to create innovative programming to teach youth how to cope with emotions in a healthy way and to foster connections that break down any sense of isolation. With our entertainment industry experience, we knew the power music and the arts have to heal, inspire, and transform lives and how the arts would provide a perfect platform to convey our message. Through artistic outlets and thought-provoking conversation, we are giving youth an answer to “why” they are needed here as we address topics pertinent to today’s youth including self-acceptance, acceptance of others, anxiety, depression, overcoming adversity, bullying, and aspirations.

I knew at a young age that I wanted to be an advocate for young people who needed a voice or a platform to express themselves and I am proud of the safe haven we have created for youth to thrive and express themselves creatively in a judgment-free environment.

We are now seven years strong and have empowered Youth Advocates in 29 states and 19 countries to implement our outreach/mentorship program with their peers. We reach over 25,000 youth annually through our school and community art and music initiatives. We have saved the lives of countless youth who felt alone and suicidal, and many have become Advocates helping others who were once like them. We’ve had the privilege of working with city and community leaders to develop our programs, Celebrity Ambassadors, professional athletes, and – most importantly – our Youth Advocates.

We’ve been honored as a Top-Rated Nonprofit for the past seven years for our community outreach, volunteerism, and positive impact on youth.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our journey has not been met without challenges, but it has been a profound experience and complete labor of love. My family and I consider this our life mission and heart work.

Every day youth are struggling with bullying and their identity, and even taking their lives. Our challenge is to be able to provide our empowerment prevention programming to more youth to help stop this epidemic. When kids are encouraged and supported and empowered and have a voice, we know bullying and self-harm can be mitigated.

One of our biggest challenges is connecting with people and companies that are like-minded and support our mission to create a kinder, braver, more loving world. We’re proud of the reach and impact we’re making, but we’d like it to be even greater. Our vision is for no child to be left alone, feeling hopeless, misunderstood, or unwanted.

One thing I was not prepared for was the emotional turmoil I would experience on this journey. I have experienced deep heartache with families who have lost their children to suicide. Last year, we met the Williams family who lost their eleven-year-old son Blaine to bullying. Their family has become part of our family, participating in our outreach and keeping their son’s memory alive by having Blaine become an Honorary Free2Luv Youth Advocate. I was humbled and moved by Blaine’s mother’s words: “Your kindness will always be remembered. You are doing what I want to do. Speak OUT! I am a small voice in a big world. You are fighting the war. I’m so proud of all that you’re doing.” It’s words like these that echo in my head to continue to roll up our sleeves and do more.

Free2Luv – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Before Free2Luv was born, we wanted to make sure our organization name reflected our ethos. We believe behind every issue whether it’s bullying, self-harm or self-loathing, is low self-esteem and a lack of self-love. The name Free2Luv is about loving yourself first, loving others and being free to love whoever you desire.

I think what we do best is we ‘connect’ with youth. We have learned that to stay relevant, connected, and impactful, we need to continue to meet youth where they feel most inspired. And you can never estimate the power of youth supporting youth. Through our Youth Advocacy program, we invite community game changers to join our mentorship program, and in turn, inspire, encourage and uplift youth in their communities and their world, creating a tremendous ripple effect. Through contemporary music, meaningful conversation, and interactive art, we empower youth to be their authentic selves. By successfully providing safe spaces and tools for them to thrive, youth express themselves creatively, become more confident and compassionate, and turn their pain into power and purpose.

We embrace each Advocate’s individual strengths, talent and passion and together, we create a platform for them to thrive based on their passion. For example, we have Advocates who are passionate about singing, dancing, acting or sports and we create a tailored campaign for them to share bullying prevention, the importance of kindness and celebrating our individuality in their community. I don’t know of another organization that does that.

Another program we have that is unique to Free2Luv is our WE CARE program. It’s important to us to let young people know they’re not alone. Nothing is more powerful than feeling a sense of belonging, purpose, and empowerment. We gift empowerment packages to youth struggling with bullying, their identity, and/or self-harm with no questions asked. It’s super cool to receive messages from the recipients sharing the impact it made on their lives.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment involves my daily fight to keep the memory alive of the beautiful souls lost to youth suicide. Last year, we were able to share Blaine’s story and honor his memory through a cirque musical spectacle. We brought together young professional cirque artists and powerful music and storytelling to share an emotional journey from self-doubt and pain to power and unstoppable strength.

Our goal was to bring awareness to suicide prevention and uplift youth who may also be experiencing trauma to know they are not alone. To be able to hold hands with Blaine’s parents that day and make a promise to continue to fight for the voiceless is a memory I hold dear and will never forget.

I am also very proud of our volunteerism and mentorship programs which brought us two Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Awards for our service and commitment to empowering and supporting youth who at times feel helpless, alone, and suicidal.

I invite everyone to join us to create a braver, kinder, more loving world for all youth. Our youth deserve a bright future and it’s up to each of us to provide it. Together, we can be the change.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
@celestephotography, @kurtew, @andreworthphotos

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