Birth Date: 2007
Location: Irvine, California USA
Monument Type: Event
Khloe Thompson, courtesy Khloe Kares Facebook page.
It is an unfortunate reality that not only within America but across the world, homelessness and housing insecurity remain incredibly large problems. Unsurprisingly, tackling it proves to be an equally large task. Luckily and inspiringly Khloe Thompson, a courageous girl from Irvine, California did not let the magnitude of the issue phase her—she set out to make a difference in her community. Determined to see change, she got to work. Born in 2007 outside of the LA area, Khloe was raised by her mother and grandmother, an immigrant from Ghana. She grew up with a passion for fashion along with a deeply rooted sense of pride in her community, finding joy in all of the wonderful things California has to offer.
However, after growing older, Khloe started to see massive disparities around the place she called home; thousands of individuals in the LA area lived on the streets with nowhere to go for shelter or nourishment. At eight years old, Khloe knew that she wanted to make a difference within her community, but recognized that in order to help other people, she would have to find someone to help her, too. For this, she looked to her mother and grandmother, who assisted her in turning dreams into reality. In a whirlwind, they registered Khloe’s organization, Khoe Kares, with the government as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and started collecting donations. Along the way, Khloe also visited Ghana with her grandmother to talk about their philanthropic journey and install working water pumps in towns that had little access to them.
By the time she was 12 years old Khloe Kares started actively collecting different types of essential goods for houseless people, and then packaging them up to be distributed to people in need. The “Kare Packages” she created included items such as toothbrushes, soap, and underwear—all daily essentials. In an interview with civic engagement organization Points of Light, Khloe revealed that as of the end of 2019, they had been able to distribute 5,000 Khloe Kares bags to homeless people in the greater Irvine area!
In 2019, Khloe was also awarded the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award, to which she responded with the sentiment “Being 12, I like to be the example that at any age you are capable of making an impact,” an inspiring and wise statement. Her organization continues to grow, and Khloe remains adamant that anyone is capable of making the change that they would like to see in the world. At 16 years old, she continues to run her non-profit organization, and its scope of reach grows with every passing year. She now hosts online and in-person events that teach people how they can become more involved in their own communities. Khloe has also accrued 16 thousand Instagram followers, using her platform to raise awareness about housing insecurity and collect donations to keep her organization going strong!
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