| Founder(s) | Steve Gross |
|---|---|
| Tax ID No. | 501(c)3 |
| Location | Boston, MA, United States |
| Area served | United States specifically New England and the Gulf Coast, Denmark, Haiti, Turkey |
| Focus | Children |
| Mission | Helping kids overcome life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness, and extreme poverty, using the power of joyful play to heal and strengthen children. |
| Volunteers | >2,500[1] |
| Formerly called | Project Joy & Life is good Kids Foundation |
Contents |
Life is good Playmakers existed under a different name — Project Joy — from 1989 to 2009. This grassroots, Boston-based nonprofit was founded by Steven Gross, a pioneer in utilizing exuberant, joyful play to promote resiliency in children, and a leader in the field of psychological trauma response.
The watershed moment in the company's fundraising occurred following the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The public's overwhelming response to a specially-designed American flag tee shirt enabled the company to make a $207,000 donation to the United Way on behalf of families whose loved ones were victims of the terrorist attacks. That experience enabled Life is good to see more clearly the opportunity to have a sustained, positive impact through charitable giving.
Good, old-fashioned outdoor festivals seemed just the right vehicle for rallying good people around a great cause. Life is good held its first fundraising festival in Portland, Maine in October, 2003. Thousands enjoyed the day, and over $52,000 was raised for nearby Camp Sunshine a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Many more festivals followed in cities and communities across the country, with all funds raised donated to selected children's charities. To most effectively manage and direct growing donations and public goodwill, the company established the Life is good Kids Foundation in 2006.[2]
From the very beginning, support to carry out this vital work came from Life is good, whose founders were inspired by Gross' work in their local area. Every year from 2004–2009, a Life is good Festival was held to benefit Project Joy. The more Life is good experienced this nonprofit's joyful approach and transformative impact on the lives of children, the more the company became wholeheartedly committed to advancing its work. Life is good signaled that commitment in early 2010 by officially joining forces. Project Joy became part of the Life is good Kids Foundation, under the new name of Life is good Playmakers, with a singular focus on carrying out the Foundation's mission to help kids overcome life-threatening challenges.[3]
1989: Project Joy founded to help homeless children in Greater Boston.
1990: Project Joy expands mission to include all children living in poverty.[4]
2001: Project Joy founder Steve Gross partners with The Center for Trauma Psychology to create a country-wide trauma intervention for child survivors of the Turkish earthquake.
2004: In order to help more children, Project Joy works directly with front-line childcare professionals to help them bring healing play to the children in their care.
2005-06: Following Hurricane Katrina, Project Joy trains and supports over 400 preschool teachers serving over 8,000 children living along Mississippi's Gulf Coast.[5]
2007: Life is good rents out Fenway Park and throws a big, playful fundraising party for Project Joy, raising more than $800,000 to advance its mission on behalf of kids.[6]
2008-09: Project Joy expands program nationally to support children and child care providers from Maine to California.
2010: Project Joy teams up with the Life is good Kids Foundation under the new name Life is good Playmakers.
2010: Following Haiti's devastating earthquake, Life is good Playmakers certify a Haitian Playmaker team. In addition to bringing healing play to children in tent cities, this team trains a growing number of local child care providers.
Life is good grants full Playmaker Training Retreat scholarships to direct service providers who are working with the Foundation's target population (groups of children ages 3 to 6 who are living in poverty and/or who have experienced trauma). Scholarships cover training tuition, food, lodging, play kit equipment, and follow-up support and consultation.
Impact of Playmaker Programs Introduced in Post-Katrina Gulf Coast Pre-schools.