Comfort for teens in mental health treatment

Kare Kit

501(c)(3) Non-Profit

Who We Are

KareKit began with a group of high school juniors who recognized the under-supported adolescents in mental health treatment, largely due to the confounding stigma surrounding mental health.

What began with a single goal to support adolescents in mental health treatment has grown into a comprehensive approach that addresses both the immediate needs of those in treatment and the broader community education.

Read the full story
Kare Kit
Get involved

Ways to help

See what is in a kit

Every item is thoughtfully chosen with guidelines in mind.

Donate

100% of donations go directly into care packages for teens in treatment.

Volunteer

Participate in community education events.

The Problem

1 in 5 adolescents struggle with a mental health condition.

Mental health conditions are frequently brought up in conversations but rarely discussed openly, especially among adolescents.

At KareKit, we aim to foster and encourage open dialogue about mental health, providing support and resources to those in need.

The Gap

Treatment Is Isolating

This problem is escalated in residential mental health and recovery programs, where adolescents may feel isolated from their support networks.

Many teens describe the hardest part of recovery as the loneliness between appointments and the pressure to maintain a facade of well-being around others.

Our Solution

Direct Support

Kare Kit delivers care packages directly to adolescents in residential mental health and recovery programs, while providing community education to make those packages meaningful.

Our aim: help treatment feel less isolated and provide communities with practical understanding.

How we work

The ACE Approach

A

Awareness

We educate communities about the reality of mental health disorders: their prevalence, their impact on adolescents, and the gap between how common they are and how rarely people talk about them.

C

Connection

We bring together volunteers, schools, churches, organizations, and communities to participate in mental health initiatives as participants.

E

Encouragement

We deliver care packages, resources, and messages of support to adolescents in treatment and recovery, crafting a direct line from the community to the individual.

Direct Support

Current partner facilities

The Lotus Collaborative Eating Recovery Center

Kare Kit is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit

EIN: 39-3514386  ·  All donations are tax-deductible  ·  Every donor receives a receipt  ·  100% goes to care packages and community events.

What goes inside

The Kare Kit

Each item chosen deliberately — to calm, ground, encourage, or simply make an unfamiliar place feel a little warmer.

KareKit

Kit contents

Personalized journal

A journal with daily prompts, a helpful activity for de-compressing .

Stuffed animal

A soft companion for hard moments or restless nights.

Diamond art kit

A simple diamond painting activity to keep hands and mind occupied.

Blanket

A cozy blanket from the community to bring warmth and a sense of home to an unfamiliar room.

Personalized bookmark

A handmade bookmark from community volunteers, created with multiple different nature inspired designs.

Pinch Me Therapy Dough

Scented therapy dough for stress relief and grounding during anxious or overwhelming moments.

Every dollar goes directly to kits

Support the Mission

No overhead. 100% of what you give becomes journals, sensory tools, plushies, blankets, and encouragement notes for a teen in treatment.

Pick your impact

Sponsor a Kit

$20

1 Kare Kit

Covers one full care package for one teen in treatment.

Most Chosen
$50

3 Kare Kits

$16.67 per kit: reaches 3 teens; efficient way to multiply your impact.

$100

5 Kare Kits + a Bookmark Pack

Funds 5 full kits plus a full set of volunteer-made bookmarks for one facility room.

$250

Sponsor a Full Facility Delivery

Covers an entire delivery run to one of our partner facilities: kits, materials, and delivery logistics!

100% goes directly into kits.

Sponsor a Kit on Venmo
Donation tracker
Raised so far $7,100 of $10,000
$7,100
Goal: $10,000

Thank you. Every contribution moves this bar and puts one more kit into the hands of a teen who would appreciate it.

Tax-exempt giving

Kare Kit is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 39-3514386.
Donations may be deductible on your federal income tax return. Every donor receives a receipt.

Join us

Volunteer

Help assemble kits, write encouragement cards, and show up at community education events. Fill out the interest form below and we'll be in touch.

Volunteer event 1
Volunteer event 2
Volunteer Interest Form
Volunteer event 3
Volunteer event 4
Upcoming Events

July 28 • 3:30–5:30 PM

Milpitas Library Community Room

Paint boxes, make watercolor bookmarks, and assemble care packages.

No past experience required. These boxes are made for adolescent mental health treatment facilities.

View the Idealist listing

Free Resources for teens and families

Resources

Crisis lines, eating disorder support, mental health education, and community resources.

Partner resource

Eating Disorder Recovery Support Groups

The Lotus Collaborative, one of our partner organizations, runs free, therapist-led eating disorder recovery support groups in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, open to anyone, every Sunday.

Lotus Collaborative Support Groups flyer
Free

In-person, every Sunday

Locations & Time

Sundays, 3–4pm
Santa Cruz: 2125 Delaware Ave
San Francisco: 2500 Market Street

lotuscollaborative.com
If you need help right now

Crisis Support

988

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 any time, 24/7. Free, confidential support — for people in crisis and for people worried about someone else.

988lifeline.org
741741

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741. Free 24/7 text-based mental health support — useful when calling feels like too much.

crisistextline.org
Eating disorder support

Specialized Helplines

Helpline

National Alliance for Eating Disorders

Call 408-453-0400. Mon-Fri from 10am-6pm. Nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public.

namisantaclara.org
Community Support

Lotus Collaborative

A Bay Area–based treatment center offering eating disorder recovery programs in a community-centered environment. Home of the Sunday support groups above.

lotuscollaborative.com
For teens

Mental Health Education

General Mental Health

NAMI

The National Alliance on Mental Illness — education, support groups, and resources for teens and families navigating mental health conditions.

nami.org/teens
Anxiety & Depression

ADAA

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America — evidence-based information and resources, including content specifically for teens and young people.

adaa.org/teens
For families and supporters

How to Show Up for Someone in Recovery

Family Support

F.E.A.S.T.

Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders — community and resources for caregivers supporting someone in eating disorder recovery.

feast-ed.org
Parents & Educators

Child Mind Institute

Practical, plain-language guides for parents and educators on recognizing mental health signs and supporting kids through treatment.

childmind.org

Contact Us

Questions, facility partnerships, or want to bring Kare Kit somewhere new? We'd love to hear from you.

EMAIL: karekitorg@gmail.com

PHONE: 408-904-9526