My Nonprofit Reviews

I have been associated with this nonprofit organization since 2010. I originally became a volunteer because, at the time, I was the ED for a grassroots nonprofit and understood the need for good volunteers. After becoming involved as a volunteer and singing mentor, I ended up becoming a contract staff member and the rest is history. I have maintained some type of relationship with this organization throughout and will continue to until I leave the Fort Wayne area.

My involvement with this organization has given me such an appreciation for young people and their struggles today in a world where access to information is overwhelming! Children are being inundated with social and peer pressures personally and virtually. Those influences have done a considerable amount of damage to the typical child's psyche, much more than I recall growing up in the 60's and 70's.

I believe the work done in this organization is genuine and demonstrates to young people that excellence should be a requirement, not an option to achieve. Values are taught that some may consider "old-fashioned", but they have held true for centuries when it comes to proper respect and dignity given to one another.

This organization demonstrates that hard work does yield excellent results. In their first World Choir Games competition in 2010 in Shaoxing, China - they walked away with a World Grand Champion status and Gold medals for the categories they chose. They later returned in 2012 (Cincinnati, OH), 2014 (Riga, Latvia) and had extraordinary results in those World Choir Game competitions as well.

There is so much more to tell - but I would encourage you to visit their website at www.upaf.com and see for yourself. This organization is transforming lives of young people and providing opportunities that they would otherwise not have access to. It quite literally is a "Godsend".