About Who We Are
His vision brought community events and programs that catered to those in his hometown of Palatka, Florida and all of Central and South Florida as well.
The Darcy J. Foundation is governed by an active 4-member volunteer board of directors that represent the entire state of Florida. We partner with various businesses within the community, other foundations and schools to furnish our yearly programs and activities.
Meet The Founders
Growing up with his mother and siblings, Darcy witnessed from a child’s perspective, the struggles of single parenthood. As an adult, his mission is to give children a role model and educate families on the importance of healthy parenting; physically, emotionally, and socially to reduce the unfortunate cycle of single motherhood and poverty.
Carissa developed a strong sense of devotion for the nonprofit sector, from a young age, as a beneficiary of many youth development programs in her hometown. This experience gave her a deep appreciation for how nonprofits seek to improve the quality of life for those in need; one program at a time.
Their vision brought community events and programs that catered to those in their hometowns in Florida. This eventually expanded to serving more than 50,000 moms and their families from Broward, Orange, Seminole, and Putnam Counties, through its Healthy Living Program, Sports Camps, Back to School Fun Days and more.
Both Darcy & Carissa received degrees from the University Central Florida, as well as a Master’s in Nonprofit Management.
What We Do
Our Healthy Living Program is designed to help single moms and families develop a healthier lifestyle through balanced wellness, home ownership and child mentorship. We provide nutritious meal plans and family fitness training through fitness bootcamps, yoga and meditation. We also offer information on mental health and lifestyle resources, if needed
Within our Healthy Living Programs we also take pride in our passion for educating moms and their families on the process of owning a home, understanding how to manage finances responsibly, and child mentorship.
The Darcy J Foundation has hosted numerous local and state-wide community events, involving over 60,000 youth and families in its back-to-school events, sports camps, college prep programs and more! We support the efforts of other organizations, to help raise awareness of their missions and visions. Over the years we have selected various organizations, such as Rescue Outreach Mission, Autism Society of Greater Orlando, Intervention Services, Inc, and the Coalition for the Homeless, to donate over $12,000 of toys to the children and families they serve.
KAYLA SMITH
Meet The Team
As Director of Operation of The Darcy J Foundation, Kayla Smith believes all it takes is one kind heart and one kind action at a time to make a difference.
She is dedicated to ensuring that families across the nation spend more time enjoying their child as they grow happy and healthy lives. As a mother herself, she understands being a parent is hard and providing for your child can be harder. She believes every child deserves clothing and every parent needs as much help as possible. Kayla truly believes it take a village to raise a child.
Kayla graduated with a Bachelors of Science at Florida Gulf Coast University and has supported with The Darcy J. Foundation, for over 10 years now. She has worked extensively with Kids in Distress, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward and many other community organizations to build stronger, healthier families.