Today we’d like to introduce you to Laney Tolman.
Hi Laney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2017, I reconnected with someone from my childhood town in Brazil who was working at a school in a rural community. Through our conversations, I learned about the difficult conditions many families were facing and that many children were unable to attend school due to poverty and lack of basic resources. After hearing those stories, I felt a strong responsibility to do something to help.
My husband and I began raising money through community events and food sales. I later traveled to Brazil, and after meeting the children and speaking with their families, my passion for helping grew even stronger. At that time, I had no experience running a nonprofit, so I dedicated myself to studying, researching, and learning everything I could.
In 2020, we founded Supplies for a Better Future Foundation. What began with helping a few families with food and school supplies has now grown into supporting more than 600 families.
In the rural communities we serve, job opportunities are very limited. Many parents work in agriculture and soybean production, earning very little income. Because of financial hardship, families often struggle to provide basic necessities and school supplies for their children. As a result, many children begin working at a very young age instead of focusing on their education and enjoying their childhood.
In 2023, we launched a Community Garden project at one of the schools we support. The project teaches both parents and children how to cultivate and grow their own food, helping create greater food security and long-term sustainability within the community.
As Co-Founder and Executive Board Member, I have had the opportunity to connect with many leaders and business owners throughout the Cache Valley community. It has been incredible to witness the generosity, compassion, and support we have received. So many people genuinely want to make a difference and help create opportunities for the children and families in need even though they are in a different country.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges was bringing awareness to a need that existed outside of the United States. Encouraging people and businesses to support a cause in another country was extremely difficult, especially when there are already hundreds of nonprofits serving needs locally.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Supplies for a Better Future Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on helping children and families living in rural Brazilian communities through education support, food assistance, and community development initiatives.
One of the organization’s key goals is helping break the cycle of poverty through education.
Beyond direct aid, the organization works to connect communities in Cache Valley and the United States with families in Brazil, creating opportunities for people to make a meaningful impact through sponsorships, donations, fundraising events, and volunteer support.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We are working on expanding near the current area where we support. There are more than 300 children in a neighboring rural zone that need the school kits and the projects like the community garden and other sustainable educational and community programs.
Beyond that more immediate expansion and sustainable aid, we are hoping to reach partners that can help us to expand to other areas that we are aware of but unable to help at this time.
Pricing:
- $45 pays for a Backpack full of school supplies for a year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.suppliesforabetterfuture.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suppliesforabetterfuture
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suppliesforabetterfuture
