YOU are a big deal around here!
Who We Are
The Caleb Cares Project is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves as an outreach in the Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee area. Caleb Slate (https://ajourneyforcaleb.org/caleb/) not only lived, went to school and worked in our community, but he gave his heart and time in community service and showed love to people every day. This nonprofit strives to honor Caleb and carry on his legacy by using our hands to show love, give back and serve our community in his memory. Caleb died suddenly and tragically when he took his own life on August 12, 2019. Devastatingly, Caleb did not leave behind an explanation or reasons for that choice, but he did leave behind a legacy of love for us to continue. We were not ready for our earthly life to end with Caleb, so this Project helps us keep his name spoken and his love alive. While The Caleb Cares Project is an outreach organization, we also strive to bring awareness to young people and their families that suicide does not discriminate and strongly encourage open and honest conversations at home about what to do when difficult circumstances arise and life turns dark.
Our Mission
Our mission is to show love and help meet the needs of under-resourced children, youth and families in our community. We see people for the child of God they are and will show that we love them just as He does. The motivation behind all we do is our love for Jesus and our compassion for people. We strive to enhance the quality of life for those in need in our community.
Our Vision
To give, love and serve genuinely and authentically.
To show people that we believe they are a big deal around here.
Through us Caleb’s hands will still give, his heart will still show love and his story will save lives.
How can you help?
Our biggest ongoing expense is purchasing the snacks we use to fill weekend food bags for the students at the Lincoln Homes Head Start. Every Friday during the school year, we fill and deliver 18 bags to the students to ensure they have a mixture of healthy and yummy snacks to get them through the weekend. Your support in this area is needed and would be greatly appreciated. Ways to donate one time or regularly are listed below.
Your generous donations are tax deductible. 100% of the donations received are put back into our community to benefit the lives of under-resourced children, youth and families.
How can you give?
Click the orange donate button below to be redirected to PayPal.
Text CALEBCARES to 44-321 for a secure link to give.
You can also donate through Facebook, @The Caleb Cares Project.
Do you shop at Kroger?
You can support The Caleb Cares Project just by adding us to your Community Rewards Card! It’s so easy and simple to set up. Click on the photo to the right to get started! Sign into your Kroger account, hover over your name, click on Account, then Community Rewards. In the search for Organization by number, type NL878 and enroll! Thank you for supporting us by using Kroger Community Rewards and supporting this charity!
Do You Shop at Walmart.com or in the Walmart App?
Do you shop at Walmart.com or in the Walmart App? If you click inside this box, you’ll be directed to login and sign up for Spark Good through Walmart. By selecting The Caleb Cares Project as your favorite charity, you’ll be able to donate your spare change by rounding up your total to the next dollar. That change gets sent straight to us! Spark good with your spare change today!
If you live in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee, and have a 3-17 year old child, you can sign them up for the new Caleb Cares Swim League! Click anywhere in this blue box to be redirected to the City of Clarksville Aquatic Activities page. Once on the page, look for The Caleb Cares Swim League and click for information.
The Caleb Cares Project, Inc. is the sole sponsorship for the Caleb Cares Swim League hosted by the City of Clarksville Parks & Recreation.
OUR
PROJECTS
Community Involvement
In 2022 our community involvement included joining in Mayor Summer Night Lights, Riverfest, volunteering at YAIPak Outreach, competing in a Kickball Tournament, helping out the St. B. Little League Challenger Team, we were a sponsor for the Montgomery Central High School Band competition, we sponsored an auction item for the YAIPak Outreach Banquet, donated breakfast sandwiches for teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week and donated Winter coats to Big Brothers Big Sisters. We will take any opportunity we can get to show people we believe “YOU Are A Big Deal Around Here!” If you want to get involved and volunteer with us, feel out the interest form at the bottom of this page!
Christmas Delivered!
On December 15, 2022, Jacob and I delivered Christmas presents and cookies to the 18 students at the Lincoln Homes Headstart. They each got the one gift they asked for and watching their eyes light up with excitement and happiness was an overwhelming blessing and opportunity. Because Caleb loved, he left a legacy for us to continue. I’m grateful for the avenue The Caleb Cares Project gives me to keep his name, memory and love alive every day in our community.
Caleb Cares Swim League
The Caleb Cares Swim League is in its second season and doing really well! The participants are showing great improvement from their first season and everyone is enjoying the program. We are honored to sponsor this swim league in our city and very grateful for all the lives Caleb gets to influence for good. If you are local and have a young child, please look into signing them up for this program. It really is a win/win for everyone! If you don’t have a young child to register, you can help by making a donation to help us continue our sponsorship for the swim league! Being able to have this swim league at a pool where Caleb was once a Lifeguard is bittersweet for my heart. I wish he was still here and I’m thankful his memory continues in the City of Clarksville!
Holiday Heroes for Youth Villages 2022
2nd Annual Caleb Cares 5K
On October 1, 2022, we held our 2nd 5K and it was a wonderful success! We raised over $3,200.00 and enjoyed sharing the event with our community. We hope this event continues to grow and be successful year after year.
Gift Card Surprise!
In September my daughter and I went to Walmart and purchased 10 gift cards for $100 each. We then walked around and surprised random shoppers with $100! Their smile and gratefulness filled my heart with so much joy. We will definitely be doing this more often!
Scholarship Fundraiser 2021
On Sunday, March 20, 2022 we held our first annual live dessert auction to raise funds for the Caleb Joseph Slate Scholarship Award. The baking community in Clarksville generously donated more than 40 desserts and more than 15 local businesses and organizations donated items for the silent auction. Over $8,000 was raised!! it was an amazing and fun evening that honored our precious Caleb while raising money for a great cause!
Clarksville Montgomery County Head Start
For our 2022 Back to School donation, we donated the following items to the Clarksville Community Action Agency to be used at the 5 Head Start locations. We are beyond grateful to donate items they needed and will use on a daily basis for their students! We will continue to refill supplies as needed!
Holiday Heroes for Youth Villages 2021
For Christmas 2021, 10 Holiday Heroes bought Christmas gifts for foster kids. We were given wish lists for 10 youth and asked to focus on their top 3 wishes + supplement if we were able. The 10 heroes that purchased gifts for these youth helped make Christmas so special for 10 foster kids. We want everyone to know we care and that they are a big deal around here!
Lincoln Homes Head Start
In March, 2021, we became the sponsor for the Lincoln Homes Headstart program. Each Friday we deliver 18 F.U.E.L. bags for the students to take home for he weekend. We have also donated new clothes, shoes, bus passes, hygiene products and gently used clothing. We are blessed with the opportunity to love on the children and the families they belong to.
1st Annual Caleb Cares 5K
On May 15, 2021 we held the 1st annual Caleb Cares Project 5K. We had more than 200 participants come from the community and even from out-of-state to run in this race. We asked runners to donate socks which we delivered to a local ministry for the homeless in town. Our goal for this 5K was to get the word out in the community about our organization and raise funds for future projects. The first 5K was a big success…next year will be even better!
Backpack Heroes for Youth Villages
In July 2021, we partnered up with Youth Villages and became Backpack Heroes. Youth Villages is a nonprofit organization that serves foster kids and families in need. We stuffed 85 backpacks and enjoyed giving back to this organization!
Acts of Kindness for Caleb's Birthday
On Caleb’s 19th birthday, we celebrated him and honored him by doing acts of kindness in our community. I asked people to join us in wearing their Caleb Cares shirt, complete an act of kindness and share it with me. I loved seeing pictures and reading about all the love that spread in memory of Caleb, it helped ease the pain of his absence on his birthday. We enjoyed painting rocks and leaving them around town, paying for birthday cakes at Publix and spending a few hours serving lunch and doing VBS with kids at Lincoln Homes. We love showing people that they are a big deal around here.
Christmas Gifts to Kids in Need
Very regularly, Caleb volunteered at local low income housing neighborhood. He friended many young children there, but 2 boys in particular he cared for deeply. It is tragic that Caleb can no longer be a healthy, loving, friendly influence in their life, so we do it for him. From your donations through the holiday season, we purchased clothes, toys and games for the family he loved so much.
St. Bethlehem Little League Honors Caleb
On April 28, 2021, the St. B Little League Minor Braves team presented us with a Braves shirt in honor of Caleb. He played in the league for several years growing up and they wanted him to be remembered. The Caleb Cares Project sponsored the minor Braves and will continue to do so each year in memory of #28. This event was extra special as it took place on the 28th and on the same field where Caleb and the Pee Wee Braves won their division championship 10 years earlier. The home plate where he was handed his trophy 10 years before, is the same home plate where we were given a shirt in his memory. We felt Caleb with us as the lights shone down. We knew our Angel was in the outfield that night. Thank you, St. B Little League for honoring our son.
The Out of Darkness Walk
On November 14, 2020, our team participated in a virtual walk sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Our team of 52 raised the most money for the Clarksville Experience. Step by step we walked in Caleb’s memory and honored him by spreading our message of hope, “YOU are a big deal around here!”
Donated Life Jackets
On December 12, 2020, exactly 16 months after Caleb’s death, The Caleb Cares Project donated life jackets to The City of Clarksville Pools. Caleb loved his job as a Lifeguard and through our gift, he is still saving lives. Your generous donations made this possible, thank you!
Northeast High School
At Christmastime, I hang Caleb’s stocking and ask that anyone who visits our home during the holiday season to put any amount of money in his stocking so it will not be empty on Christmas morning. The money is used to purchase new books for Caleb’s high school library. These are the books we donated in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
A Journey For Caleb Blog
Reflections From My 2022 Word Of The Year: Build
A look into the year I built in 2022: Surviving my son’s suicide.
Would you like a Caleb Cares Project shirt? Simply click on the photo to the left and you’ll be directed to a local business where you can order your shirt for local pickup or delivery. By purchasing a shirt you are supporting a local business and by wearing it, you share our organization with others.
Each shirt is $15
