39% of Richmond children live in poverty. Live Red has identified 21 neighborhoods in Richmond that score 10 or lower (out of 100) in childhood opportunity (using data from diversitydatakids.org). Children in these neighborhoods are 84% more likely to live in poverty as adults and have a life expectancy 8 years shorter than those in high opportunity neighborhoods. But there is hope. Children involved in fitness-related activities have a greater chance of success through improved social skills, self-discipline, confidence levels, & self-esteem. Despite these benefits, children living in poverty are 3x more likely to be inactive. We aim to change that!
Our Program
We use fitness to give children hope. Our programs walk alongside children challenging them physically while introducing core life skills such as goal setting, empathy, self-belief, mindfulness, self-control, positive risk taking, resilience, and honesty. Families depend on Live Red to provide safe opportunities for active play after-school. In fact, most of the children we serve lack safe green space to play in their neighborhoods, and many of their schools have limited resources for physical education. These programs are offered at no cost to the children they benefit. Our vision is to have programs in every Richmond neighborhood with an opportunity score of 10 or less by 2022. Learn more >