About 

When our experience, passion, and creativity “Come Together,”

ELF365 is the result.

Meet Carmen and Drew, a mother-son duo.  

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Carmen's 20 years in social services, 15 of those in child advocacy working in conjunction with child protective services and the juvenile deprived court system, provided invaluable insight into children and families.  When her son, Drew, experienced bullying at just five years old, Carmen developed a passion for creating kindness-driven activities, not only to empower Drew, but also to help the kids who were hurting him.  She knew the kids were acting this way because their hearts hurt.  In order to move Drew out of the victim role and empower him, Carmen encouraged Drew to approach the kids who were being mean to him and ask what was wrong/bothering them and if he could help.  Drew mustered up the courage to reach out to the kids who were being mean to him.  The kids almost always ended up telling Drew what was wrong and, in most cases, the kids became friends, or, at the very least, the bullying-type behaviors stopped.

That same year, in 2012, Carmen decided the family would hand out random acts of kindness at a Christmas festival.  With all the hurt hearts Drew encountered, not to mention the fact that he was an only child and grandchild, her goal was to continue to show Drew the incredible feeling you get from giving and being kind.  Drew took these acts of kindness to heart.  After the festival Drew began replicating many of the lessons on his own.  Carmen quickly realized the potential impact they could make if she could figure out a way to take these little lessons and acts of kindness and package them to share with other kids.  She excitedly started brainstorming ideas. By the following November Carmen created her first set of packaged lesson kits for Drew's first grade class.  The two continued these lessons with Drew's classes each year.  The kits resulted in many fun and meaningful conversations, memories and lessons.

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Fast forward to 2017, Drew was now nine, the kids had gotten older, and the bullying had gotten worse. 

"I helplessly watched as my bright, happy and confident child started slipping away.  I saw warning signs for suicide. 

I knew that kids as young as seven were taking their own lives, I’d seen young kids attempt suicide in my work, but for the first time ever I saw that possibility in my own home with my own child. No amount of experience and no words seemed to help, and hugs were only a very temporary band aid.  I felt helpless and terrified.  Not knowing what else to do, I asked Drew if he wanted to take our kindness efforts and go bigger and louder...and thankfully he agreed.

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We started what is now ELF365, but at that time we called our outreach Come Together with Kindness.  Drew was the founder and spokesperson, which allowed me to empower him, once again, by moving him out of the victim role and into a role model on a larger scale. We started reaching out to kids by sharing our kindness-centered kits, and anything else we could think of, to show kids how much better it feels to be kind. Plus, after seeing how much Drew was positively impacted by giving random acts of kindness, I wanted every child to have the opportunity to experience just how good it feels to give.  That's why every little lesson/Kit has always had an item to keep and an item to give.  The kids not only share the extra item, but also pass the lesson on, thus reaching at least one other child.  The part I always fail to mention is the residual impact this has on adults.  The lessons can also serve as quick and gentle reminders for grown-ups.  There have been so many times, as I write the lessons for Kits, with what I believe is Divine guidance, that I realize, "Wow.  This is for me."  We can never have too much support to help us along the way as we journey through this life hoping to be the best version of our sELF.  And Drew's artwork, his characters, embody these lessons so well that I find myself empathizing with them and having such a sense of love and happiness seeing how they overcome their issues and pass along such a valuable lesson.  It is no coincidence that our experiences, strengths and talents have led us here.  It is such a blessing to be able to create alongside Drew and share our stories in services to others."  ~Carmen

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In 2021, Carmen was led to restructure the program around one of her favorite Kits, "Think Like an ELF."  She realized that the basis of their outreach truly is to help kids exemplify love and friendship.  The core, overarching message of ELF365 is love and acceptance of others, and equally important, love and acceptance of yourself...because Carmen and Drew have both learned that it is much easier to love and accept others if we love and accept ourselves first.  Carmen has written over 100 Kits for every season, including custom Kits for businesses and special events. 

In the spirit of Exemplifying Love and Friendship 365, Kits are now called, "ELFercises."

Why?  Because that is exactly what the Kits do! Kits use rhyming, short stories and relatable characters coupled with actionable hands-on learning and face to face interactions to help kids exercise the valuable lessons shared by ELF365. 

It's now 2024, Drew is 16 and he and mom have pretty much found their niche.  Carmen is currently working on restructuring all of the Kits into books that feature more resources for parents and teachers, as well as a podcast and blog.  Drew continues in his role as the artist/illustrator for all things ELF365, assists with the creative processes, and is the creator of the ELF365 kids and logo, in addition to authoring and illustrating two of his very own children's books.   

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ELF365 is excited to share affordable, meaningful and fun-to-read books and ELFercises to help you

and yours Exemplify Love and Friendship 365 days a year. 

Think like an ELF and be your best sELF 365!

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Outreach

ELF365 was created to help as many kids as possible.  This outreach business exists to help kids from all over the world ELF365.  (Yep, ELF365 is also a verb! )  That’s why proceeds from Kit and books sales help provide free ELFercise Kits for Kids.  Since 2017 over 12,500 free ELFercise Kits for Kids have been provided in 15 countries and 45 states…and counting!  And that doesn't even include the 275 books that were donated in 2023!

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