Our story
Kids Working Together to Build Practical, Compassionate Solutions
Kids4Kids Relief began in 2022 when cofounders Sam Crimaldi and Elan Randle, 13 year olds at the time, experienced the emotional trauma and loss of normalcy when Hurricane Ian devastated their hometown of Fort Myers, Florida. Through this experience, they saw that disaster recovery is not only about replacing belongings. Children and families also lose routines, comfort, school time, confidence, connection, and a sense of normalcy. That inspired them to help their friends try to feel even "just a little bit better."
Today, Kids4Kids Relief creates preparedness resources, organizes youth-led service and fundraising, supports emotional recovery through Normalcy Kits and milestone projects, and helps students turn empathy into responsible action.
.jpg)
Origin
From Hurricane Ian to Kids4Kids Relief
Kids4Kids Relief was founded after Hurricane Ian, when Sam Crimaldi and Elan Randle experienced the storm’s impact from different sides: one as a friend trying to help, and one as a young person whose family had been directly affected. Their response began with practical support and grew into a larger mission: help young people prepare, recover, feel supported, and lead safely in their communities.
Hurricane Ian affects the Randle family and Southwest Florida.
Sam and Elan begin fundraising and youth-led response efforts.
Kids4Kids Relief expands into recovery, milestone, and preparedness projects.
Student leaders, chapters, and contributors join the work.
Ready Together becomes the organization’s flagship preparedness resource
.jpg)
Our Mission
Purpose
Kids4Kids Relief is a youth-led organization helping children and families prepare for, respond to, and recover after natural disasters. We create practical preparedness resources, organize youth-led service and fundraising, and support emotional recovery through Normalcy Kits, peer-centered connection, and projects that help young people regain routine and a sense of normalcy.
Our Vision
Where we are headed
A world where young people are included in disaster preparedness, supported through recovery, and given safe, meaningful ways to help their communities.
The idea behind the work
Why Normalcy Matters
After a disaster, children may lose more than homes or belongings. They may lose routines, hobbies, school materials, privacy, comfort, connection, celebrations, and the familiar parts of life that help them feel like themselves.
Kids4Kids Relief uses the word normalcy to describe the gradual return of stability, connection, confidence, and age-appropriate routine. Normalcy Kits, milestone-recovery projects, preparedness planning, and peer-centered support are designed to help make that return possible.
Routine
School, sleep, schedules, and familiar activities.
Comfort
Personal items, hobbies, calming activities, and reassurance.
Connection
Friends, trusted adults, teams, schools, and community.
Confidence
Feeling prepared, included, capable, and supported.
Our method
How We Work
Listen
Learn what children, families, schools, and partners actually need.
Build
Create practical resources and clearly defined projects.
Mobilize
Give young people safe, age-appropriate roles with trusted-adult support.
Document
Track resources, participation, distribution, public use, and lessons learned to learn how to improve in the future.
Personalized kits and milestone-recovery projects that help children regain routine, comfort, confidence, and connection after a disaster.
Normalcy Kits and Recovery Projects
Leadership and team
Youth Leadership With Adult Support
Kids4Kids Relief is youth-led. Student leaders shape projects, create resources, communicate with peers, organize service, and help build community partnerships. Adults provide governance, safeguarding, legal, financial, and operational support.
Sam Crimaldi
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Primary author and project lead for Ready Together; coordinates strategy, resources, partnerships, publication, and youth-led service.
Elan Randle
CO-FOUNDER
Co-founder whose Hurricane Ian experience helped shape the organization’s original mission and peer-centered recovery focus.
Jolie Crimaldi
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Leads outreach, community engagement, youth participation, and Ready Together implementation support.
Julianna Crimaldi
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Leads youth-facing communication, digital storytelling, social media, and Ready Together campaign content.
Organization timeline
How Kids4Kids Relief Developed
2022
Founded after Hurricane Ian
Two young people began a practical response that became an organization.
2023
Model for a Moment
The first milestone-recovery project, restoring a high-school milestone after the storm.
2024
Expanded disaster-response campaigns
Response work grew beyond a single storm and a single community.
2025
Hurricane Melissa Normalcy Kit drive
Students organized collection, assembly, and partner-coordinated distribution.
2026
Ready Together, digital resources, chapter tools, and national youth voice
The flagship preparedness resource published alongside chapter materials and a national podcast conversation.