Butterfly Effect Project Seeks $25K Grant To Spread Wings

RIVERHEAD, NY — Imagine giving young girls the wings to fly, the tools to explore the world and its amazing opportunities through giving back and caring example.

That's the aim of The Butterfly Effect Project, a nonprofit, community-oriented organization started by Tijuana Fulford in 2014.

"It was Tijuana’s goal to start a totally free program that would empower young girls by giving them the tools to assist in achieving emotionally stable and self confident futures, in hopes of bringing forth a generation of women who are strong, independent and knowledgeable," the BEP website said. "The Butterfly Effect Project aspires to ensure that every girl enrolled in the program has a fair chance to broaden their horizons by eliminating obstacles such as mobility, cultural differences and finances."

And now, the BEP has the chance to soar with a $25,000 grant they are trying to win in a State Farm Neighborhood Assist competition.

Supporters can vote help decide which 40 of the Top 200 State Farm Neighborhood Assist® causes will each receive a $25,000 grant to fund projects involved in education, safety and community development.

The Butterfly Effect Project is the only organization from Long Island in the running.

Individuals get 10 votes a day; they can be used all on one cause, or spread out in any way among multiple causes, according to the rules. The 40 causes earning the highest number of votes by 11:59:59 p.m. on Aug. 24 will each be designated a winner of $25,000.

As of Monday, the BEP had reached its highest rank yet, 13th, Fulford said. "We are moving up in the ranks, thanks to you all," she said. "Please help us out today. There are only fur days left and we need to finish stronger than we started."

To vote, click here.

Winning would mean everything, Fulford told Patch. "The funds will be used for the infrastructure of the program. We want this to be a viable program. Right now everyone is volunteers, including me. I have given all of me, my family and friends to keep this program thriving. We are at a place where we need to be able to have an operating budget. Winning this grant would be a game changer to our program on so many levels."

Fulford's dream was to create a totally free program for girls. BEP took root on March 8, 2014 with eight girls that came from the Riverhead and Flanders areas; today, there are 208 girls involved who come from Riverhead, Flanders, Calverton, Mastic, Shirley, Bellport, Westhampton, Peconic, Patchogue and West Islip.

The girls have the option of attending meetings in Riverhead or Bellport; there are meetings every other Wednesday during the school year's 10-month program, twice per month in Riverhead, twice per month in Bellport. In addition, there are many BEP events, including educational trips to nurseries and other businesses, food drives, community service projects, classes in etiquette, cooking, hygiene and cultural awareness.

"Involvement in this program today will ultimately have a positive impact on their lives tomorrow," Fulford said.

BEP seeks "to empower the community, one girl at a time," said the competition's description of BEP.

"We create a safe environment for the girls to be girls, while learning and empowering them to be greater than their surroundings. We encourage the girls to join sport teams and after school clubs and assist the families with supplies, while showing up to show support at their events. . . Although many people may associate the East End of Long Island being a wealthy area, I assure that is not the case for many families. The areas we service are impacted by some of the highest poverty rates on Long Island as well as lack of diversity, engagement, mobility and, in most cases, opportunity," Fulford said.

Families, specifically in the Riverhead and Riverside areas, "have a really hard time with mobility as well as with engaging their children, as they predominantly come from single parent homes," Fulford said.

The funding would allow BEP the opportunity to bring children from the wait list into the program, she added.

The meetings are designed to "empower, engage, enhance, educate by doing estimable actions," Fulford said.

Speakers are invited to come and speak to the girls, she added. "This allows the girls the opportunity to see life from a different viewpoint as well as break down the cultural cocoon that many underserved communities build up."

Photo courtesy Tijuana Fulford, Butterfly Effect Project.