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Kayla’s Hope Foundation

Established 2018

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Kayla’s Hope Foundation was created by Hans, Ruthie and Hannah Lehmann of Saint Charles, IL in loving memory of their beautiful daughter and sister, Kayla Brooke Lehmann (April 5, 2003- April 7, 2018).

Kayla Brooke Lehmann was born on April 5, 2003 in Bloomington, Indiana to Hans and Ruthie Lehmann. One year later they moved to Northern Virginia. While in Northern Virginia, Kayla attended Hillside Elementary School. There she made many good friends who inspired her greatly. The family moved to St. Charles, IL when Kayla was in third grade and she attended Bell Graham Elementary School. Kayla was an avid reader who would rather read than anything else – going through a book in a couple days. She loved to write and was considered by a few of her teachers as one of the best writers they had ever had.  Always wanting to be in the advanced classes, Kayla worked hard and succeeded. She had hopes of becoming an editor one day. Kayla also loved playing the violin. She started to play in fourth grade and continued into high school. While at Thompson Middle School, Kayla played in the Pro Arte Ensemble as well as the Electric Ensemble. Through these ensembles, Kayla was able to use her creativity and sometimes improvise which was what she enjoyed the most. She continued to play while attending St. Charles East High School and joined the Sinfonia Orchestra at the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra. Kayla shined when she played. It was truly a gift. She was truly a gift.

During elementary school Kayla played basketball for the St. Charles Storm League from fourth through eighth grade. During her time at Thompson Middle School she played basketball from seventh through eighth grade. She also ran on the TMS cross country and track teams. Kayla enjoyed watching the University of Kentucky basketball games as well as Notre Dame football games. The best memories of Kayla were always with family or good friends. She was extremely close with her sister, Hannah. They both had a love for penguins, had huge imaginations, and were always together acting silly. Kayla and Hannah were truly best friends. Kayla had a small group of fantastic friends that would always make her laugh with “The Office”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, and “Friends” being some of their favorite shows. Kayla loved to laugh and when she did it was so beautiful. She also loved alternative music, constantly listening to Panic at the Disco, Nirvana, Green Day and Sleeping with Sirens.

Kayla loved being with family and she loved to travel. The week before her death the family went to Maui, Hawaii which was her favorite place in the world. Kayla was a thrill seeker. She loved riding rollercoasters, ziplining, and watching extremely scary movies with her dad. She was a good person who always saw the best in everyone. She was passionate about taking up for others and had little patience for people that were not open minded to the views of others. There was a place in her heart for people that were nice and kind but there was also a place for those that were misguided and sad. She was an old soul that saw way beyond her years. She was indeed beautiful in so many ways…

Kayla was diagnosed with severe depression in the fall of 2017.  Kayla did not like going through depression and struggled with accepting help from her doctors, friends and family. The stigma attached to mental illness is very real and it causes many people to suffer in silence. Many people who face depression do not share their feelings with anyone. They do not know how to justify a sadness they themselves cannot explain. Kayla was known for helping others but not for accepting help for herself.  The importance of accepting depression without stigma is a major challenge, one that her family will constantly work toward.

Kayla’s Hope Foundation is a donor-advised fund that was created to support to various mental health foundations. We provide grants to organizations that are working to discover better treatment and encourage better education about mental illness. Education in our schools, and advances in treatment to allow other children not to feel isolated and to know exactly what type of medicine they may need, is crucial.

Kayla deserved so much. She accomplished so much in such a very short time. She could have done so much for the world and has already accomplished much since her death. We want her to always be remembered as a beautiful soul with electric blue eyes who saw good in people no matter who they were, who loved music and created it soulfully, and who wrote creatively and read more books than most do in a lifetime. She loved to laugh and she wanted more than anything to be happy.  May Kayla’s Hope reach others who may be walking her walk and allow them to know that they matter. There is help and there is hope.

Kayla’s Hope Foundation will provide eight $2000 scholarships yearly to graduating seniors attending St. Charles East, St. Charles North, Geneva, or Batavia high schools. The recipients will attend a college with the intent of studying Music, Literature, Psychiatry, or Psychology. This scholarship will primarily be based on financial needs. The family’s intention is to help those who may not otherwise be able to attend without such funds. Click below to learn more about our scholarship fund.

Kayla’s Hope Foundation Scholarship Fund

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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