Today we’d like to introduce you to Anais Riviere.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Anais. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m an undergraduate student at the University of Miami. I am a young, ambitious, and a compassionate 21-year old, ready to take on this amazing journey. I enjoy working with children and making them smile on a daily basis. I enjoy volunteering in my community and giving back. I am majoring in Health Science Studies, minoring in public health and psychology, while on a pre-med track. I hope to eventually become a Pediatrician!
Although A Thousand Smiles was established in May 2019, it really started in 2014. In 2014, I began becoming extremely active in my community and started volunteering with multiple organizations. I visited my first Haitian orphanage and hospital. Little did I know that I would find my passion. Volunteering has truly brought a love, compassion, and kindness in my daily life. Each time I visited the orphanages, I learned something new about myself and learned how to live my life in a positive way! Each child taught me something new about life and how to use it to my advantage. I vividly remember not bringing cups of water to wash the paintbrushes and the orphans quickly formed a cup by using rocks and poured the water in there. The children taught me that there are always alternatives in this world and everyone takes a different path to success. This is a trait that I will carry along with me in everything that I choose to do.
Since 2014, I have been active in my community and enjoyed every step of the way. From 2014-2019, I really took the time to focus on how to build my own organization. I payed attention to the different skills needed and responsibilities to become a leader. I was extremely observant and was learning along the way. I finally felt ready to take on this challenge and after five years, A Thousand Smiles became a reality!!
Has it been a smooth road?
Creating a nonprofit organization at a young age is definitely not easy. Many people thought I wasn’t ready and wasn’t mature enough to handle obstacles that were going to come. But I believed in myself and had support from my friends and family! Since I’ve started, it has been nonstop working! I am constantly looking for new sponsors, opportunities, projects, and volunteers. Although it has been tough, this is something I built with a lot of love and joy and with the constant support from my family has really made this organization what it is today.
A huge thank you to my entire family for the constant support and love! I love you!
Please tell us about A Thousand Smiles.
Although I grew up in Miami, Florida, my extended family has always lived in Haiti, making it my second home. After a powerful earthquake devastated the nation in 2010, I knew I needed to help. I contacted various nonprofit organizations and collected supplies which were shipped to Haiti. As I returned to my daily routine in Miami, I continued my donation program at school and regularly sent packages overseas. This led me to start a nonprofit organization called A Thousand Smiles, Inc. We provide much-needed supplies to impoverished children by organizing various events and drives. Observing the orphans’ reactions confirmed that our efforts are truly helpful. At the end of the day, a simple smile can turn a difficult day into a good one! We strive to put smiles on every child’s face. I have supported schools and orphanages solely in Haiti and soon hope to expand.
I have worked on a variety of projects and hope to continue to grow in the near future. My first project consisted of collecting school supplies from my high school once the school year was over and organizing back to school packages for the children in Haiti. My high school donated over 1000 items and I was able to make 75+ school kits. The school supplies included a backpack, binders, notebook, pencils, crayons, and more. It’s amazing to see how happy these kids were to receive this. What a blessing it is to be alive and to enjoy these moments! The kits were donated to kids who go to school solely in the afternoon because their parents can’t afford to send them to a regular school.
During Christmas 2019, I organized a Christmas party in Haiti at an orphanage for over 300 children with the help of 50 volunteers! It was an amazing day filled with smiles, laughter, and pure happiness.
Building this foundation showed me that there is much more to life. A Thousand Smiles taught me to be grateful for everything I have and showed me I can be a leader. I am truly blessed and hope to continue my passion of helping.
A huge thank you for all the volunteers!! It wouldn’t be possible without you!!!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I hope that our world will soon come together and we will have an abundant amount of volunteers! I hope that people will realize that we are one world, one community, and have one love. I would love to see the world come together and build a better family and home for everyone. I hope that everyone recognizes that we are all brothers and sisters and that our main goal should be to help one another at all times! God has blessed us all and we should continue to spread the message!
A Thousand Smiles is one of my greatest accomplishments because I have been working on establishing a nonprofit for years and my vision became a reality. I have always felt the urge to help and creating this project made it happen to a greater extent. In the near future, I hope to expand A Thousand Smiles. Volunteering in Haiti not only showed me the need for help in Haiti but also showed me the global perspective and made me realized that there so many people who do not have the resources and education and I am here to help them!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 305-970-1847
- Email: ariviere07@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/a.thousand.smiles
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