Good to Give: Supporting Project Optimism’s Mission of Mentorship and Community Development

We’re excited to shine a spotlight on one of our first-ever Good to Give recipients, Project Optimism, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing mentorship and representation to vulnerable young people across California. We’re incredibly inspired by their mission and are proud to make a contribution of $5,000 to help fund its growth and continued efforts. 

Originally founded 4 years ago in Sacramento, California, and now operating throughout the state, Project Optimism’s work focuses on connecting kids with adults from their own neighborhoods who share similar backgrounds. Having real role models can encourage them to build confidence, dream big, and give back to their community. Through their programs, Project Optimism helps their mentees increase their emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and problem-solving skills. They also hope to lower rates of truancy and high-risk behaviors, such as substance abuse and gang affiliation.

Project Optimism was co-founded by best friends and California natives Ishmael Pruitt and Armoni Easley. They were inspired to start their own nonprofit after volunteering for a number of other community causes in Sacramento, experiences which made them aware of the gaps in services and access. They also saw specific needs of local young people and wanted to give back. The two friends had no funding or prior knowledge of running an organization, but were motivated by their passion to make a difference. Their sense of purpose resonates strongly here at GoodRx, which was also started when our founders were driven by the need to help — specifically, by making prescription medications more accessible and affordable. 

Project Optimism was nominated to the Good to Give program by Vanessa, our very own pharmacy partnership manager, who had previously volunteered with the organization as a mentor. Vanessa worked with a young girl named Marley,* tutoring her and watching her develop self-confidence as they participated in activities together. By having Vanessa as a mentor, Marley was able to befriend someone who looked like her, shared a similar background, and then went on to have a bright future.

Vanessa remembers first meeting Marley, who was shy and quiet, and “would never initiate conversations.” But then, a few months later, Marley started calling Vanessa on the phone to ask when they’d hang out again — she was growing more confident and comfortable through their friendship. Three years later, Vanessa and her mentee still keep in touch, and Vanessa continues to coach Marley on having a positive attitude to help her through challenges in life, whether she’s working through difficult school projects or navigating tough emotions. 

“For me personally,” Vanessa shares, “it was incredibly impactful to see how Project Optimism creates opportunities for individuals, especially those in marginalized, low-income families, and providing resources to these communities at large.” The organization brings visibility to overlooked children and teens, and their mentors lead by example and provide a tangible idea of what their futures could look like.

Project Optimism’s major goals for 2020 include: 

• Launching mentorship programs in Los Angeles County

• Expanding community networking through a new initiative, Events for Cause, in which entrepreneurs, educators, nonprofits, and similar mission-driven organizations gather at events to strengthen ties, support each other, and raise funds

• Developing internship programs for mentees

• Supporting ongoing scholarship programs that help low-income students who may not qualify for more prominent scholarships to access funds to attend college

We look forward to staying engaged with Project Optimism and watching the organization continue to grow! We’re particularly interested in being involved with Project Optimism’s mentorship programs in the future and contributing to its meaningful community work in other ways. 

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*An alias has been used for privacy reasons.

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Good to Give is our employee-driven charity program, where we partner with nonprofit organizations and contribute to their efforts through donations. To select groups to support throughout the year, we’re asking our employees to nominate nonprofits and causes important to them before taking a company-wide vote on recipients each quarter. Read more about the program and other recipients here.