Our Mission
Friends of Rick Daniels’ (FRD) mission is to provide emotional assistance to children with particular social and health conditions that notably affect their interactions with the community, resulting in their need for precise mental health support that reinforces their great value as a member of society. Friends of Rick Daniels assist these children through storybooks, read-alouds, puppet shows, and other activities to re-integrate them back into the community, showing them that our differences make us all stronger.
Friends of Rick Daniels (501 – C3) was possible thanks to the passion of its founder, Rick Daniels. After an extensive career in the fashion industry, Daniels decided to focus his efforts on helping children overcome their fears.
Rick founded Friends of Rick Daniels in 2018 with a clear idea in mind: to show kids that their community needs them and that they are an integral part of society regardless of the conditions that separate them from feeling included. Rick Daniels affirms: ‘When I was a kid, I suffered bullying and felt so apart from my peers, regardless of studying in the same classroom. I thought there was something wrong with me. Years later, I had the same feeling when I suffered cancer and I had to remain at home and the hospital for so long. Knowing that somebody out of the familiar circle thinks about you is so crucial. Having others think about you is necessary for your mental health in those times.
Rick Daniels mentions that books encouraged him. When he was sad or did not find any comfort at home he turned into fiction and enjoy a new type of freedom one that stories can only explain in detail. It is that same freedom and assurance Rick wants to share with kids who are going through hard times and whose feelings are numbing due to the inaction of the world they live in.