What your Money has been going to?

  • Our Partnership with MindWise Innovations: Expanding Suicide Prevention Across Massachusetts

    With deep commitment and strategic funding, The Makayla Fund has proudly partnered with MindWise Innovations / Riverside Trauma Center, a service of Riverside Community Care, to support and expand the Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program—a nationally recognized suicide prevention initiative.

    To date, we have contributed over $250,000 to bring the SOS program to 100 schools, 30 cities and towns, and 6 private schools, 70,000 across Massachusetts.

    Ongoing Annual Support

    Each year, The Makayla Fund contributes between $15,000–$40,000 to sustain and grow this essential program. These funds support implementation, educator training, content development, and outreach.

    Reach and Impact

    • In the past year alone, we reached approximately 70,000 students across Southeastern and Western Massachusetts—doubling the number served in the prior year.

    • We provided suicide prevention training for 1,000 educators and administrators across more than 150 school systems, including public, private, charter, and religious schools.

    • Current partner school systems include:
      Abington, Attleboro, Avon, Bellingham, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Douglas, Eastham, Easton, Harwich, Fall River, Foxborough, King Philip, Littleton, Mansfield, Mattapoisett, Millis, New Bedford, Norfolk, Orleans, Plymouth, Quincy, Raynham, Rockland, Sandwich, Seekonk, Somerset, South Dartmouth, Springfield, Stoughton, Swansea, Taunton, Tisbury, Upton, Vineyard Haven, Weymouth, Worcester, Yarmouth, and many more.

    Looking Ahead: A Statewide Vision

    We are now actively working to expand our reach statewide, bringing critical resources to even more school systems as funding allows.

    Program Enhancements Underway

    In 2025, our joint efforts are focused on modernizing and expanding accessibility through the following initiatives:

    • Development of a new SOS technology platform, including full customer migration and redesigned user journeys for improved classroom integration

    • Creation of Spanish-dubbed middle and high school videos, increasing accessibility and equity for multilingual students

    • Translation of parent- and student-facing materials into Spanish, to broaden reach and inclusion

    Parent Engagement Initiatives

    Recognizing the critical role families play in suicide prevention, we are also funding and collaborating on:

    • A fully redesigned and migrated Parent Portal integrated into the MindWise website

    • A newly recorded “Parent Night” webinar, titled Helping Your Child Save a Life, designed to inform, equip, and empower parents to support their children’s mental health

    Together, We Are Saving Lives

    The Makayla Fund remains committed to expanding high-impact programs, supporting schools, and empowering students, educators, and parents alike. With continued support from donors and partners, we aim to bring life-saving suicide prevention education to every corner of Massachusetts—and beyond.

  • Since 2013, The Makayla Fund has awarded over $150,000 in scholarships, supporting more than 327 student-athletes and funding 15 schools and 3 full teams across Massachusetts and one in Arizona.

    The Makayla Fund Scholarship: Supporting Student Athletes, Empowering Families

    Kellie and Tim Guerriero, with the love and support of family and friends, founded The Makayla Fund not simply to memorialize the loss of their daughter Makayla, but to create something meaningful in her name that gives back to the community.

    The Makayla Fund Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to junior high and high school students who need help covering sports-related expenses—including tuition, equipment, and other activity fees that can place a burden on families.

    Why We Do This

    We believe that participating in sports can play a transformative role in a young person’s life—building self-esteem, character, responsibility, teamwork, and resilience. In a world where social media often distorts reality and pressures teens in harmful ways, athletics offers a real, positive outlet that promotes personal growth, connection, and emotional strength.

    By easing the financial strain on families, we aim to give more students the chance to engage in these valuable experiences—regardless of their financial situation.

    Who Can Apply? Everyone.

    This scholarship is open to all families—not just those who qualify for school aid. We understand that life brings unexpected challenges—a broken car, a tuition bill, or an unforeseen expense—that can make it difficult to afford sports participation, even in otherwise stable households.

    Whether you're a single parent, a working family, or simply facing a tough moment, we’re here to help.