Violence against children is one of the most prevalent social problems on the planet. Children who cannot fight back are taken advantage of, abused and abandoned. In the United States alone, some 790,000 children are abused or abandoned yearly and Child Protective Services agencies record over 3.2 million referrals annually.

Elevate Hope Foundation (EHF) was founded in 2001 by Sheila E. and Lynn Mabry, both of whom were victims of sexual abuse as children. Their experiences led them to form the charity so that they may reach out to others like them who may feel helpless, guilty or afraid, and who may not have the coping mechanism necessary for them to move past what happened. EHF is dedicated to providing children who have been victims of atrocities with alternative, healthy ways of coping with their traumatic experiences so that they can rebuild their lives and hopefully, see and experience a brighter future despite everything.

EHF, a non-profit charity, uses programs in music and the arts, and funds services, programs, foster care systems and outreaches that help these children. EHF sees the solutions to the problems that abused and abandoned children face in promoting self-confidence, acts of empathy and compassion, providing a safe environment and life-changing tools so that these children can develop their skills and talents and continue fund-raising to support various programs.

Sheila E. acts as Chair while Lynn Mabry is the CEO, and the charity is run by a Board of Directors. EHF works on monetary donations as well as in-kind donations such as for musical instruments, art supplies, computer equipment and software for their arts and music programs. The foundation also partners with local communities to educate the public on the realities of child abuse and abandonment, and seeks to support federal funding in order to better implement programs that will be beneficial for these children.