THE EIGHT
Be the WE in Wellness
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Poverty in the U.S. is often associated with deprivation, in areas including housing, employment, education, and mortality. Wellness is a lifelong journey toward optimal health. It is an ongoing process that involves personal time and commitment. Wellness is a conscious, self-directed, and evolving process of achieving full potential. THE EIGHT helps educate families, schools, and organizations in Riverside County on the direct connection between safety and wellness. The 8 Dimensions of Wellness is our form of value. (Occupational, Physical, Social, Spiritual, Financial, Environmental, Emotional and Intellectual) We offer services to youth, women, mature adults, and people with “diverse abilities; through innovative and strategic partnerships that invest in the health and well-being of people. The Eight thrives in organizational cultures that create space for new ideas and foster collaboration to help build a platform for total wellness which equates to long-term success.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
PLAN ADs-CHECK YOUR RISK CHALLENGE
We are in partnership with a provider of the CDC’s evidence-based National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP). COVID-19 has highlighted the disproportionate impact that preconditions like type 2 diabetes are having on the most vulnerable in our county and around the country. Approximately, 88 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes, according to the CDC. Of those with prediabetes, more than 84% don't know they have it. Prediabetes puts Americans at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Without lifestyle changes, 15-30% of people with diagnosed borderline diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 3-5 years.
Our mission is to increase diabetes awareness, especially in marginalized communities that are disproportionately affected by this preventable disease. Our purpose is to identify solutions – online education and support for those who recognize their risk and want to do something about it. To accomplish this, we bring awareness to the problem and provide a simple survey for your followers to quickly assess their risk and conveniently access evidenced-based, online programs conducted by certified professionals who are helping people reverse this potentially devastating condition. Quite often, these programs have state and federal support, so no one is left behind.
No one should have to suffer from this terrible disease, live with time-sapping, inconvenience of dialysis, struggle with blindness, or die from complications brought about by diabetes. Pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are reversible with simple, lifestyle changes to diet and exercise routine, and adoption of stress management. For maximum effectiveness, diabetes education must be coupled with techniques that minimize the challenge we often have to change lifestyle habits that are detrimental to our health and wellness.
We increase awareness of type 2 diabetes by inviting residents to take the diabetes risk test-both in-person and online. Residents at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes qualify for the year-long prediabetes program being offered via distance learning.
Our goal is to have 1,000,000 Americans determine their risk for developing type 2 diabetes using a one-minute survey on CheckYourRisk.org.
Funding for PLAN ADs/Check Your Risk will allow us to assist qualifying residents who do not have Medi-Cal, private insurance, or means of self-pay for the prediabetes program.
Healthy Infants, Women, Adults & Youth (HIWAY)
Healthy Infants, Women, Adults, and Youth (HIWAY)
HIWAY is a non-profit reuse program, which accepts donations from the local & national business community of reusable goods and materials (both new and slightly used) and redistribute these items FREE-Of-Charge to underserved families in the Inland Empire. HIWAY remains on the frontline responding to the emergency needs of families and individuals resulting from situational poverty. We offer help with referrals to traditional assistance program resources, assistance with how to apply for these resources. We also provide community resources online and advocate for people who need additional social services. These services are rendered to vulnerable populations in the region both in-person as well as via telephone and online teleconference.
HIWAY Community Outreach Events
1. Special Pop-up Preventive Health Screenings
2. Earthquake Readiness Training
3. Distribution of essentials; these essentials include food vouchers, individual duffel bags filled with toys, books, school supplies, clothing, personal toiletries, blankets, and non-surgical face masks, and other miscellaneous items for families experiencing a crisis.
4. Educational Workshops with an emphasis on wellness and safety for youth, parents, expectant mothers, schools, community organizations, and businesses.
INOV8
INOV8 produces important resources for strengthening inter-group relations and promoting diversity, equity, and social inclusion by offering three (3) career tracks for youth and adults through vocational and educational training.
Track 1: Wellness 2 Work Project (W2W)
INOV8 Wellness 2 Work training opens the door to a career in health and wellness that youth may not be aware of. W2W students gain valuable work experience, personal growth, and the opportunity to serve others. Participants learn outside the classroom; job shadowing and hands-on exposure which are powerful learning tools for students interested in exploring a specific field.
W2W career options include entrepreneurship, wellness coaches, personal trainers, nutritional or health educators, and nutritional marketing. W2W curriculum also includes college tracks toward a degree in social work, health science, or behavioral science.
Track 2: Self-Taught Entrepreneur Project (STEP)
INOV8 Self-Taught Entrepreneur Project (STEP) offers creative entrepreneurship training designed to enrich the lives of local community members through multi-media, and creative art exhibition opportunities.
STEP helps to build self-esteem while uncapping the hidden talents of the organic learner and utilizing those talents to help individuals become self-sufficient.
Track 3: Youth Explore and Advance Hub (YEAH)
THE EIGHT-Youth Explore & Advisory Hub (YEAH) is established for the expressed purpose of giving a voice to minority youth. We especially encourage youth with learning disabilities to participate. YEAH offers opportunities to explore and participate in the INOV8 program development processes. Subsequently, by virtue of the committee in YEAH, leadership skills are developed and an awareness of social responsibilities is encouraged.
The benefits of INOV8:
1. Participants start new enterprises
2. Create employment opportunities
3. Entrepreneurship training the socio-psychological problems and delinquency that come from unemployment
4. Leadership skills
5. Promotes innovation and resilience
6. Promotes social and cultural identity
7. Allows disadvantaged youth and their legal guardian the ability to succeed regardless of their background
8. Revitalization of the local community
9. Entrepreneurship provides goods and services to the community
10. Consumers gain by increasing market competition
11. Gives youth, especially at-risk youth a sense of meaning and belonging
Where we work
Awards
Certificate of Recognition 2008
City of Palm Springs
Certificate of Recognition 2012
City of Coachella
Affiliations & memberships
Top-Rated Nonprofit Great Nonprofits 2019
External reviews

Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of free participants in conferences
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups, Health, Family relationships, Social and economic status, Work status and occupations
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
Attendance decreased due to the pandemic
Number of job skills training courses/workshops conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups, Social and economic status, Work status and occupations
Related Program
INOV8
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of audience members willing to take action on behalf of a specific issue
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Health, Ethnic and racial groups, Work status and occupations
Related Program
PLAN ADs-CHECK YOUR RISK CHALLENGE
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of training workshops
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Health, Ethnic and racial groups, Work status and occupations
Related Program
PLAN ADs-CHECK YOUR RISK CHALLENGE
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Virtual due to the pandemic.
Number of youth who demonstrate motivation to learn
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Social and economic status
Related Program
INOV8
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of youth who demonstrate that they are aware of their interests and abilities
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Social and economic status
Related Program
INOV8
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children who receive new clothing
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Social and economic status, Ethnic and racial groups, Health, Family relationships
Related Program
Healthy Infants, Women, Adults & Youth (HIWAY)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of hygiene kits distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups, Family relationships, Social and economic status
Related Program
Healthy Infants, Women, Adults & Youth (HIWAY)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of pregnant women beginning prenatal care in the first trimester
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Ethnic and racial groups, Family relationships, Health, Social and economic status
Related Program
Healthy Infants, Women, Adults & Youth (HIWAY)
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of people treated for diabetes
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Ethnic and racial groups, Health, Social and economic status, Work status and occupations
Related Program
PLAN ADs-CHECK YOUR RISK CHALLENGE
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
THE EIGHT, Inc. nonprofit organization "...where our primary responsibility is students’ economic well-being by changing Hobbies into lucrative careers..."
1. To help guide individuals on how to tackle a variety of issues within their own value system. Counseling and Support Groups deal with issues such as independent living; bereavement & trauma; relationships; substance use & abuse and anger management. Recreational and cultural activities include access to creative arts.
2. To provide respectful, responsive, informed support for students to identify and achieve their academic and professional goals.
3. To provide Life Skills in order to sustain independence and to be able to give back to the communities in which they live.
4. To assist with basic essentials to help offset the financial demands and to help people who are falling through the cracks of traditional assistance programs.
5. To educate minority communities that pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are preventable and reversible. Diabetes continues to represent a substantial individual and societal burden for those having an increased risk for developing the disease and are affected by the disease and its complications in the United States, and especially for racial/ethnic minorities (African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders), the socioeconomically disadvantaged, and the underinsured.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. Higher education through Vocation and Life application
2. Entrepreneurship by turning hobbies into lucrative careers
3. Rehabilitation for People living with Invisible learning disorders and mental health challenges (including Veterans)
4. Empowerment through Peer to Peer Support and mutual respect
5. Economic efficiency through collaboration and co-ops
6. Reciprocity through Mentorship, Experience, and Successes.
7. To Build Partnerships and Fuse Services in Support of a "Well" community.
8. Help motivate and celebrate Wellness Enthusiasts who help make wellness the "norm" throughout Riverside and Los Angeles Counties, Including those who offer Mentoring Services, peer-to-peer support, job mentors, independent living mentors, and guest mentors.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our goal is to get 1 million people to Check Your Risk. The CheckYourRisk.Org website was designed for citizens to be able to answer 8 questions and determine their risk for pre-diabetes. The survey is Free. If they are high-risk, and we advise them to go to their doctor of choice.
INOV8 TimeBank is an initiative of THE EIGHT, runs on a simple concept: For each hour of service that members give, they earn an hour’s worth of alternative currency known as time dollars, which can be traded for services from other members.
For Example: For 16 years Judy Arendt made sure her 119-year-old Victorian row house in Allentown, Pa., was well maintained — ripping up carpets, stripping wallpaper, and repairing ceiling cracks. But now Arendt, 61, is sidelined by osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, and living on a small pension.
Arendt joined a time bank in Allentown, VA four years ago, earning time dollars by driving other members to medical appointments. When she recently needed house painting done, she withdrew 36 hours of credits to hire a 12-member work crew for three hours.
At an estimated $15 an hour for labor, the job would have otherwise cost $540, Arendt says. Minus the time investment, the project “only cost me for the paint.”
Time banking is the brainchild of law professor Edgar Cahn, whose books Time Dollars and No More Throw-Away People describe how trading services — everything from haircuts and dance lessons to weatherization and health care — can strengthen communities.
About 270-time exchanges exist nationwide; memberships range from a few dozen to several thousand. Models vary, but all time banks rely on the collective power of members who deposit and withdraw hours from a central account, often managed with sophisticated software tools.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
THE EIGHT have partnered with organizations that conduct Diabetes Prevention Programs offered through CDC. There are health challenges and other options as well, like joining a support group. We provide information and resources to help them on their journey to wellness.
THE EIGHT found that, on average, the best student outcomes in terms of both degree-earning and reduced time to degree occurred when all four options for applying PLA credit are available to students. In other words, the greater the flexibility the student has for using the PLA credit, the better the academic outcomes.
THE EIGHT programs are Designed and delivered to address the areas of motivation, opportunity, and skills; with the main objective of encouraging more young people to start an entrepreneurial undertaking or venture and at the same time to improve young peoples’ general employability.
THE EIGHT offers Educational Workshops and Certifications with an emphasis on wellness and safety for youth, parents, expectant mothers, schools, community organizations, and businesses.
We have conducted over 500 special Pop-up Preventive Health Screenings and Earthquake Readiness Outreach Events for all Ages.
Our Distribution Outreach Events offers basic essentials like food, clothing, shoes, and miscellaneous items for over ten thousand children, families, and individuals experiencing a crisis.
INOV8 TimeBank is a newly launched program for the Coachella Valley, although there are over 280 TimeBanks located nationwide. We are in the process of pulling together resources and partnerships to meet the workforce development needs of a diverse resident base and building the programs to a large enough size through collaboration among many organizations.
Bring TimeBank Ambassadors/Members together at regular social events
Encourage TB Members to request services. (Monthly Award for the member with a positive balance who has spent the most.)
Implement plans for sustainability through contributions of time energy and monetary support.
Form an INOV8 Career Advisory Committee and Conduct Focus Groups – Business, Education, Technology, Faith-Based and Community Organizations, Youth, Veterans, Parents.
Hire Staff to include 4 Full-time, 4-Part-Time and Implement the TimeBank tracking system (Community Weaver Software)
Develop an individual, tailor-made approach and Invest in research, benchmarking, and testing.
Carry out detailed evaluations and impact assessments.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
THE EIGHT
Board of directorsas of 12/27/2021
Francheasca Roberson
No Affiliation
Term: 2019 - 2023
Alicia Hollins
No Affiliation
Term: 2019 - 2023
Francheasca Roberson
No Affiliation
Alicia Hollins
No Affiliation
Annette Aviles
No Affiliation
Marci Kenon
No Affiliation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as: