Be The Star You Are, Inc.

Be the Star You Are!® is dedicated to increasing literacy, decreasing violence, and empowering women,, families, and youth through positive media messages. Besides helping the less fortunate of our communities and country, a main goal of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 is to help each volunteer grow into a leader who cares, shares, and is fair. Volunteers are guided, mentored, and tutored into becoming the stars they were born to be. BTSYA helps our volunteers strive for excellence and achieve their dreams.
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During the pandemic, Be the Star You Are!® invited actors, artists, activists, writers, poets, scientists, sports figures, and others who had their venues for promotion closed to be part of our radio programs in an effort to showcase their talents and gifts.

"Be The Star You Are has been an amazing experience for me! It's provided me a platform to express my views, spread knowledge and share opinions." Arjin Claire, Teen Radio Reporter

"I am a Book Reviewer for Be the Star You Are! Charity. I was searching for a way to give back when I came across this charity. My experience has been nothing short of amazing." Rachel Johnson, Star Teen Book Reviewer

We work with teens to offer more opportunities and we train them to be journalists, reporters, and radio personalities without editing their opinions and research. Be the Star You Are! is constantly seeking to find a volunteer to spearhead sponsorships and fundraisers. We regularly solicit donations via social media and our monthly newsletter. We investigate every opportunity to bring funding into the charity. In 2020 and 2021, we pivoted our radio broadcasts to offer interviews to creatives who were impacted by having their events canceled by Covid-19 mandates. On both StarStyle® and Express Yourself!® we provided space for artists, actors, authors, dancers, poets, medical professionals and others with our programs Wednesdays with Writers and Performers and Super Smart Sundays.

The pandemic has made it difficult for BTSYA because events were canceled except for two where we had volunteers helping kids make masks while giving them free books to increase literacy skills. However, we continued to serve our mission by offering disaster relief. Throughout the disasters of 2021, BTSYA shipped resources to survivor agencies. We always have hope and somehow we have managed to survive on a shoestring budget since 1999, however, our goal is to find an ongoing source of income by 2021 with the help of Guidestar and other entities. Be the Star You Are!® has been honored as a Top Non Profit from Great Non Profits every year since inception.

The most amazing part of our journey is the success Be the Star You Are!® has made with very little money. With no paid staff and all volunteers, since receiving our 501c3 status in 1999, Be the Star You Are! has as of February, 2022:

Served 451,927 individuals and families

Donated to 118 organizations

Logged 509,999 volunteer hours

Distributed $2.1 million in resources

Broadcast 2200 unique hours of positive programming through radio broadcasts.

Published 4 signature award-winning books, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens, Be the Star You Are!® Millennials to Boomers, and Miracle Moments®,

Written and published over 2430 book reviews in collaboration with The Reading Tub and Express Yourself!™ Creative Community.

Interviewed over 2500 authors, experts, and celebrities.

Nominated for the California Governor’s and First Lady’s Service Awards

Honored with five-star ratings as a Top Rated Non-Profit by GuideStar and Great Non Profits for the Women’s Empowerment, Arts and Culture, and the Arts Appreciation Campaigns since 2010.

Be the Star You Are!® encourages and supports its volunteers to GROW people.
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READ the congratulation letter from California Assemblywoman Catherine Baker

READ recognition letter from Assembly California Legislature Assemblymember, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan