Brave Thoughts from our Co-Founder - May 2026
Dear Brave Family,
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how meaningful things get built.
A vision might spark an idea. An architect may draw the blueprint. A designer may imagine what it will look like long before it becomes real. But the final result, if it is worthy, is almost never built by one person alone.
It takes a team. A community. Partners willing to carry part of the dream and help bring it to life.
That truth has never felt more real to me than it does right now.
Brave Like Me has so much happening. Our second Pet Center is officially serving families in Indianapolis, and our third is preparing to launch at Connecticut Children’s this summer. Brave Friends Adventures continue creating friendships and moments of joy, and Brayden’s Books are reaching more hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses than we ever imagined possible.
WE have built something amazing!
And when I say we, I mean you too.
I see that every day. I see it when a board member introduces us to a new supporter over coffee. I see it when our summer interns realize the project they are working on might touch the life of a child they will never meet. I see it when volunteers pack kits and books in Queensgate, and when families, donors, and partners quietly say yes to helping kids experience joy.
That’s what makes this mission special. It belongs to all of us.
Lately, I’ve also been thinking about Finnegan the Football. Finnegan spends much of his story wondering if being different means he somehow matters less. He bounces funny. He rolls sideways. He doesn’t look or behave like the others. And then he discovers something powerful. He was never meant to be like every other ball. He was created to do something only he could do.
I think there’s something in that lesson for all of us.
You may not always see the impact you are making the way I do, but I hope you feel it. Your support, your volunteering, your encouragement, and your belief in Brave Kids matter more than you know. You are helping create something overwhelmingly good.
And if you want to experience that impact more personally, we would love to have you alongside us giving something that is unique to you. From volunteering at the Brave Open to helping weekly at our Queensgate headquarters packing kits and preparing materials that will reach hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and Brave Kids across the country, there are so many opportunities ahead to be part of the story.
Because worthy things are not built alone. The best things in this world are built because a community shared their love.
And this beautiful, brave mission is still being built every day.
Onward with bravery!
John Otten
CEO and Co-Founder
