We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kimberly Cabral a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kimberly, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

15 years ago I started this idea of MASK based off a car ride I had had with my son as I thought I was on top of what I needed to know as a parent. And as children always do, my son taught me that I knew nothing- He was in 6th grade and already exposed to things you couldn’t imagine at the time. Drugs, sex and of course bullying. He hadn’t done anything but it was almost like it was second nature conversation among 6 graders, which was hard for me to digest, but what was even more alarming was my 4th grader was exposed to all of this as well. Now this was 15 years ago- fast forward to today- now add techonology and all the risks, twist and turns around that,vaping, and how self esteem is plummeting because of social media and now suicide is more of an option. I remember saying 15 years ago that the silent killer for our youth will be something that we will freely allow in our homes and in the hands of our children. How I wish I was wrong about technology…

Bullying, substance abuse, eating disorders, and technology. All you have to do is watch the news, or read your social media feeds to see and hear about the lives that are being affected by this. No family ,no zip code, is immune.
As a society we have to start shifting our efforts into “prevention” instead of always trying to fix a problem.

Children today need help, need guidance and desperately need our attention. Education is key and ongoing communication around topics have to be integrated into parenting.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-age Kids) in 2007, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. I was a stay at home mom with a blended family of five. After the car ride I had with my son it opened my eyes to all of the issues affecting kids starting much earlier than I expected. The MASK mission is to engage and educate parents, children and the community about the issues facing youth and to empower children to make safe, healthy choices.

MASK strives to help children learn invaluable life skills for how to cope with a number of issues. In today’s viral and social media world, coping skills are more necessary than ever. MASK gives students tools for how to handle many issues, including responding to peer pressure, technology-related challenges, refusal skills, emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, self-esteem and setting boundaries.

MASK teaches one student invaluable life skills to handle peer pressure, technology related challenges, to all the modern day issues they face.

Today, suicide rates are at an all-time high and social media is influencing our children’s self-esteem in many ways. MASK programs teach children and their families how to handle the ever-changing landscape that our children are living in. MASK addresses the multi-faceted issues our children are facing, and its programs give our community the tools it needs to communicate with students about real-life pressures, and provide them with appropriate coping mechanisms. MASK programs have served children, their families, and the community for over a decade, with the goal of building healthy children, strengthening parent-child bonds and improving school climate. MASK positively impacts the lives of thousands of children and their families and empowers every child to thrive in the 21st century.

MASK fulfills its mission by engaging, educating and empowering families through the MASK E3 Institute, MASK The Magazine, an informative website,the MASKMatters App and MASK lIve Segments streamed through the maskmatters youtube channel.

The MASK E3 Institute
The MASK E3 Institute is a comprehensive year long multi-year approach to building and strengthening life skills for children, including MASK Academy (kindergarten-6th grade), MASK Prep (middle and high school), and Parent University. The digital format teaches pre-kindergarten through college-age students pro social-emotional skills. MASK tackles important topics – from drugs and alcohol to bullying and Internet safety – and gives students, parents and the community the knowledge and tools to manage these potential challenges.

MASK The Magazine
MASK The Magazine is the parenting manual offering solutions to the modern-day challenges families face. Each issue of the award-winning MASK The Magazine tackles a specific topic in-depth and examines how it can affect kids from pre-kindergarten to college. Readers will learn age-appropriate conversation starters, which can help open the lines of communication between parents and children.

MASKMatters App
The MASKMatters app has been designed to give students, parents, and teachers tools and resources to complement all the topics MASK addresses. This information is age-appropriate and is available in Spanish. Getting quick and current information about these issues has never been easier or more convenient. Download the MASKMatters App today, and have modern-day parenting solutions right at your fingertips.

MASK Live- MASK Live are segments which are streamed through the MASKmatters YouTube Channel. Featuring medical doctors, clinical psychologists, professors and professionals who share their expertise on parenting advice on health, prevention and connection. Viewers are invited to “join in” to ask the expert questions and to be part of the discussion. The watch the full episodes or listen to the podcasts download the MASKmatters App.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think any non-profit owner comes built with resilience. Running a non profit has many challenges from funding, fundraising and the stories that you hear along the way.

I would say that the passion I have for what we do continues to help weather the storms and surrounding myself and the organization around individuals, businesses and supporters keeps my head high and vision forward.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

From the beginning our ethics and mission has been solid. We continue to only put out quality services and products to help families. We never waiver, and the end goal is to only help children and families.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maskmatters.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maskmatters/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MASKMATTERS
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mask-mothers-awareness-on-school-age-kids-/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MASKMATTERS
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/maskmatters

Image Credits
Greggo Photography and Marion Rhoades Photography