As part of our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within our philanthropy programs, Heaven Hill has made a corporate donation to sponsor the Rites of Passage program, providing immersive experiences in nature to young Black men and women in our community.

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest partnered with Bridge Kids International and Play Cousins Collective to develop the program, which honors the passing from childhood into adulthood, emphasizing the associated roles and responsibilities. The ultimate goal is to help adolescents realize their place as leaders in the community, while improving health and increasing a sense of connectedness and responsibility.

The Rites of Passage Program works to develop physical, social and emotional health in youth while supporting a sense of cultural pride, heritage, clarity and purpose. With initial grant funding from the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence, the program includes a planning and pilot phase in the first year, followed by a year of programming. Additional service partners will be identified for participation in the program, as it is developed.

Bernheim will provide a destination for the immersive experiences, serve as the project convener and provide fiscal oversight. “This program will provide a path for youth to actualize their hopes and dreams,” said Claude Stephens, Bernheim’s Children at Play Network (CAPN). “The goal of these three organizations is not to give anyone anything, except the tools to get to where they want to go.”

The Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience is also providing support for Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest through You Do Bourbon. Through December, Heaven Hill will donate $5 for each bottle purchased at the You Do Bourbon Experience to Bernheim, up to $10,000.

About Play Cousins Collective
Play Cousins Collective is a Black family collective focused on building a village around Louisville’s Black youth. Through family and children’s programming, community building and resource sharing Play Cousins is creating extended kin and wrapping a network of support around Black Families. PCC’s network of over 500 families, mainly living in West Louisville, will assist in finding families who believe their youth can benefit from a Rites of Passage program.

About Bridge Kids International
Bridge Kids International (BKI) uses the power of African heritage and culture to support the well-being of young people and help them develop solutions to community challenges, and to strengthen relationships between Africans and African Americans. BKI programs support positive racial/ethnic/cultural and gender identity, empower young families, nurture creative confidence, and promote self-determination. BKI will provide the cultural framework for the project.