Our Mission
The One Heart Project equips justice-involved and at-risk youth with the skills, tools, and healthy relationships they need to navigate life successfully.
Our Values
Relationships – Honoring others through commitment, purpose, respect and compassion
Integrity – Instilling moral values to do the right thing consistently
Teamwork – Investing in each other and our partners to transform lives
Social Responsibility – Stewardship of relationships and resources for underserved youth
Core Values
COMMITMENT
Be fully engaged
Have a “whatever it takes” mentality
Sow excellence
Balance personal priorities
INTEGRITY
Do the right thing consistently
Let your yes be yes and your no be no
Communicate good intentions
Make character your greatest asset
PERSEVERANCE
View every challenge as an opportunity
Make failure the breeding ground for success
Demonstrate a positive attitude in all circumstances
Finish what you start
SELF-CONTROL
Be slow to speak & quick to listen
Be in control of your self-talk
Sacrifice short-term results for long-term wins
Use wise judgment and discernment
LEADERSHIP
Serve others selflessly
Be an example worth following
Lift others up
Live with passion
RESPECT
Extend grace and kindness to others
Honor others
Consider the workload and time of others
Exercise humility
RESPONSIBILITY
Deliver on commitments
Treat the business as your own
Transform culture
Be a good steward
COMPASSION
Love unconditionally
Be a good listener
Be intentional in each relationship
Go. Do.
TEAMWORK
Believe good intent
Trust in each other’s competencies
Make a long term investment into others
Think team 1st
INNOVATION
Create the future
Find solutions not problems
Believe in the impossible
Work hard, play hard. Have fun!
Our Story
The nonprofit was founded in 1997 by Steve Riach and a few professional athletes and business leaders who shared a common passion for helping underserved youth. Our early work focused on youth in urban public schools and afterschool outlets in 26 states, providing life skills curricula that produced dramatic decreases in dropout rates, drug and alcohol use, bullying and other negative incidents, and increases in graduation rates, college and career readiness, attitudinal and behavioral change, and self-esteem.
In 2012, after serving some 750,000 youth in 26 states, the organization’s focus shifted to justice-involved youth, after Steve witnessed an unusual high school football game. While Steve, a filmmaker, began to develop this incredible story into a feature film, he and friends also met Mack White, who was part of the football game. Mack’s personal story became the impetus for the One Heart Project.
The pilot project was launched at the Gainesville (TX) State School and at Riker’s Island (NY). With dramatic measurable results coming from both pilot initiatives, the project was then rolled out in other locations and has impacted thousands of youth in multiple states, giving them hope for a future.