Our Story

Characterized by both grit and grace, Motivated 2 Help Others is a grassroots nonprofit like few others. Founded by Fahim Lejon Reese in 2013 while he was incarcerated at Folsom State Prison for a crime he committed as a teenager, our organization’s mandate is simple: we see suffering and try to stop it.

That may be through mentoring at-risk youth and young adults to help them avoid incarceration or worse, early death, or by giving away blankets in winter and bottled water in summer, holding fitness classes for all ages, or organizing annual events such as Adopt a Family and Cancer walks.

In short, we do whatever it takes to help make Richmond a bright and shining city on a hill.

This reflects the philosophy and life trajectory of Fahim who spent 31 years incarcerated and swore that he would give back to the very community he harmed if he was ever paroled. He was, in 2018, and he has kept his promise through Motivated 2 Help Others. With money tight, it’s not always pretty—“we get it out the mud,” Fahim says—but it is making a difference in the life of the city.