Laura Bien-Aime, a junior nursing major from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, has a mission to teach children simple strategies to live healthier lifestyles. This is the basis of a non-profit foundation that she created called Laura’s Children Foundation (LCF).

Bien-Aime has first-hand experience of what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. Through changing her own eating and living habits, Bien-Aime was able to lose a significant amount of weight. She quickly realized the benefits of a healthier lifestyle and wanted to share it with others.

Through her foundation, Bien-Aime hopes to educate children about the various ways to eat and live healthier lives. The monthly sessions are meant to educate the children but also to provide creative and fun ways for them to learn.

“I have a passion for children and plan on becoming a pediatric nurse,” said Bien-Aime, who works part-time at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). “I started my foundation, which is really about health promotion, in 2017,” she explained.

The foundation holds events with a reoccurring theme once a month during the summer. This summer’s theme is heart disease. Children from eight to 18 are invited to the free programs, which take place in Lansdowne, Delaware County.

The sessions include various activities run by Bien-Aime and her volunteers. Being active is a big part of the sessions and the children play with trampolines and hula hoops. They also do crafts while learning about heart disease and how to prevent it.

At the next LCF session, which will be held on August 25th from 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., the children will also get school supplies thanks to donations Bien-Aime secured from several companies.

In addition to her work at CHOP, Bien-Aime is also a Sunday school teacher at her church, Deliverance Church of God in Lansdowne. Her father, who is the pastor at the church, runs a school in Haiti, and her long-term plans include raising funds for his students, too.

“My mission is to be able to fund schooling for children in Haiti. Many are not able to continue school because they don’t have the money,” she said.

For more information about Laura’s Children Foundation, visit lauraschildrenfoundation on Instagram and Laura Bein-Aime on Facebook.