Our Story

As a Miami-Dade County Public school teacher during the 1980s, Althea McMillan witnessed promising youth drop out of school because of premature pregnancies. Herself a former 15-year-old pregnant dropout, she was the product of a high-crime, economically-blighted Miami neighborhood. Like her, she knew that her students from similar neighborhoods faced chances of not graduating high school, going to college or merely escaping the destructive cycles that plagued their families and communities.

Be Strong Story, Mission and Vision

The prospect of pregnancy, in fact, drastically increased when these youth became involved in early risky behaviors as a result of trauma in broken families. Many of her students came from single parent homes that lacked the resources, knowledge and skills to break these generational patterns. As a result, McMillan became committed to educating youth and parents on fostering and maintaining themselves emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. In 1992, she founded Be Strong International, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. She grew the organization almost single-handedly until the community started to take notice of its impact. The organization received its first grant in 1998, and today, has expanded its mission and helped thousands of youth and families. She knew that with the right tools, youth and parents could succeed and live the Be Strong lifestyle.

OUR MISSION

Be Strong International’s (BSI) mission is to strengthen relationships and foster meaningful connections among family members, friends, co-workers, and community members. We do this by offering educational workshops and resources grounded in our Heart Skills framework.

OUR VISION

A world where every individual is empowered by strong, supportive relationships, thriving within communities that prioritize connection and well-being.

Recurring Monthly Donation Authorization

By selecting the recurring donation option, you authorize Be Strong International (BSI) to charge the payment method provided on a recurring monthly basis for the donation amount specified. Charges will occur on or around the same date each month, beginning on the date ofthe first transaction.

You may cancel or modify your recurring donation at any time by contacting us at bestrongintl.org/contact-us. All transactions are securely processed, and your information is handled with the utmost care in accordance with our privacy policy.

Thank you for supporting Be Strong International’s mission to empower and strengthen individuals and families.

Third-Party Payment Processing Fees

When making a donation through our website, a small portion of your contribution goes toward third-party processing fees charged by Stripe. These fees help facilitate secure transactions and ensure your donation is processed safely and efficiently.

Standard Stripe Fees:

Online Transactions: For domestic cards, Stripe charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per successful transaction.
+ 0.5% for manually entered cards
+ 1.5% for international cards
+ 1% if currency conversion is required
ACH Direct Debit: Stripe charges 0.8% per transaction, capped at a maximum fee of $5.00.

To help cover these costs and ensure 100% of your intended donation supports our mission, you have the option to include these fees in your total donation amount. Thank you for your generosity and support!