Kids Over Everything Foundation promotes community
Kids Over Everything (KOE) President Jacob Boler says he wants his foundation to be more involved in the community, and he plans to help local kids through things like free basketball training, possible mentorship groups in the future, and aid in the various back-to-school drives around the area.
Boler said he has many ideas for what he wants to do to help, the biggest being a Young Boys Mentorship collaboration with Philadelphia High School.
“A lot of boys I know come from single-mother homes, and I want to start a mentorship group and teach them important lessons and help them,” Boler said. “These boys need a male figure in their life, whether it’s a coach or principal. I could meet with them once a week and go over things like opening a bank account, yes sir and no sir, and other simple things. I want to focus on that and help in any way I can.”
Boler, who is also an assistant basketball coach for the Philadelphia High School boy’s team, is already pitching in by offering free basketball training at the Church of the Arc at 138 Lakeside Drive. He said the training as of right now is not as frequent as in previous years (specific Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.), but he will make sure to update what days the training will be on his Kids Over Everything Instagram page.
He said the overall goal is for KOE to be hand-in-hand with the Philadelphia School District and Neshoba County Schools as a whole.
“A lot of kids involved in KOE go to Philadelphia High School,” Boler said. “I have a lot of other ideas to bring up to officials at the Philadelphia School District, and KOE is involved in the various back-to-school drives happening around Neshoba County. I have reached out to everyone having drives and I am doing whatever I can to help out.”
KOE started in 2010 when Boler was out and about in the community and noticed a lack of events going on for local kids. He said he wanted to be involved and start with something small, which ended up being a little dance during Christmas Break at the Neshoba Sportsmans Club in Philadelphia.
Since then, Boler’s foundation has hosted school supplies and backpack drives in the Neshoba Coliseum, and free basketball training and kickball games at Westside Park and Church of the Arc.
Most recently, KOE held their first Christmas Toy Drive in December 2022 and collected enough toys to supply over 100 children with gifts, and even had a few left over. Bolder said the event was a huge success and plans to have the drive again this year.
“I feel that KOE opened people’s eyes and made them want to be involved,” Boler said. “I am making sure kids have what they need to go back to school, whether it’s me doing it or helping others doing it, particularly with the back-to-school drive efforts going on right now.”
For more information about Kids Over Everything, contact Boler at (601) 562-6131, or visit the KOE Instagram page at kidsovereverythingkoe.