After hearing Sean Tuohy speak, longtime friend and donor Phil Oates was moved by the power of a life changed through belief and opportunity. He was struck by a powerful truth: talent can be lost simply because no one steps in. He wondered how many other children, brilliant, driven, full of promise were out there, unseen and unsupported. How many futures were quietly slipping away, not for lack of potential, but for lack of opportunity?

That question became EASE.

Founded in 2005, the Alliance for Compassion and Education Development (ACED), formerly the Sacramento Valley Regional Care Coalition, has spent the last 20 years walking alongside underserved youth. Some whose lives have been shaped by instability, hardship, and circumstances far beyond their control. These students are not broken. They are capable, resilient, and hopeful. What they need is someone to believe in them, and to act.

EASE—Empower, Advocate, Serve, Equip—is the heart of that action. It exists to ensure that a child’s future is not determined by their zip code, family income, or early trauma. Through access to exceptional education, individualized advocacy, and comprehensive wraparound support, EASE surrounds each student with the care, stability, and encouragement they need to succeed.

We don’t just support academics, we remove barriers. We step in when systems fall short. We provide the guidance, resources, and safety net that allow young people to focus on learning, growing, and dreaming again. In partnership with parents and guardians, we create a new academic path rooted in possibility, dignity, and hope.

But this life-changing work is not possible without people like you.

EASE is proof that when compassion meets action, lives are changed.