Children in Uganda who are in the village which We Heart All gave malaria nets to pose for a photo.
Photo courtesy We Heart All
LAKE STEVENS — Alli Sharp has always had a heart for children. Her husband Keith has always had a heart for service.
On March 22 the couple will celebrate the second anniversary of We Heart All, their nonprofit that benefits children and women all over the world, with a fundraising gala dinner and dance at the Snohomish Carnegie.
We Heart All sprung from a series of volunteer trips Alli Sharp began taking in 2013 to help nonprofits that serve young people. It works to create safe, healthy environments for the most vulnerable kids and families around the world.
“I’ve always been passionate about protecting children,” said the former police officer and investigator for Children’s Protective Services.
Her journeys led to Ethiopia and Uganda, where she met like-minded individuals and decided to found the charity.
In Ethiopia, We Heart All provides school and hygiene materials for children in one of the poorest regions of the country, the Dodota district in central Ethiopia. It is repairing a school ravaged by drought and building a school library.
It also provides interest-free micro-loans to women, and sponsors community education about the harms of traditional practices such as early marriage and gender inequality.
In Uganda, We Heart All has bought mosquito netting and medication to fight malaria. It just bought its first motorcycle to transport people from a small village two hours to the nearest hospital, and is raising funds for a van to act as a transport ambulance.
Eventually, they would like to build a local hospital.
“They don’t have 911,” Keith said. “If a child gets sick, they just wait for (death). We can do better.”
Keith, a firefighter with South County Fire, met Alli when both were military police officers on Johnston Atoll. He always wanted to work in a nonprofit, so he jumped at the chance to form We Heart All.
“Our first year was a learning year. In 2024 we really grew,” Keith Sharp said. “We’ve grown a lot faster than I thought we would.”
It has a director of operations in both Ethiopia and Uganda, and a U.S. board of directors.
“We’re 100% volunteer-run. We work together to figure out exactly where the money should go,” said Keith Sharp, who is the chief financial officer.
We Heart All partners with local nonprofits and communities to create programs and projects tailored to specific needs.
“A lot of nonprofits go in and help in one little area,” Alli Sharp said.
In addition to providing supplies and medical care, the nonprofit raises money by sourcing homemade goods such as baskets and jewelry from local crafters in Ethiopia and Uganda.
They want to open an online store this year and are also looking into brick-and-mortar options.
“We’d love to have (a shop) in Snohomish,” Alli said.
We Heart All Gala
Tickets to the March 22 gala cost $75 and can be purchased at www.weheartall.org. The Roaring ‘20s-themed event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Snohomish Carnegie and features a farm-to-table dinner from Terra Tovela, a silent auction, raffle prizes, and dancing with a live DJ. The gala is for adults 21 and older.
