The Crisis We Face

Loneliness, isolation, and poor mental health are at epidemic levels, especially among our youth. Even before COVID, suicide was the second leading cause of death for 10–34-year-olds. Despite increased awareness and education, the problem persists. Therapy is crucial but often inaccessible—school counselors alone are responsible for an average of 405 students each, leaving many needs unmet.

We need real, scalable, and preventative solutions to address emotional health and well-being. For example, when the Uchi app was used in a high school during virtual learning in 2021, teachers saw noticeable improvements in student engagement and behavior in less than two weeks.

That’s why I created Uchi (https://uchiconnection.com)—a social tool designed to strengthen relationships, nurture emotional health, and improve behaviors. By fostering connection and understanding, Uchi helps tackle challenges like depression, addiction, bullying, and suicide, while also enhancing school engagement, culture, academics, overall health, and behaviors.

But in helping others and investing my own resources, I’ve neglected my own wellness. Over the past eight years, I’ve taken only two one-week vacations. The result? Burnout, exhaustion, and an urgent need for balance in my own life.

 

Urgency for Change – Act Now to Support Wellness

We have just three months to meet our goal of $15,000, which will allow Uchi to reach schools and communities in desperate need of mental and emotional health resources. Your donations are critical for making this impact, and time is of the essence. Every dollar counts in making this mission a reality within this tight window.

 

Why the Appalachian Trail?

In 2025, I hope to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (AT)—a 2,200-mile journey from Georgia to Maine. This isn’t just a personal quest for healing. It’s a movement to prioritize wellness—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—for ourselves, our schools, and our communities.

As a middle-aged man, 26-year backpacker, and 23-year, injury-free Ironman Triathlete and Coach, I also want to inspire others to challenge stereotypes about aging and fitness while promoting a culture of well-being.

I’ve always said, “the more extreme the behavior, the deeper the pain” and thru-hiking the AT is pretty extreme. I think this is what I need to “reset”, reconnect, and refocus my health, wellness, and work.

 

Walking for Wellness – Yours & Mine

This journey is about more than me; it’s about us. Wellness isn’t a “one-n-done” solution and can’t be “fixed” with a workshop. It’s a daily practice requiring consistent effort and it’s going to be uncomfortable at times. Just like the 5 million steps I’ll take on the AT, nurturing relationships and emotional health takes time and dedication, by each of us, every day.

Through this campaign, I’m asking for your help to:

1. Bring Uchi to schools, empowering teachers and counselors with a proven, scalable tool to improve relationships and emotional health for students, teachers, and families.
2. Support my thru-hike as a platform to advocate for emotional health and balanced wellness.

 

Your Impact – Tiered Rewards

Unlike most GoFundMe campaigns, your support directly benefits schools and communities today:

For every $2,500 raised, I’ll donate a 1-year Uchi School Subscription to a middle or high school.

 

School-Level Donations (https://uchiconnection.com/uchiEducation) – Consider a group effort collection by administrators, parents, PTA, community, etc.:

• $2,500 – Gold School Supporter (Retail value: $7,500): 1-year Uchi subscription for an entire school of your choice.
• $1,500 – Silver School Supporter: 6-month Uchi subscription for a school of your choice.
• $1,000 – Bronze School Supporter: 3-month Uchi subscription for a school of your choice.

Subscriptions can begin anytime after the campaign goal is reached. I’ll work with you and your school personally to implement Uchi which typically is possible within a few days.

 

Personal-Level Donations (UchiTribe):

An uchiTribe allows you to customize Uchi and invite small, private groups of people to engage in guided conversations – family, friends, colleagues, groups, etc. (https://uchiconnection.com/uchiTribe)

• $500 – Champion: 100 uchiTribes for personal use.
• $250 – Advocate: 50 uchiTribes for personal use.
• $100 – Enthusiast: 20 uchiTribes for personal use.
• $50 – Friend: 10 uchiTribes for personal use. (Retail value: $85)
• $25 – Ally: 5 uchiTribes for personal use.
• $10 – Supporter: 2 uchiTribes for personal use.

Every donation – A “thank you” in the credits of my daily AT vlog (YouTube: @KevinRStrauss).

 

Here’s how your donation makes a direct difference in schools:

If we reach our goal of $15,000—supported by, for example, 6 x $2,500 donations—we can provide the Uchi tool to 12 schools and impact up to 9,000 students, along with teachers and families, for a full year!

 

Join the Movement – Time is of the Essence

This campaign is about more than funding a hike; it’s about creating lasting change in emotional health. With just three months to reach our goal, your support is critical in bringing Uchi to schools and providing essential resources where they’re needed most.

As I hike the Appalachian Trail, I’ll share my journey through daily vlogs, inviting you to join me in prioritizing wellness—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Together, we can make every step count toward lasting impact.

• Bring a proven emotional health program to schools.
• Support my 2,200-mile journey for healing and societal change.
• Start using Uchi today to improve your emotional health.
• Help launch a movement of connection, belonging, and well-being.

Every step of this hike will symbolize our collective effort to balance well-being and build healthier communities. Together, we can make all 5 million steps count.

 

Support the Mission – What If I Don’t Finish?

The minimum financial goal for this campaign breaks down as follows: $6,250 for on-trail expenses, $6,250 for at-home expenses (rent, insurance, etc.), and $2,500 for gear.

 

Even if I don’t finish the full hike, your support still fuels the mission and continues to provide schools with valuable mental and emotional health resources. So, if I complete the hike in less than five months—or need to stop early—I’ll donate two 1-year Uchi subscriptions for each month I’m not hiking. For example, if I stop after two months, six schools will receive a free 1-year subscription.

 

Why Emotional Health Matters

Imagine a car with four tires: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. If one tire is flat, the car can’t move forward. Emotional health—the ability to give and receive love, connection, and belonging—is often a flat tire. When nurtured, it drives stronger relationships and better behaviors.

With Uchi, teachers and counselors can integrate emotional health into their classrooms in minutes—no training required. It’s a tool that’s simple, scalable, and impactful and trusted by public schools and universities.

 

Thank you for your support in Walking for Wellness—Yours & Mine.

 

Peace. Love. Connect.

Kevin Strauss, M.E.

Innovator and Emotional Health & Wellness Expert, CEO of Uchi, Endurance Athlete, and Backpacker

KevinRStrauss.com | UchiConnection.com