Our Founder

Why We Exist

My name is Cindy Fedele, founder of Awakened Hearts Foundation. As a Licensed Psychiatric Technician with more than 20+ years of experience in behavioral health, I have dedicated my career to helping individuals facing mental health challenges, trauma, addiction, and recovery. Both my professional experience and personal journey have shaped my belief that every person deserves access to support, hope, and opportunity.

Awakened Hearts Foundation was founded from a simple but powerful belief: no person should have to face life's challenges alone, and no one should be denied support because of financial hardship, where they live, or the circumstances they were born into.

The inspiration for this Foundation began long before the organization itself was created.

Growing up, I experienced significant trauma and adversity. Like many individuals, I carried the effects of those experiences into adulthood, navigating challenges that impacted my emotional well-being, relationships, and sense of self. Through years of healing, personal growth, education, and professional experience, I came to understand how deeply unresolved trauma can affect every aspect of a person's life.

Throughout my career in behavioral health, mental health services, substance use treatment, and community care, I witnessed a common reality. Many individuals and families were struggling to access the support they needed. Some faced financial barriers. Others lived in communities with limited resources. Many carried trauma, grief, addiction, mental health challenges, or domestic violence experiences without knowing where to turn for help.

I saw youth struggling without positive support systems. Veterans carrying invisible wounds. Families impacted by addiction. Seniors facing isolation. Survivors of trauma searching for healing. Too often, individuals were left to navigate difficult circumstances alone.

These experiences reinforced a vision that healing, education, support, and opportunity should be accessible to everyone.

Awakened Hearts Foundation was created to help bridge those gaps.

While the Foundation was inspired by my journey, it quickly became something much larger than one person's story.

Our Board of Directors, advisors, volunteers, and community partners each bring their own experiences, expertise, and passion for helping others. Together, we share a commitment to strengthening individuals, families, and communities through education, recovery support, wellness initiatives, youth mentorship, family services, veteran resources, and community partnerships.

We are especially passionate about supporting youth, veterans, survivors of domestic violence and trauma, individuals in recovery, seniors, and underserved communities that often face barriers to care and support.

Our vision is to create communities where every individual has the opportunity to heal, grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Every program we develop, every partnership we build, and every life we touch is rooted in that vision.

Because every heart deserves hope.

And every life deserves opportunity.

Our Story

A Shared Vision

While Awakened Hearts Foundation was inspired by my personal and professional journey, it quickly became something much larger than one person's story. Our Board of Directors, advisors, volunteers, community partners, and supporters each bring their own experiences, expertise, and passion for helping others.

Together, we are building an organization dedicated to strengthening individuals, families, and communities through education, recovery support, wellness initiatives, youth mentorship, veteran services, and community partnerships.

For many of us, this commitment is deeply personal. Experiences with trauma, mental health challenges, substance use disorders, chronic illness, domestic violence, and the loss of loved ones, friends, and family members have shaped our understanding of how important timely support and access to care can be. These experiences continue to fuel our passion for creating stronger communities and expanding opportunities for healing, recovery, and hope.

We believe that no one should have to face life's challenges alone. By working together with community partners, healthcare providers, educators, advocates, and volunteers, we strive to create pathways to healing, resilience, and opportunity for those who need it most.

The challenges we seek to address belong to all of us, and the solutions will be created together.

Our Mission

Awakened Hearts Foundation is dedicated to strengthening individuals, families, and communities by expanding access to mental health support, substance use recovery resources, trauma-informed services, wellness initiatives, education, mentorship, and community-based programs. Through compassionate care, community partnerships, and innovative solutions, we strive to create pathways to healing, resilience, recovery, and opportunity for underserved populations throughout California.

Our Vision

We vision a future where every individual and family has access to compassionate, comprehensive, and coordinated support services that promote healing, resilience, recovery, and lifelong well-being.

Our long-term vision is to develop a community-centered continuum of care that brings together mental health services, substance use recovery support, wellness initiatives, youth development programs, family services, veteran resources, senior support, education, and community partnerships under one collaborative network.

Through innovation, collaboration, and accessible services, we strive to create stronger communities where no person is left without hope, support, or opportunity.