Chris “CJ” Matthews’ inspiring story began when his mom experienced a pregnancy loss when he was five years old. His own grief sparked an idea to create a project to support other kids who might be dealing with similar feelings of sadness. CJ told his mom that he never wanted another kid to feel sad and lonely like he did, and “Blankies 4 My Buddies” was born. Since then, this small project has grown into an organization that brings small tokens of comfort, like cozy blankets, to children dealing with traumatic situations from chronic illnesses to homelessness. CJ is always seeking to come up with creative ideas for helping others and making an impact in the world. He has never found "being a kid" to be a problem. In fact, he believes it to be empowering and just another way to have fun, be happy inside-out, and inspire other teens and kids to use their voices.