Todd Lingel

BIO - Information
My name is Todd Lingel, and I am the Founder and Director of Kares Foundation. I grew up in a small community in Idaho, where I learned the value of communication and the meaning of integrity. Losing my mother and sister at a young age shaped my life’s purpose—driving my passion to help others. This journey led me to create Kares Foundation, built on the principles of communication, trust, integrity, and service to others.
Our mission is to educate teens and young adults on making better decisions to prevent unnecessary accidents and tragedies caused by peer pressure, drinking and driving, and social media grooming. The goal is to equip at-risk youth with the knowledge to make informed choices about their future. I always tell them that making mistakes is part of learning, but the key is ensuring those mistakes are ones we can grow from—not ones that last a lifetime, like a felony.
Our Goals:
• Save lives by speaking to as many kids and adults as possible.
• Provide college scholarships to students directly affected by drunk driving, drug use, and related tragedies.
• Host Kamp Kares, a retreat where kids can receive counseling and simply enjoy being kids.
• Implement our Kids’ Life Program, available to those who attend Kamp Kares. This program teaches real-world skills such as:
o Budgeting and financial literacy (understanding credit, building credit).
o Career readiness (resume writing, interview skills, job application processes).
o Negotiation and decision-making skills.
o Other essential life lessons to help them survive and thrive in the world.
o At the end of the program, if students maintain their grades and complete all requirements, we hope to reward them with an experience beyond their daily environment—like a trip to Disneyland or another exciting destination.

The Meaning Behind Our Logo
Kares Foundation holds a deeply personal meaning for me. My mother’s name was Karen, and my sister’s name was Shelly—this is where "Kares" comes from.
While starting Kares Foundation, I had the opportunity to meet Donna, the first responder to my mother and sister’s accident. When I asked her how they were positioned in the car, she hesitated before asking if I truly wanted to know. I told her, “Absolutely.”
She explained that the drunk driver hit my mother head-on, driver to driver. The impact lifted the hood of the car, sending it through the windshield and striking my sister, killing her instantly. My mother’s chest was crushed by the steering wheel and engine compartment. When Donna arrived, she found my mother leaning over my sister as if she were trying to protect her. My mother’s death certificate states she passed moments after impact, but in those final moments, she had the strength to embrace my sister.
This moment was integral in the design of the Kares Foundation logo. If you look closely at the "K," one leg wraps around the other symbolizing my mother’s final act of love, wrapping around my sister.

Kares Foundation
Todd Lingel
541-490-517; 602-552-1375
Toddkaresf@gmail.com
Kares Foundation