Khloe Thompson: From Kare Bags to Global Impact, and What It Really Takes

Global Girls Glow believes in the power of girls to lead, create, and inspire. Our new series, The Ally Series, puts youth changemakers in the spotlight, sharing their stories of community impact and fearless leadership to show how one voice can spark a global movement.

This month, we’re honored to spotlight Khloe Thompson, a teen philanthropist and changemaker whose social impact organization, Khloe Kares, has grown into a global movement spanning 50,000 care packages for the unhoused, clean water initiatives, and a Creative Arts Center in Ghana. 

We sat down with Khloe to learn how her vision evolved from helping one homeless woman to changing lives on two continents. Her journey will inspire you to believe that no dream is too big, and no age too young, to create lasting change. Here’s her story, unfiltered.

You’ve done so much with Khloe Kares – from Kare Bags to global clean water initiatives to the community center in Ghana! What inspired you to start Khloe Kares, and what excites you most about your current projects?

I created Khloe Kares because I would pass by a homeless woman on my way to school daily. Seeing her homeless made me curious about why she was out there every day. At the time, my great-grandma was teaching me how to sew and make tote bags, and I noticed that the woman I passed had many plastic bags with holes. I talked to my parents about making more of the tote bags and filling them with necessities for her. That was the start of Khloe Kares.

Khloe Thompson, founder of Khloe Kares, has distributed over 50,000 bags globally and is building a Creative Arts Center in Ghana.

At first, it was just my mission to make 25 bags and pass them out, but after seeing the connections I was making with women, I just kept making more and more bags. So far, we have made and distributed over 50,000 bags all over the world. 

As I’ve grown, my work has grown as well. I’ve been fortunate to be in spaces to help motivate other youth to be changemakers through youth leadership development and help them build programs. I’ve worked with a number of large global organizations to build social impact programs that incorporate young people in their service work. 

And of course, my own work in Ghana – I’m currently building the Khloe Kares Creative Arts Center in Kumasi, Ghana. This center will be a hub for youth to access job training, certification training programs, free art classes, a media/computer room, and a library. 

The Khloe Kares Creative Arts Center in Kumasi, Ghana, provides free classes in art, media, sewing, and technology, along with certification and trade skills programs that connect youth with U.S. organizations.

With Khloe Kares, I’ve always wanted a community center to help people. Originally, the center was going to be in Los Angeles, helping the community that I supported for years, but I was met with so many roadblocks. Once I got the opportunity to have land in Ghana and turn it into a Creative Arts Center, my dream of having a center was going to be true.

You’ve shared that having a strong support system helped you pursue your vision. Why is community and support so important for young people, especially girls? Can you share a moment when support made a difference in your own journey?

Community is everything! Thankfully, my community was my family, friends, and people who just believed in me and my youth advocacy work. It’s so important to have people who support the work you do.

One community that has helped me is Giving Tuesday. I reached out to them because I loved their mission, but they had no youth involved. I asked if we could put together some kind of program where young people could get more involved in Giving Tuesday, and they were on board. 

Their entire community supported me, and we were able to create the youth division, which is “Giving Tuesday Spark.” We have youth all over the world participating in Giving Tuesday, so not only did they support me, they helped me find more youth around the world to get involved in community building.

“Community is everything! It’s so important to have people who support the work you do.”

With so much of your life dedicated to serving others, how do you make sure you’re also taking care of yourself and preventing burnout? What practices help you advocate for yourself and stay centered?

Burnout is real! And it happens a lot when it comes to being a young philanthropist. We pour out our hearts for change, but because of our age, we get a lot of pushback. So many of my friends who are youth advocates and philanthropists like myself deal with bullying, isolation, and negativity. And I’ve dealt with it too. 

I have an amazing family that helps me balance life. I also make time for myself, and I focus on the things I can control. I also know how to communicate my feelings when I’m overwhelmed. 

I was homeschooled because I was traveling a lot with my philanthropy lifestyle – traveling at least twice a month at one point. It was definitely an unconventional lifestyle, but my family made sure that in the process of traveling, speaking engagements, and community service work, we found fun things to do.

A lot of people see the highlights of your work, but what’s something about advocacy or running an organization that people might not realize or talk about enough?

No one sees the late nights, the hard work, the “no’s,” or when the funding falls through. Social media makes everything so pretty. Behind closed doors, I have to memorize speeches, be “on” for meetings, pitch things to executives – it’s a lot of work.

I would take meetings in between classes sometimes, and some days I’d take calls or do interviews at 5 a.m. because of the time differences, then still start my school day at 7:45 a.m. 

I recall a time I had to do a keynote speech and then a panel on a totally different topic – I had to have my speech memorized, prepare for a panel with 20+ questions, do homework, all while in a different time zone. This young philanthropist lifestyle is not for everyone. You have to know this is what you want to do, and do it with a pure heart.

In every situation my team and I have been through, we learned something from it. You learn to pivot, and you just keep moving. Another thing no one sees or talks about is the lifestyle that myself and other young philanthropists have built comes with a spotlight that puts you in a weird position. 

Growing up, my peers thought I was weird, adults were intrigued by me, and there was no space where I felt “normal” because everyone looked at me differently – until I found a community of other young philanthropists.

“You’re never too young to make a difference, and your age will never determine your impact.”

At Global Girls Glow, we believe in the power of using your voice to drive change. How has sharing your story or listening to others’ stories shaped your journey or influenced your advocacy work?

I’ve been using my voice since I was eight. I knew that I could not solve the world’s issues alone, and I needed other young people to stand up as well. So I encouraged other young people, “If I can do it, you can too!” 

I’ve also used the information I’ve learned and passed it down to those who are not in the same spaces as me, for free. Every conference, panel, or meeting, I’m compiling information to distribute. I do not gatekeep.

Khloe works with youth in Ghana, bringing resources, skills training, and opportunities to the next generation of changemakers.

Even with my community center, all the skills and resources I have, I’m bringing back to the kids in Ghana. If you have a skill and you want to teach that skill, I have a space for you. With technology, we can teach kids any and everything, and I’m going to make sure they have access to it.

My story is still being written, and in this next stage of my life and my nonprofit, we are focusing on building the center and having a fully running program by 2026. I hope my story inspires someone to take a leap of faith and do the things they’ve always wanted to do.

What’s one thing you wish more young girls knew about the power they have to create change in their communities? For girls around the world who want to make a difference in their communities but don’t know where to start, what advice would you give?

I wish girls knew that there is a community somewhere waiting to support them. I think young girls are often scared or intimidated to use their voice. My advice is: You’re never too young to make a difference, and your age will never determine your impact. Lead with your heart and connect your passion with a purpose. 

Khloe’s Story Continues – And So Can Yours

Khloe’s story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when girls are trusted, supported, and celebrated as leaders. Through Khloe Kares, this young philanthropist has not only transformed her community through social impact initiatives, but also sparked youth advocacy movements across the globe – and she’s just getting started.