Showing Up Changes Everything: The Launch of We Can, We Shall
CANTON, OHIO March 1, 2026 - On March 1, a new nonprofit will officially launch in Canton with a bold and deeply human mission: restore dignity to young people ages 10 to 21.
The organization is called We Can, We Shall, and its founder, Savanah Muntean, speaks about youth not as a social problem to fix but as a generation to believe in.
“Dignity,” she says, “is about finding out who you are. These are precious ages where people are becoming who they are. These are the founding blocks. This is how we change the future.”
“The Kids Are Not a Priority.”
When asked what inspired her to start We Can, We Shall, Muntean does not hesitate.
“What inspired me was just my own personal experience with my kids and living in community,” she explains. “I see the interactions every day. And if it is not football or sports, there is nothing really for the kids who are just your average day kids.”
In many communities, extracurricular opportunities are tied to money. Travel teams. Equipment fees. Uniforms. Gas. Time.
“If their parents do not have enough money for sports, or they are just not into it, then what?” she asks. “How are we going to uplift them? How are we going to build a stronger society if we do not support them in different ways?”
Her voice sharpens slightly.
“The kids are not a priority.”
The Critical Window Why Age 10 Matters
Muntean believes identity formation becomes especially fragile around age ten.
“By third or fourth grade, kids are aware,” she says. “A kindergartener still wants to please mom and dad. But by ten, that is when they start noticing.”
Noticing clothes.
Noticing hygiene.
Noticing who fits in and who does not.
“Think about it,” she says. “In kindergarten, if a kid is messy, no one really cares. But by third grade, it becomes ‘Why does he not brush his hair? Why does she not have the right clothes?’ That is when it starts. That is when it influences you.”
And once shame enters the picture, dignity quietly exits.
Breaking the Forced Gratitude Stigma
One of the most striking phrases Muntean uses is this.
“The biggest stigma we want to break is the forced attitude of gratitude.”
She pauses before continuing.
“Some programs just give kids things and say, ‘You should be grateful.’ But if we are only giving the bare minimum, what have we really given them?”
She offers a practical example.
“Some kids need that $15 shampoo. Not the dollar store kind, the one that actually works for their hair type. It sounds small, but it is not small to them.”
We Can, We Shall is intentionally individualized.
“How good does it feel to express your individuality?” she asks. “That is dignity.”
The Shopping Trips That Changed Everything
Muntean recounts one of her earliest pilot experiences taking a group of girls to the mall.
“They were so happy,” she says. “They were able to get sized properly for bras and they fit. Some of them left the store wearing their new ones. That is how proud they were.”
The transformation was not about retail therapy. It was about self worth.
“They were budgeting. Looking at tax. Asking, ‘How much do I have left?’ They were managing money and choosing things that mattered to them.”
Boys experience this too.
“Maybe it is a sweatband. Maybe it is a Nike ski mask. Maybe it is specific underwear they want. It might sound silly to us. But it is not to them.”
She adds candidly.
“I am not buying you a $35 ski mask when I have bills. But to them, that might be the one thing that makes them feel like they fit in.”
More Than Handouts Showing Up
At the heart of We Can, We Shall is mentorship.
“The energy is real when someone shows up for you,” she says. “My son’s mentor comes to his basketball games. That matters. It makes him feel worthy.”
Worth showing up for.
Worth investing in.
Worth believing in.
The organization plans to recruit aligned volunteers and mentors who understand dignity.
“As long as they align with our mission, vibe, and culture, that is what matters most.”
First Friday Changing the Narrative in Canton
In Canton, monthly First Friday events draw large crowds including hundreds of teens.
“They have all this pent up energy,” Muntean explains. “Nothing to do all summer. Then they come to First Friday, and if something goes wrong, people say, ‘The kids ruin everything.’”
Instead of curfews and exclusion, she offers another solution.
“Let us give them something to do.”
Capture the flag.
Basketball tournaments.
Dance battles.
Picnic and paint sessions for quieter kids.
“Bring back those things,” she says. “Imagine a bunch of teenagers outside playing capture the flag.”
When young people are engaged, they are not a nuisance. They are a force.
A Back to School Vision 100 Kids, $100 Each
For fall 2026, Muntean has set an ambitious goal.
Provide 50 to 100 children with $100 gift cards guided by mentors to purchase items that matter to them.
“They will have their name on it,” she explains. “We will have volunteers go with them. Not to tell them what to buy, but to guide them.”
No PlayStation games.
No candy sprees.
“It needs to be something for you,” she says. “Something that builds you.”
Beyond Canton A Statewide and National Vision
While the March 1 launch begins in Canton, expansion is already in motion.
“I plan on doing all of Ohio,” Muntean says. “Cleveland. Columbus. Dayton. Alliance.”
Beyond that?
“We have partnerships in Philly, California, Florida. This program is not limited to Ohio.”
Wherever communities struggle with overworked parents, limited resources, and youth who feel unseen, the model applies.
“There are kids everywhere that need help.”
Something to Look Forward To
Muntean paints a simple but powerful picture.
“Imagine you had a terrible day at school. You failed a test. You go home and you are in trouble. Everything feels bad. But today is our We Can, We Shall group.”
She pauses.
“You have something to look forward to.”
In Ohio, that might mean pumpkin patches, sled riding, camping trips, haunted houses, or even a celebration at Cedar Point.
But beyond events, it means belonging.
Giving Back Not Just Receiving
Muntean insists this program is not about kids taking.
“We are going to do things for the community too,” she says. “Plant flowers. Visit nursing homes. Ask them what they want to give back.”
Dignity is not only receiving support. It is contributing.
“Maybe their grandma is in a nursing home and would love kids to visit. We can do that.”
March 1, 2026 A New Chapter for Canton
We Can, We Shall launches March 1 with open lines of communication for families, youth, volunteers, and donors.
The mission is clear.
Restore individuality.
Replace shame with support.
Show up consistently.
Break the cycle.
“We are here to better relationships,” Muntean says. “Little things matter. The flowers we plant. The promises we keep.”
And perhaps her most powerful line of all.
“We can. We shall.”
For Canton’s youth, that is not just a name.
It is a promise.
