A $550 grant helped a 12-year-old girl turn her own mental health struggles into a project that has since reached thousands of others. Mila Henry launched MH Boxes in January 2024 after receiving a microgrant through the #BlackGirlJoyChallenge, an initiative backed by rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s Pete & Thomas Foundation and the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium.
What began as a small effort to support Black girls facing mental health challenges has grown into a nonprofit that now reports delivering 3,303 care packages across 17 states and Washington, DC, according to its official website.The boxes contain journals, fidget toys, affirmations and other self-care tools designed to help Black girls feel supported and encourage conversations about mental health. The project draws on Mila’s own experiences and her belief that young people facing emotional difficulties should have access to resources that recognise their needs and make them feel less alone.
The initiative also highlights how relatively small grants can help young people turn personal experiences into community-led projects.
How a personal struggle inspired MH Boxes
Mila came up with the idea after experiencing anxiety and receiving mental health treatment herself. In a May 2024 profile, Richmond Family Magazine reported that she had struggled with anxiety and depression during middle school and had been hospitalised for mental health treatment towards the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her experience helped her recognise that other girls might also need encouragement and practical resources when dealing with emotional difficulties.The care packages were designed specifically for Black girls, who Mila and her family believed were not always adequately represented in conversations about mental health. The boxes include tactile items such as slime, modelling clay and fidget toys, alongside journals, handmade bracelets, positive messages and information about mental health resources.
The aim is not to replace professional treatment, but to offer reassurance and tools that can make it easier for girls to acknowledge their feelings and seek support.Mila initially distributed the boxes through educators, mental health providers, schools and community organisations in central Virginia. By May 2024, Richmond Family Magazine reported that she had delivered more than 500 packages.
The $550 grant that helped turn the idea into a nonprofit
The project received an early boost through the #BlackGirlJoyChallenge, a collaboration between the Pete & Thomas Foundation and the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium.
The initiative was created to help young Black women develop community projects focused on mental health, wellness and spreading joy. In its 2024 edition, 100 young women received $550 microgrants to put their ideas into action.Mila used her grant to establish MH Boxes in January 2024. The project subsequently developed into a nonprofit organisation focused on providing culturally affirming mental health support to Black girls.
The Pete & Thomas Foundation was established in 2022 in honour of Megan Thee Stallion’s late parents. Its work includes supporting initiatives involving education, housing and health and wellness in underserved communities.The grant programme illustrates how funding can help young people move beyond an idea and establish projects that respond to needs they have experienced themselves.
From 500 packages to more than 3,300
MH Boxes has continued expanding since its launch. In July 2025, Axios reported that Mila had distributed 1,600 boxes across five states.
The report also noted that Megan Thee Stallion praised Mila’s work when the teenager received the Pete & Thomas Foundation’s Young Humanitarian Award at an event in New York.The nonprofit’s website now lists 3,303 mental health boxes delivered to Black girls across 17 states and Washington, DC. Its impact page had previously reported that more than 2,200 packages had reached girls during the organisation’s first year.The figures indicate the project's reported growth from a local effort into a wider initiative. The packages reach girls through schools, community partners and families, helping extend the project beyond its original distribution network.MH Boxes also says its work is expanding beyond the physical packages. Its broader vision includes youth leadership, advocacy, peer support and efforts to help Black girls participate in decisions affecting their mental health.
Why representation matters in mental health support
The organisation says its work is intended to address stigma and barriers that can prevent Black girls from accessing or discussing mental health support. Its packages are designed with their intended recipients in mind, combining practical items with messages that affirm their worth and encourage them to talk about difficult feelings. By including information about mental health resources, the initiative also aims to help girls and families identify additional avenues of support.The need for such resources extends beyond the boxes themselves. Mental health care can involve professional counselling, treatment and support from families, schools and communities. MH Boxes positions its packages as one part of that wider network rather than a substitute for clinical care.The organisation's next phase includes building youth leadership opportunities and developing programmes intended to help Black girls influence mental health policy and access pathways into mental health careers.