The Goliath Foundation – Moving past pain.

Beige Minimalist Typographic Motivation Twitter Cover (800 × 300 px) (600 × 200 px)

Our Family Legacy Mission of Healing

"We can heal ourselves and our families in three generations, if we keep it a priority." ~ Wenecwtsin*

The Goliath Foundation is a family legacy project founded by two BIPOC foster care survivors now adult adoptees and their mixed race millennial daughter.

At the Goliath Foundation, we believe that, by supporting the healing of an individual, we take positive, proactive steps towards intergenerational healing if we keep it a priority. One person at a time, one family at a time, we can create the hopeful opportunities and uplighting experiences necessary to see a world where future generations can flourish instead of trying to defeat repeated cycles of trauma and pain.

We believe there is a better way, and that it starts one man at a time.

*Wenecwtsin, also known as former Kukpi7 Wayne Christian, Indigenous teacher, advisor, and cherished family friend.

Why is it important?

75% or more of men who commit acts of domestic abuse or violence against others are themselves victims of abuse.

In three years, the number of shelters for victims of abuse in Canada rose by 165 for a total of 557 shelters in 2021.

In a 2020 study, men made up 92% of perpetrators of domestic violence.

If we intend to eradicate domestic violence, we must deal with it at its roots. Our mission is to help families heal and break the chains of generational pain and trauma that are the root cause of violence.

How do we get there?

The road to healing trauma and pain is a long one, and a personal one in many ways, but it starts one person at a time. It starts with the simple things. Here are some ways to support a friend or loved one struggling with their mental health;

Keep them included and in the loop. Often times your friend or family member going through a mental health struggle feels like a burden to be around. Reminding them that they're loved and an important part of your life by continuing to include them in activities and outings goes a long way.

Hold the vision of them at their best in your mind and never let it go. You know and love this person; even when they can't see it, try to hang on to what you love best about them, how much they're capable of and that they are worthy of love and admiration.

Be open and honest with them. We often find that the more others share about their experiences, the more comfortable we feel talking as well. Be honest, confide in them; even if they aren't able to talk about their own struggles in return, they know at least that they aren't alone.

At The Goliath Foundation we treat everyone experiencing mental health turmoil as a friend or family member. We work in a close-knit way either one-on-one or in a group setting to foster circles of trust and open conversation, honesty and empathy.

How do I support you?

There are a few different ways to support what we do at The Goliath Foundation!

By sponsoring a champ! Our sponsor a champ program directly sponsors an individual in need to participate in one of our programs, either in a group setting or one-on-one sessions with Trainer Ben. You can read more about sponsoring a champ here.
By sponsoring our podcast! The Loving Goliath podcast continues with assistance from sponsors like you! You can read more about how sponsorship works here.
By referral. Referrals make our world go 'round and the prospect of helping more people is always exciting to us! We're always happy to take community referrals, either as an individual for one of our programs or as a business for one of our corporate offerings, which you can read more about here.
Business-to-business seminars and cohorts. Are you looking to improve overall mental health among your team, business or employees? Goliath offers corporate cohorts for you and your team. Business inquiries can be sent to charlene@regenimpactmedia.com or lovinggoliath@gmail.com

Sponsor A Champ

The best and easiest way to support what we do at The Goliath Foundation is through our Sponsor a Champ program.

This program works to ensure cost is never a barrier for those seeking or in need of our services.

From helping an individual to join a mental health cohort or take one-on-one sessions with Trainer Ben to enabling us to work with youth in the community and much more, the Sponsor a Champ program fully and directly supports our work in men's mental health.

Refer Someone

Do you know an individual that might be in need of a bit of extra support right now?

Are you part of a team or organization that wants to be doing more to provide mental health support to employees and staff?

We are always more than happy to take community referrals!

Please contact us at trainerbensmith@gmail.com to get in touch with your referral!

Listen

Hosted by father-daughter duo Ben & Willow Smith, Loving Goliath is a show about finding love for the monster within us all. Join them weekly to be part of the discussion in topics such as anxiety and stress, suicide, overcoming breakups and finding a sense of purpose.

You can also send in topics you'd like them to cover on the podcast by email to lovinggoliath@gmail.com!

Meet the Team

“ Guys are realizing that our families and our communities need us to be men - whole, healed men - now. ”

― Founder Ben Smith

Philosophy

The Goliath Foundation ("Goliath") exists to positively impact men who are struggling to find a sense of purpose in life and shed toxic masculinity.

Here at Goliath we believe that our men and boys deserve better. They deserve resources and appropriate care, the right to speak openly about their mental health and be listened to, and we believe that by providing this necessary care, we will see the numbers on abuse and violence in the home decrease, productivity in the workplace increase, and an overall increase in happiness worldwide among all people.

The Goliath Foundation, helping everyday guys lead happier lives.

Why Us?

As a black child born in 1971, Ben was adopted in Seattle and raised by white parents in a tough neighbourhood in East Vancouver. He experienced relentless violence, bullying, and racial discrimination.

As a way to overcome fear and self-loathing, Ben became a competitive boxer, wrestler, and bodybuilder. These positive outlets allowed Ben to channel his hurt, anger, and frustration, eventually owning a gym, helping others as a successful personal trainer and mentoring youth as a community care worker.

Ben’s many years working as a nightclub bouncer gave him unique insight into the universal quest for self-acceptance, love, and happiness. Now he works to help men move past their own pain.

Statistics

The numbers don't lie, and statistics on North America's mental health paint a picture of a society in need of real support. The way we've done things in the past hasn't worked, so it's time for a change.

of men won't talk about their mental health

only

of men sought help

up to

of homeless people may have a mental illness

Facing Goliath by Ben Smith

Leave us your email for updates on the book!

You can read the first chapter of Facing Goliath below. Click through all 20 pages, or click to enlarge the text to better read it.

Testimonials

"We are lucky to have Ben be part of my son's life during a turbulent time. Not only did Ben continue to help my child build confidence within himself to believe he could achieve anything, he also worked closely with myself to heal the relationship between mother and son and keep that connective bond. We are lucky to have such a positive male role model in our community to support our youth."

"I was really touched by your message on suicide and self-acceptance in episode 2 [of Loving Goliath]. I think it's so easy to think like, "oh man I could have been like this or that or had job X or Y" especially in a world where we are constantly suffocated by everyone else's success. It was really nice hearing this from a strong guy though because shit like this I can't talk to with about anyone in my family. It's nice to hear these things from someone like Ben who has this big personality but is so sincere in his feelings."

"There aren't many guys that can drop the macho energy like [Ben] can. I'm sure that's why I could share my situation with you. I appreciate your advice and will put it to use."

"This is a game-changer. Most people don't seem to care about men's mental health."

"If you are struggling with becoming the person you want to be, this cohort is the place to be. But honestly, the truth is there aren't many people offering to help people be who they want to be. Moving Past Pain has taken the time and effort to make a plan on how to help people, and if you truly want to become the person you want to be or better, I cannot think of a better place to start."

goliath white helping people move past pain

Contact us with questions you want answered on the podcast, business inquiries,
To schedule one-on-one coaching sessions with founder Ben Smith and more!

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

The Goliath Foundation: The Full Picture