In 2016, Keith transformed his pain into purpose. He founded the Keith Edmonds Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children who have experienced abuse or neglect. His mission was simple but profound: to make sure no child feels as alone as he once did. Through programs like Backpacks of Love, his team provides essentials such as clothing, hygiene items, and comfort supplies to kids entering foster care. Another initiative, Camp Confidence, offers a safe place for young survivors to heal, connect, and rediscover their self-worth.
Keith’s approach is built on consistency and compassion. “We can’t just show up once and disappear,” he says. “Real healing happens when people know you’re not going anywhere.” Teachers, social workers, and community leaders across Tennessee say his programs have changed lives. One principal described a student who met Keith at camp and found hope again after years of emotional struggle. “You could see her come back to life,” the principal said. “He gave her something to believe in.”
Keith understands that not every wound is visible. “Some people wear their scars on the inside,” he often says. “I wear mine both inside and out.” For him, his face tells a story—not of pain, but of perseverance. He is living proof that hardship can be transformed into healing.
Forgiveness has also been part of his journey. Though he knows where the man who hurt him lives, Keith has chosen not to confront him. “Forgiveness isn’t about excusing someone,” he explains. “It’s about freeing yourself from the past.” His relationship with his mother is complicated but ongoing. Through everything, he’s chosen compassion over resentment.
Keith later shared his full story in a book titled Scars: Leaving Pain in the Past. It’s not a self-help manual—it’s an honest reflection of survival and recovery. His goal was to let others know they’re not alone, and that healing is possible no matter how broken life once seemed.
Today, Keith speaks at schools, community centers, and conferences, encouraging others to find strength in their own stories. When a foster child receives one of his foundation’s backpacks, they’re getting more than supplies—they’re being reminded that someone believes in them. When a teenager at Camp Confidence opens up for the first time, Keith listens, not as a hero, but as someone who understands.
He often says he doesn’t want to be anyone’s savior. “I just want to be proof that healing is real,” he says. “You can’t choose what happened to you, but you can choose what happens next.”
Keith Edmonds has done exactly that. The child who once nearly lost his life now helps others find theirs. The man who once drowned his pain in alcohol now pours hope into the lives of children. His scars, once a symbol of suffering, have become marks of victory.
Every time a young person finds their confidence again, or a survivor chooses to keep going, Keith’s story lives on—quietly, powerfully, and with purpose.
Because healing doesn’t erase the past—it transforms it.