In 2013, our lives were forever changed when we decided to say yes to foster care. After being blessed with 4 biological children of our own we decided it was time to give back and help a child in need. Our first placement was a 5 month old beautiful baby girl. She captured our hearts the second we laid eyes on her. We have since adopted her and have close contact with her birth family. She is a true gift to many. Our second placement is where our foundation has been created from.
He was a 4 week old adorable baby boy who had been drug exposed in the womb. We brought him home from the hospital and instantly fell in love. Very quickly, we would meet his birth Mom. The person we met was honestly not what or who we were expecting. She was a beautiful, kind, loving, sweet girl who was so grateful for a family that would love her son while she was getting herself on the right path. And she did! For over a year, she went through intensive rehab and counseling. She wanted a better life for her and her son and she fought an addiction to find one. They often say, love wins and it did. The love of a mother who made a couple of poor choices (which we all have made in our lifetime) won against the odds that said she couldn’t.
There are tons of similar stories like this but you don’t hear of them nearly as much as you should because often times the bad over shadows the good. This foundations mission is for the good to overshadow the bad by delivering hope to families who need it. Just short of 2 years of having our little guy, he would start to transition home to his Mama. She established a great job and got her first apartment where her and her little man would soon call home. I asked her what she needed and we quickly realized everything. This was her first apartment. We quickly put up a Facebook status asking our friends and family if they had furniture, dishes, towels, anything that they would be willing to donate. Within a month, we were able to help her furnish, supply and decorate her 2 bedroom apartment. My heart swelled from all the generosity and love that was poured out to this family.
This got us thinking. How many other families in the foster care system could benefit from this same love and generosity during such a pivotal transition of re-establishing their family’s lives? And this is where Fostering Hope Together was born.
To date since our inception in December 2015, through our various programs, we have helped deliver hope and resources to over 1,000 youth & families involved in foster care. We could never do this mission alone but TOGETHER we can continue to make an impact! Keep following us, keep joining us and keep believing with us!