2025: Gearing Up

In 2025, my hope is that each of us continue to move forward to make a positive difference, regardless of obstacles:

^ I've posted the beginning of this quote before - but I like the end part as well.

2025: Thinking Ahead

As we move forward as foster care youth and alumni advocates into this uncertain New Year, there are both challenges and opportunities ahead.

There will be times when it’s incredibly important to take a deep breath, focus on what we want to accomplish, and then keep moving forward, regardless of the wind on our faces or obstacles in our path.

I hope we take time to remember that we are not alone, nor powerless. We are strong. We are resilient (as children and teens, we didn’t have the choice NOT to be). We are visionary and determined. We see how things could be made better so clearly that the outcome is almost physically tangible in our minds and hearts.

There is warmth in our hearts in the midst of winter. We have weathered storms and stayed rooted to our goals. 2025 is a year that will require hope and determination. And we have both.

FosterHub Groundbreaking of Future Transitional Housing and Training Center

Link to more photos.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 marked the groundbreaking of FosterHub's future Transitional Housing and Training Center. Next will come the building demolition. Then the architect will get to work. The estimated date for residents to be able to move in is May 1, 2026.

Foster care alumna Michelle Mays has poured so much of her heart and time into this project. I was inspired by how much work happened behind the scenes in order to make yesterday's groundbreaking a reality. Governor DeWine had wanted to do something big for Appalachia. He dedicated funding for transformational projects, that needed to be locally driven, with the goal of having an immediate and lasting community impact.

The process of choosing which projects to fund was competitive:

• As a staff member from Nationwide Children's Hospital shared: "Making history is not easy."
• But, as a representative from the Appalachian Children Coaltion shared, choosing to support FosterHub was an easy decision: "Because this is more than a building; it's a promise - a beacon of hope and a model of what's possible." 
• Representatives from the Jewish and Christian faiths were there, and one of them quoted Jeremiah 29:11 regarding: "Plans to give you a future and a hope."

Second Lady Tina Husted is a champion of this initiative. During the event, she gave Michelle Mays a lovely painting that she had created of a bridge that Michelle had run to as a child. She shared that her husband was adopted, and that his biological father had recommended an abortion. She talked about how, while growing up, she was inspired by a foster parent named Mrs. Cory, and how her 12 foster youth had a good life because someone loved them. 

Belated Christmas With the Kiddos

Link to more photos. 

Along with some acrostics:

Excellent at making legos.

Demon Slayer fan.

Wants to go skating with Grandpa Nathan and Nana Lisa.

An amazing, caring and patient big brother. 

Really good at explaining how to play games, such as Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.

Dances with glow sticks.

Friendly and loving to other people. 

Really loves dancing and gymnastics.

Always kind to animals.

Nature lover like her mama.

Nail technician extraordinaire. 

Interested in sewing clothing.

Excellent at styling hair and making bracelets.

Willing to listen to Pirahnas Don’t Eat Bananas over and over again. 

Identifier of chickens and their personalities.

Loves telling silly knock knock jokes. 

Likes building. 

Interested in cooking, chemistry and crafts.

Able to read books to Nana Lisa.

Mixes up random ingredients to see what will happen sometimes.

Great at climbing.

Interested in helping make meals. 

Nature loving kiddo.

Not letting feeling sick keep her from smiling and having fun with her family. 

Interested in books, which makes Nana Lisa (the librarian) very happy.

Excellent at keeping up with her older siblings.

And the kiddos made this one:

Nice to everyone.

Apple colored lipstick

Necklace helper.

Amazing storyteller

Loving

Igloo person (because I'm of Swedish heritage and rarely feel cold)

Silly

Awesome 

Holding on to Hope

We do our work with vision. And we do our work with hope. 

We who are foster care advocates will have days of disappointment. We will weather waves of grief over those we have lost, and those we worry that we are losing. 

We will also have experiences that fill us with deep, fierce - and, in that moment, fearless - joy. 

There will be times when we are able:

• To witness a wrong that we experienced and be a force in that moment for making things better. 
• To empower the formerly voiceless and listen to the amazing and powerful things that they have to say, and the recommendations and solutions that they have to offer. 
• To help plan and facilitate impactful opportunities, and witness the synergy of bringing others together. 
• To see the smiles on their faces and feel the warmth of love fill our heart. 
• And so much more.

Let those moments imprint themselves upon your heart. Capture them in photographs. Hold them tight in your heart and remember them when a day seems dark and the world feels full of apathy. 

We - have - hope.

Belated Thanksgiving With The Kiddos

 Link to more photos.

Edward's birthday gift

Edward making LEGOs

Frannie and Carly

William: "I can chew my hair now!"

Ginny loving her ice cream.

The most beautiful, useful and timely gift I have received all year