Fall 2017 at The Hope Center
Teaching life skills, expanding parenting programs, and adding new partners
September/October Updates
Connecting Young People Aging Out of Foster Care With the Support and Resources They Need for a Successful Transition to Adulthood
Dear Friends,

We hope you are enjoying the changing colors and cooler temperatures that fall has to offer. Much has been written about the positive value of gratitude, taking stock of the myriad opportunities, experiences and people that brighten our days. Gifts, large and small, surround us: the promise of a sunrise, the shelter of home, the joy of children, the support of friends and family, the collegiality of those with whom we work, the wisdom of those who cross our paths, the unexpected delight of reconnecting with old acquaintances, the comfort of pets and the magnificence of a sunset, to name a few.   

As Thanksgiving approaches, it is a good time to pause and recognize how fortunate we are to do this work and to have the help and support of so many people to carry out our mission. We marvel at the resilience and courage of the young people who come through our doors and ask us to walk beside them on their journey toward adulthood. We are grateful to our volunteers, donors, and collaborative partners who work with us to help these young people. Without all of you, the work of The Hope Center would not be possible. Thank you.

Warmly,

Jennifer Weiss
Executive Director

Life Skills Group

Our Wednesday Life Skills Group is back in full swing and better than ever!  Our young people are enjoying the new format, which includes starting each week's group with some movement, meditation or music and incorporating art into the topic for the week. 

This time is an opportunity for our Transition Specialists to offer guidance and advice on conquering some of the barriers that can make it difficult for young people to find and maintain stable housing, jobs, or positive physical and mental well-being. This fall, we've offered programming on creating and maintaining healthy relationships, Funny Tummy Feelings child abuse prevention, and disease prevention.  Among other topics, we are looking forward to bringing in a couponing expert who will help our young people learn savvy and creative ways to make every dollar count. 

We are so grateful to all of the volunteers who have provided nutritious meals for these sessions! If you would like to donate a nutritious meal for us to serve to attendees, please click here for details. 

New Partner: 
Diaper Bank of North Carolina

The Hope Center is now a community partner of the Diaper Bank of North Carolina.  Through this partnership, we can now provide diapers to our clients who are parenting young children.  Diapers can cost over $50 per month and are not covered by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal safety net programs that help families in need.  This new partnership with the Diaper Bank of North Carolina means that our young people will not have to choose between providing diapers to their young children or putting food on the table.  We are grateful for this new resource and the relief it brings to these young families.
Mac & Cheese Throwdown:  
Oh, What a Night! 

We can't thank Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar enough for hosting a fun-filled, delicious Mac & Cheese Throwdown where we had the opportunity to highlight the strides our young people are making and the work we do to support them. Between the silent auction, Mac & Cheese tasting, and live music by 40Love, there was something for everyone to enjoy!

We gratefully received OVER $6,000 in donations from the event and are looking forward to using these funds to continue our work connecting young people aging out of foster care with the support and resources they need for a successful transition to adulthood. 

If you missed this year's event, don't worry!  Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 16, 2018 to join us for the third annual Mac & Cheese Throwdown and Showdown for Hope!
Welcome Jadie!

We are thrilled to have Jadie Baldwin-Hamm join our team as the SAFEchild Parenting Coordinator.  This newly created position will expand the programming and services that we currently offer through our Fostering Family Success program, which seeks to break the cycle of inter-generational abuse, neglect and poverty by providing support to young people with a history in foster care who are parenting children ages 0-8. 

Jadie brings a wealth of experience parenting children, including foster children, and has an MSW.  She jumped in with both feet, helping to lead our Wednesday Life Skills group on her first day and has begun recruiting volunteer parenting mentors. In this pilot program, seasoned parents will provide additional support and guidance to young parents in the areas of positive parenting, nurturing relationships, and the life skills necessary to maintain safe, thriving homes.  If you are interested in learning more about how to become a volunteer parenting mentor, please contact Jadie at JBaldwin-Hamm@safechildnc.org.
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