Finding New Ways To Offer Help and Hope

Written by FrameWorks Program Director, Rachel Kinder

Originally posted in Charleston Gazette. To view that article, click here.

FrameWorks Program Director, Rachel Kinder

As our agency closes out 2021, we have two areas of focus:  appreciation for all the help we receive at the end of the year and planning for the coming year ahead. 

Our agency is funded through federal, state and private foundation grants, as well as by community donors.  The holiday season is the time when it is most visibly demonstrated the difference between the bare necessities provided by DHHR and the individual needs met by the community, for kids in care.  Every year before Christmas we assemble wish lists for the children that we work with in anticipation of the many community members, businesses and groups will reach out and ask to fulfill Christmas gift lists.  While DHHR provides the minimum for kids in their care, there are not always funds for the special items that dominate the thoughts of a child anticipating Christmas. This year our donors fulfilled so many special requests:  dolls and spicy snacks for an 11 year old girl, top-quality art pens for a teen boy, lego sets, tennis shoes, roller skates, Nintendo games and Christmas stockings filled to the top were all gifts that went in and out of our office prior to the holidays.

We make sure to pause at the end of the year, after all the gifts have been delivered throughout the state, to thank and acknowledge the generous donors who have it on their hearts to provide normal childhood experience to all children, in spite of their status in foster care. 

Looking ahead to 2022, we are excited about new programming and projects.  Our agency has worked with children in foster care for over two decades.  Some work, like foster parent recruitment and finding families to adopt waiting children, has been ongoing throughout this time.  Other projects and programs are newer and the result of new funders or individuals who donate.  The best part about working for a non-profit that works adjacent to the foster care system is our ability to identify service gaps and meet unmet needs.  Plans for new programming in 2022 include: 

The expansion of our Bridge program:  The Bridge program has worked in Clay County for 6 years, providing academic mentoring and educational support for teens in foster or relative care.  We have a 100% success rate of our students graduating high school and pursuing post-secondary education, job training or employment.   In 2022 the program will expand to 2 additional counties and will reach over 200 students in multiple high schools with one on one mentoring and advocacy.

Outreach to individuals who have aged out of the foster care system  A recent private donation will allow us to expand some activities to individuals who age out of the foster care system.  Our work and the populations we serve is a constant reminder that the need for guidance or assistance doesn’t end at the age or 18 or when a student attends college.  We will be pairing mentorship with financial assistance for those individuals who “age out” of our programming but would still benefit from services and relationships with our agency and staff.   

G.L.A.M. Gala:  G.L.A.M. Gala is an annual charity event hosted by Moms on a Mission, a group of volunteer moms in the Putnam County area. The group hosts an annual ladies’ night out with proceeds benefitting families and children served by Mission West Virginia. This event allows us the freedom of unrestricted funds to address unmet needs in our populations served.  Most funds are used to promote normalcy for children and teens in foster care as well as essentials for relative and kinship families.  In 2021 funds were used for birthday and Christmas gifts, athletic equipment for team sports, emergency food and baby supplies and so many other items that could not be funded through other sources.  An agency favorite is bed in a bag sets for children newly placed with relatives, each set is matched to the child’s specific interests, whether it be princesses for a 5 year old or a specific color scheme for a teenager. 

The 2022 G.L.A.M. Gala is being held at Valley Park Conference Center in Hurricane, WV, from 6:30pm to 11:30pm on Friday, February 11th, 2022.

Community Events:  After almost 2 years of virtual meetings and postponed events, we are optimistic that foster care month will be observed in person in May.  In 2022 we are hopeful for public recruitment events, in-person foster parent training and non-virtual collaboration between foster care agencies across the state. 

To be a part of the foster care community, as a volunteer or foster parent, visit www.missionwv.org/request-information, email fosteradopt@missionwv.org or call 304-512-0555.