Hope Lives in a Place to Call Home: April 22nd

More and more kids enter foster care each year, and the fear is that number will exponentially rise because of the pandemic, according to Kristen Smalley, vice president of philanthropy at Children’s Home Society of North Carolina.

“You may have seen food insecurity and other financial issues upfront at the beginning and throughout the pandemic, it’s been a more obvious challenge, but until children and families come out and people can actually interact with them, these are one of those things we won’t see until everyone is back out.”

Smalley explained why this year’s annual fundraiser, Hope Lives in a Place to Call Home, for CHS is more vital than ever.

Former WXII 12’s Wanda Starke is the emcee for the virtual night and the public is invited to attend and stream the event from the comfort of their home.

It’s one night designated to raise $1 million because right now CHS believes the world needs hope. More than 12,000 children are in need of a loving permanent home.

“I think once we have a chance to say, hey did you know about this and particularly people who have children or grandchildren, there is that moment when people think about how much it means for their family to have always been there for them and what a difference it makes in terms of a supportive life long, you can count on the family,” Smalley said. “Once we get the chance to share it, most people do respond.”

That response can come through giving or thinking about becoming taking the first step in becoming a foster parent.

Smalley said a big question CHS gets is how have the children been affected by this past year and what’s to come in the future, so the proceeds go toward groundbreaking programs for prevention- in North Carolina, recruiting and supporting new foster families in CHS.

The event is set for 7 p.m. April 22. Click here to register and learn more.

 

This originally aired on WXII, and we thank Audrey Biesk for the interview.

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