By Emily Jenkins, Staff Writer
“There's always going to be kids in need, and you just want to do more. You just realize there's always going to be kids in the foster community who need help,” said Ashlyn Cooper, work study intern at Foster Love Bell County.
Just across North Main Street from the UMHB campus, Foster Love Bell County offers students volunteer and internship opportunities to serve children from newborns to 18-year-olds, families and caseworkers involved with the foster care system.
This past year at Foster Love, Sariah Winkler, the community coordinator and licensed master social worker, listed the following accomplishments:
555 children received Love Closet items
73 children received gift cards
249 children received summer Goodness Bags
235 children received Cozy Bags
133 children spent the night at the Foster Love House
161 children received Celebration Boxes
Estimated 1400 children were assisted
Winkler explained that Foster Love is a nonprofit organization and is completely funded by the community. Foster Love created #everyonecandosomething hashtag to show their belief that anyone in the community can help the Foster Care community.
Carriss Rollman, work study intern at Foster Love Bell County, addressed college students, “There's ways that you can use your gifts and your specific skill set and use them here. We love a nice, diverse skill set. I think it's great to have students come. If you come, come and find something that you can commit to and be fully here for. It's great, because of the community that you get to be plugged into.”
Rollman also recommended that college students wanting to serve at Foster Love become event volunteers to help when available at Foster Love’s events as needed. College students may also offer support through prayer with Foster Love Prays.
Winkler described the different kinds of volunteers that give their time by coming two hours a week to reset the Foster Love House, coming to events as needed or making meals for their support groups.
Additionally, Rollman offered, “If you want a more specific way to volunteer, you can always donate to our Love Closet or Celebration Box.”
Love Closet is one way Foster Love offers needed items to the foster community. Winkler explained that caseworkers have access to the Love Closet form to request items such as diapers, wipes, pajamas, toiletry items, and safety items for their clients."
Rollman explained “What we need right now will be on our website under the Give tab, where it'll link to our Urgent needs list."
Celebration Boxes for reunifications, adoptions, graduations and birthdays include party supplies, like cups, plates, napkins, and decorations, Bibles, toys, gifts, picture frames, and cake or cake kits. The Celebration Box is themed for the recipient. Some of Rollman and Winkler’s favorite themes were Wild One and superhero themes.
In addition to the Love Closet and Celebration Boxes, Goodness Bags bring the community together as part of the seasonal Goodness Project. The Cozy Bags for the winter include coats, clothes, Bibles, beanies and other winter items. The Summer Goodness Bags include swimsuits, sunscreen, flip-flops, and essential summer items.
College students may also help at Foster Love Bell County through paid and unpaid internships. Rollman, Social Work sophomore at UMHB, and Cooper, Psychology senior and fellow Crusader, both work at Foster Love through the work study program.
“We get experience, but also we can still help here at Foster Love,” Cooper said.
To learn more about Foster Love’s volunteer opportunities visit: https://www.fosterlovebellcounty.org/volunteersandinterns
