Center of Belonging by Abigail

Center of Belonging by Abigail - February 2020 Scholarship Essay

If I were to start a nonprofit organization, it would benefit foster kids in communities across the United States. I have a passion for kids in general, especially for those in often difficult situations such as foster care. My goal in a nonprofit organization would be to help kids in foster care feel accepted and to help give them the resources that they need in order to succeed in life.
The majority of children in foster care have endured some type of tragic event – something happened to their parents or guardians and their family dynamic has completely changed. They could have been suffering their entire lives, or they could have recently endured the hardship that placed them in foster care. When in foster care, the children are typically placed in strange homes, causing even more distress for their young minds and emotions to process. This upheaval is a very difficult process, and it is important for the children in this situation to receive the help that they need.
My goal in this non-profit organization would be to provide the children the tools that they need to cope with their situations. The organization would facilitate regularly scheduled meetings for children in local foster care systems. At these events, the kids would have a chance to remove themselves from their situations for a little while, to go somewhere that doesn’t have reminders of everything that they have gone through. This would also be an opportunity for foster care kids to get to know other local kids in the same situation as they are in, showing them that they are not alone. There would be games and other activities, snacks, and craft workshops. At the events there would also be counselors and other advocates that would check in with the kids and ensure their emotional and spiritual welfare. I would want these events to be a place where the kids could feel safe, happy, and accepted.
In conclusion, my nonprofit event would benefit local kids in foster care through sponsoring events for them to attend. My goal in these events would be for the children to realize that they are not alone in their situation. It would be an opportunity for the kids to step away from their circumstance and have fun just being a kid. I have two second cousins who were placed in the foster system, later adopted by their foster parents, my cousin and her husband. This situation opened my eyes to the realities of foster care, and I fully believe that an organization such as this would greatly benefit the kids in the foster care system.