GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — They say it takes a village to raise a child - and that saying rings especially true for foster parents. That’s why Green Bay non-profit Foster the Village aims to support foster families by providing them with basic essentials to help ease children's transition into foster care.
“Our mission is to brighten the lives of children that are in the Brown County Foster Care system by providing them with clothing and all of their basic needs when they enter care,” said President and Founder Cheri Salmon.
Aside from clothing, the organization also provides essentials such as car seats, cribs and Pack N' Plays. The non-profit collects clothing and shoes for children of all ages from newborn infants to age 18.
Salmon, who is also a foster parent, started the organization after struggling to get basic needs for two of her own foster children.
“Two little girls came to stay with me, they were five and seven, and they came with nothing," Salmon said. "It was February and they needed all of their school supplies, snow gear, boots, two pairs of tennis shoes for school. There’s just so many things you need to do when kids are placed with you.”
While foster parents receive a monthly stipend through the county, all of those basic needs can still be difficult to afford. Salmon thought that getting everything a child needs when they're placed in foster care shouldn't have to be a burden.
“There are so many other things you need to do to help kids safe and comfortable in your home that I really thought why isn’t there a location where foster parents can go to to get items for free?” Salmon said.
Vickie Schiefelbein has been a foster parent for 15 years and has taken in around 50 children. She says it’s not uncommon for children to enter foster care with nothing more than the clothes on their back.
“We have actually taken in kids that literally have not had shoes on their feet," Schiefelbein said. "And I'm not talking little kids I’m talking older kids that don’t have shoes on their feet. They usually just come with what’s on their back so they’re always in need of clothing.”
Schiefelbein says she frequently uses Foster the Village to pick up items for the children she takes in. Since many children have very little when they enter foster care, she says it boosts their confidence to have new clothing of their own.
“We use Foster the Village all the time to get the basic needs for all the kids that we have and all the kids that we have love it too because they’re actually able to come down here and actually pick out the stuff themselves,” Schiefelbein said.
The majority of the closet is stocked with clothing and items that are donated by the community. Salmon says financial donations also allow the non-profit to purchase specific items that a child might need.
“I had one teen girl that came in and she wanted to be on the track team and she had a certain pair of tennis shoes she wanted and so I ordered them," Salmon said. "That’s one of the things we can do with the financial donations is order those special things that really mean a lot for the kids.”
Foster the Village not only boosts foster children’s self esteem but also helps ease their transition into foster care by letting them know they’re not alone. Salmon says the non-profit has created a community of support for children in foster care and foster parents alike.
“Kids get to see other kids that are in care and it makes them feel better as well that they’re not alone and they’re in care through no fault of their own," Salmon said. "The foster parents get to talk to the other foster parents and just ask questions and help each other out and be a support for each other.”
Give BIG Green Bay is taking place from noon February 23rd to noon February 24th. You can donate to Foster the Village on their Give BIG Green Bay page and on their website.
