Style Magazine - May 2022

GIVING BACK
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
There were 58,072 California children
in foster care last year who were in dire
need of proper nutrition, shelter, and
protection. Non-profit organizations like
these, help eliminate barriers for loving
families to fill those needs.
There are so many ways to get involved
if you want to support these great
organizations. No matter your time,
availability or resources, there’s a way
for you to join the cause. From opening
your home to volunteering your time—
even donating financially—you can make
a difference. Here are just a few ways to
get involved:
FosterHope Sacramento hosts their first
annual “Run to Foster Hope” 5k Mara-
thon on May 15th, celebrating Foster
Care Awareness Month. You’re invited
to help bring awareness and support for
FosterHope’s programs and enjoy a fun
event—all at McKinley Park in midtown
Sacramento. There will be vendors, food
trucks, and kids’ activities. For more
information or to register, visit
fosterhopesac.org.
Koinonia Family Services hosts their
8th Annual Golf Tournament on May
6th at The Ridge Golf Club in Auburn.
100% of the proceeds benefit the foster
and adoptive children in Placer County.
There will be cocktails, lunch, dinner,
tee prizes, auctions, and awards. For
more information or to register, visit
kfh.org.
If you would like to donate your time,
FosterHope Sacramento welcomes
volunteers! Visit fosterhopesac.org/
support/volunteer to fill out the appli-
cation.
And, of course, the greatest need is for
loving homes to open their doors to fos-
ter children. If you would like to learn
more about fostering or adoption, all
of these organizations provide helpful
information and a plethora of resources.
Sierra Child & Family Services
(sierrachildandfamilyservices.org) have been
serving the children and families of Northern
California since 1988. They started out helping
foster boys with emotional disturbance but now
they’re a fully licensed adoption and foster
agency. They have seven locations throughout
Northern California and serve our region through
their Diamond Springs office. Sierra Child and
Family Services says they’re committed to the
mental and emotional health of those they
serve. They are an Early and Periodic Screening,
Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) provider
with outpatient mental health clinics. They also
provide individual, group, and family therapy
because they know how critical these services are
to creating healthy, supportive communities for
children and their families.
Koinonia means “fellowship” in Greek and
it refers to a committed, trustworthy, and
dependable relationship—this is the heart of
Koinonia Family Services (kfh.org),
headquartered in Loomis. Their story began
with one woman, Miriam Golden, fostering 37
children over the course of 16 years. After being
repeatedly prompted by county workers, she
decided to start a foster agency. Miriam’s heart
and dedication continue to inspire everything
Koinonia does 40 years later. Their mission is to
bring hope and healing to children, youth, and
families through meaningful relationships and
quality programs and services. Out of their 32
offices in 22 cities across California and Nevada,
they provide early intervention and prevention
services, foster placements, homes for teens,
adoption services, and short-term residential
therapeutic programs.
Families For Children, Inc.
(families4children.com) is a full-service, nonprofit
adoption and foster care resource agency
in Roseville. They assist in finding permanent
adoptive families for foster children and provide
caring short-term foster homes for children
temporarily removed from their biological
parents. They serve Northern California with
extensive services. To make adoption more
readily possible, they offer no-fee adoption from
foster care and adoption finalization without
an attorney. In addition, they facilitate training
and support on the adoption and foster journey
via 24-hour emergency services, therapeutic
treatment services, in-home support visits, and
training in parenting skills.
The Family Network, Inc.
(adopt-familynetwork.com) is a nonprofit,
licensed adoption agency in Roseville
whose staff of social workers and adoption
professionals are committed to helping families
through every step of the adoption process.
Founded by Luke and Georgia Leonard, the
family’s personal experience with adoption
(they’ve adopted four children domestically
and internationally) proved challenging and
motivated them to form The Family Network,
Inc. in 1979. Since then, several thousand
children, both domestic and international,
have been placed with loving families locally
and throughout the U.S. Their services include
adoption home studies, relinquishment of
parental rights, Interstate Compact on the
Placement of Children (ICPC), post placement
reports, agency court work, and coordination
with placing agencies.
FosterHope Sacramento (fosterhopesac.
org) is a foster family agency serving the El
Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and
Yolo Counties since 1985. They recruit and certify
dependable, loving foster parents for thousands of
our region’s foster children. FosterHope facilitates
four foster care programs: Respite, Whole family,
Traditional, and Extended. Respite caregivers
provide short-term care to relieve current foster
families or see whether they’re ready to become
full-time foster parents. Whole Family Foster Care
supports teens and their babies with services.
Traditional foster care involves becoming a foster
parent or resource family for kids or teens waiting
for a permanent home. Finally, the Extended
program aims to help older foster youth learn job
skills, graduate high school, and move onto college
and careers. Through these segmented programs,
FosterHope reaches vulnerable community
members at every stage.
Photo © fizkes-stock.adobe.com.
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