By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Pam Lewis, President of Fostering Possibilities in Grayson, explained why a boutique that helps foster children is so important.
“When foster children are removed from the home, oftentimes all they have is what they are wearing at the time,” Lewis said.
That, she said, is when her organization steps in.
“The caseworker calls us, and we provide them with the essentials to get them through the night.”
But, Lewis said, Fostering Possibilities doesn’t stop at just the emergency needs.
“Then we make an appointment for them to come in the next day to the boutique, and they shop with a volunteer from the community.”
The child receives five new outfits, hygiene items, and if the child is an infant they get diapers and formula.
“Depending upon the age of the child, they get whatever resources they need,” Lewis said.
Fostering Possibilities does not help with housing, but they do help with other items that might be needed beyond the clothing and essentials, Lewis said.
“Sometimes if the child is in kinship care, like when they go live with a grandmother or an aunt or uncle, then we can help with bedding if they don’t have an extra bed.”
Lewis also said there are other organizations that are helpful during that process.
“We have met a lot of people from different organizations,” Lewis said. “And sometimes we can connect with each other. It might be the school resource office or other organizations. If we have a surplus, we give it to them and if they have a surplus they share it with us. It’s kind of like a network dedicated to helping these children.”
Fostering Possibilities also helps with ongoing support, allowing foster children to shop each season. They also support the community at large, such as with their coat drive that is available to everyone in the community, and not just foster children. The coat drive will be held on Wednesday, December 17 from 4:30 to 6 pm at East Carter Middle School in Grayson, Kentucky.
“We made a connection with UPS in Lexington,” Lewis said. “And they gave us 75 to 100 coats. We take care of our foster kids, then the rest we pass on to the community.”
The coats, Lewis said, are 100 percent free.
Lewis said Fostering Possibilities accepts donations of new items to help provide for foster children. The reason this is part of the organization’s guidelines is that most of the children being helped are wearing ‘hand-me-down’ clothes and shoes and have never had new clothes.
“(Some of them) have never had new anything,” Lewis said. “And it is really important to us that they get to choose their clothing. When they come into the store we make sure that we have at least 8 to 10 choices in their size because they may have never got to choose for themselves.”
“Most of the time when we ask what shoe size they are, they will say something like ‘whatever you have, and I’ll make it work’,” Lewis said. “They do that because that is what they have always had to do.”
Lewis said the items that are always needed are shoes, socks, underwear, and pajamas (tops and bottoms) if someone would like to donate these new. Monetary donations can be accepted through their Facebook page, or interested parties can pledge a donation on their website at fosteringpossibilitiesboutique.com, or board members can be contacted directly. Or those interested can stop by the boutique itself at 310 South Carol Malone Boulevard.
Fostering Possibilities serves Boyd, Carter, Elliot, Greenup, Lawrence, Lewis, and Morgan Counties. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
