Latest news with #FosteringHope
West Australian
13-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Western Australian of the Year Award: Finalist Lorraine Lekias brings hope to lives of foster kids
A Perth woman whose boundless love for the children in her care inspired her to start a charity from her living room believes everyone can do their bit to foster hope and joy for kids in need. The sight of vulnerable children arriving for a foster care placement with only a few belongings stuffed in a plastic bag broke Lorraine Lekias' heart. So she started Fostering Hope Australia, which gathers new and donated clothing, nappies, bottles, cots and other items and provides them to children and families. 'Having been foster carers at that time for about 20 years, and having many children arrive to us — and they would come with nothing, a few belongings, nothing of their own — we realized that there was a huge need to help families who were having children arrive on their doorsteps, literally in the clothes that they were wearing and nothing else,' Ms Lekias said. 'It's grown exponentially — it's huge. It's gone from when we started in our home, and we were supporting friends, and then friends of friends. And then we went on to become an organised, registered charity, and it's just grown beyond our wildest imagination. 'I think we have 18,000 community members on our Facebook page, and over 1100 families that we support on our foster carer page.' Ms Lekias, who still has four foster children at home aged from six to 17, said she was 'really stunned, but deeply honoured' to be selected as a finalist for the Alcoa Community Award in the Western Australian of the Year Awards. Being named a finalist was not about recognition for her as a person, she said, but for a whole community of carers, children and volunteers. At a time when many families are struggling financially, even with two parents working, Ms Lekias said foster carers were increasingly harder to find. 'It's difficult to be able to open your hearts and homes to other children, but that's where we like to bring in the donating, volunteering — that's all playing a role,' she said. 'I believe you don't need to have a child in your home to be a foster carer. You can support a fostering family, and that's foster caring.' Fostering Hope, which now operates from purpose-built premises supported by Telethon, provides a 'store', where foster carers or grandparent carers can select clothes, toys, books, car seats or prams at no cost. Not content to stop at one program, Ms Lekias also founded Fostering Joy, to provide kids with picnics, movie days, a car rally and annual Christmas events. 'We realised that 'fostering hope' was a wonderful thing, but to 'foster joy' is what brings the laughter, the light and a sense of normality into the children's lives,' she said. A third program, Fostering Journey, provides children with their own new suitcase or sports bag to keep. The two other finalists for the Alcoa Community Award are Wheelchairs for Kids Australia founder Brother Olly Pickett and M'Liss Henry, who founded Claremont Therapeutic Riding Centre to support people with disabilities. There are 21 finalists across seven categories, with the winners of each category and overall winner to be announced at the Western Australian of the Year Awards on Thursday, May 29 at Crown Perth.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Volunteers restore homes for foster families in southwest Missouri
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Volunteers in southwest Missouri got up early to help families in the foster care community. 'Fostering Hope' held its first-ever work day, restoring the homes of two local foster families. Volunteers from the organization and the Missouri Southern football team got started at 9:00 a.m. Some volunteers picked up brushes and tape and got to painting one house got to landscaping, weed eating and clearing out brush and tree limbs from the fence line. For the second home project, the group refreshed the garden by adding flowers and vegetables. Diego Oliver, alongside his MSSU teammates, says they don't mind helping out others. 'I was raised in a home where, you know, we always try to put our best foot forward to help other people. So anytime I get an opportunity to volunteer or, you know, help my football team as an organization, like I said, it's just something exciting for me, in itself,' said Diego Oliver, MSSU football player. 'We have so many great families that step up and are willing to stand in the gap for vulnerable kids in our community. And so as Fostering Hope, we feel like it's our responsible to stand in the gap for those families and provide them support and resources. So we hope that today the families that we're serving really feel the love and support of their community,' said Joanna Holden, Fostering Hope program director. This work day isn't the only way Fostering Hope supports local foster families. The organization has also partnered with 'Both Hands' to fundraise for its 'Caring Closet'. The closet provides for year-round needs like clothes, toys, and Christmas gifts for children in the foster care system in southwest Missouri. Volunteers restore homes for foster families in southwest Missouri Sting with alleged predator leads to arrest of Webb City school employee Southwest Center marks 26th annual 'Celebration of Schools' event Webb City's Gibson Berendt shines in national free throw contest Hank Rotten Jr. memorial plans announced Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
