When a child is placed with a foster family, there may be little time to prepare. A new foster parent might only have hours to gather clothes, diapers, toiletries, and other essentials for a child arriving in their home.
That’s where Foster the Love Louisiana comes in.
For more than a decade, the organization has helped foster families get the things they need to care for children from the moment they arrive. Its 4,000-square-foot headquarters in Broussard is filled with clothing, first-night items, car seats, swings, and other necessities. But for foster families in St. Mary Parish, the drive to Broussard can be a long one when a child could arrive within hours.
Now, those families have another option.
Foster the Love recently opened its newest pop-up foster closet at Lighthouse Community Church in Berwick, bringing more resources closer to the families who need them. A $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Acadiana’s Affiliate Grant Program helped make the new closet possible.
“With this pop-up closet, our foster parents are able to come and get resources a lot more quickly on the day of without having to travel to Broussard to get those items,” said Foster the Love Executive Director Heather Meylian. “So, we are just so thankful for the community that stepped up and rallied behind us.”
Operated by Closet Manager Donnel Hill, the Berwick closet is packed with bins of clothing sorted by size and gender, along with toiletries, diapers, and other essentials foster parents may need to prepare for a new child.
For a child who arrives with little or nothing of their own, those supplies can mean more than having a change of clothes or a package of diapers waiting. They are a tangible reminder that people in their community are ready to care for them.
“This is impactful not only for the children who come in with nothing. Now they see the community is going to care for them and is building a village for foster families,” Meylian said.
The Affiliate Grants Program is supported by individuals, families, and businesses who have contributed endowment funds to CFA and believe in creating lasting local change. The program provides grants of up to $5,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations serving Evangeline, Iberia, St. Landry, and Vermilion parishes.
Foster the Love Louisiana is entirely community-supported and serves foster families across eight parishes, from Evangeline to St. Mary. Those who want to help build that village can learn more, donate, or find other ways to support the organization through the Foster the Love Louisiana website.
About Community Foundation of Acadiana
CFA is one of South Louisiana’s premier philanthropic organizations benefiting our region, with a focus on the parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Vermilion. CFA’s core purpose is to build legacies and improve communities by connecting generous people to the causes they care about. Since its inception in 2000, CFA has realized cumulative gifts exceeding $431 million and has made cumulative grants of more than $256 million. You can learn more at www.cfacadiana.org.