Many children in the foster care system only have a handful of belongings to take with them as they move from home to home. But Kathleen Ousey believes each of them deserves a gift they can cherish forever.
Kathleen is a mom living in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she’s on a mission to spread comfort and joy to foster kids through books.
As the new school year approached, Kathleen figured children living in foster homes could use new stories to explore. One of her friends is a foster mom who knows firsthand that books are often in short supply for these little ones.
“I have two children of my own, and we go through so many books a day,” Kathleen said. “We feel that is something that connects us as a family.”
That’s what inspired the moms and their friends to create EMpowerME Packs, which are filled with sets of books. Their goal is to give as many packs as possible to local foster children through Omni Inventive Care, KVC, and Cedars.
Having partnered with organizations across the country to do just that, their goal is looking more and more attainable every day!
“Books bring comfort, companionship, education, therapy, and escape… and they tell a child, ‘YES, you are worthy, smart, gifted, unique, and there is a whole world of opportunity waiting for YOU,'” they wrote.
So far, they’ve raised over $28,000 to fund their mission! After bringing in thousands on GoFundMe, their employer, Usborne Books & More, even agreed to match that amount at 50 percent!
While they have all the books they need for now, they’re still encouraging people to donate gently-used backpacks to hold them. Scheels, a sporting goods company, has also joined in with a generous gift card donation.
Kathleen and her friends are about to make so many kids happy! As they put it, “Great books can be a shortcut to a better life and encourage EVERY child to discover their greatest potential.”
Share this story to spread the word about this wonderful cause, and help Kathleen distribute more EMpowerME Packs by donating here or reaching out on Facebook.
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