LET'S introduce ourselves

As we launch the Cleveland Connection blog, we wanted to introduce our organization to those who may be unfamiliar with who we are and what we do. 
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Cleveland Angels is the local chapter of a national nonprofit organization called National Angels, which was was created to support families and children experiencing foster care.⁠⠀
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We know that foster care is HARD - on the children who are placed in the system as a result of abuse/neglect at home, on the caregivers who open up their homes to them, and on the biological families being separated. We know that children in foster care are of the most vulnerable children in our population, and often fall victim to homelessness, human trafficking, incarceration, struggles with mental health, and more.⁠⠀

The National Angels organization started as volunteer groups throwing fun service events and extracurricular activities for children in foster care. Over time, support for foster care became less about the one-time activities and gifts (which still have their time and place)... and more about the real bonds that were forming. It was about the lives being changed as a result of community, consistency, and intentionality.⁠⠀
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What started as a single chapter in Austin, TX quickly grew into a national organization with chapters opening up in major cities like DFW, Cleveland, Seattle, Houston and more all across the country. These chapters are building communities of people that walk alongside foster families and youth in their normal, everyday lives. These communities are providing much needed wrap-around support - intentional gifts, healthy relationships, mentorship, resources, emergency support and more - for kids in foster care as well as families who care for them. ​

LOVE BOX PROGRAM

⁠The Love Box Program was created to provide our local foster care community with consistent, customized and holistic support. Our Love Box volunteers are everyday people from the Cleveland community, who are matched with foster families based on zip code and compatibility. These volunteers help meet practical, financial and emotional needs for the entire family.⁠⠀
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Our "Love Box" may LOOK like a traditional cardboard box, but this program is so much more than a box of stuff - it’s about relationships, connection and support.⁠⠀
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Depending on the family's needs, Love Box support could be a box filled with practical items like groceries, paper products, seasonal activities, special treats, etc. But Love Box support could also look like volunteers offering to babysit, tutoring or helping with homework, planning a child's birthday celebration, or even chipping in for a new washing machine (which has happened twice already!)⁠⠀
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And even in the midst of today's social distancing, our volunteers are still supporting their families through porch drop offs, grocery shopping, submitting online orders, sending activities for kiddos⁠, and communicating via Zoom, FaceTime, or texts.⠀
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You've heard us say that foster care is HARD. But we know that if we can wrap community support around foster families, we have a much better chance at ➡️ increasing the families' overall sense of normalcy ➡️ helping caregivers feel equipped to continue this hard work ➡️ establishing much-needed stability and relational permanency for children in foster care ➡️ steering them away from negative outcomes, and creating more opportunities for their health, happiness and thriving ✨⁠⠀

DARE TO DREAM PROGRAM

Youth who age out of the foster care system at 18 are often expected to be just as self-sufficient as their peers.⁠ But the absence of parental guidance and emotional support hinders the ability for any youth to flourish in the world -- and this is especially true for kids who have grown up in foster care.⁠⠀
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The constant lack of support and resources, combined with the multiple traumas these youth have experienced throughout their lives, greatly affects their success and well-being upon aging out.⁠ This is why youth in foster care are more likely than their peers to struggle with mental health, drop out of high school, not attend college, become homeless or incarcerated, or pregnant as a teenager.⁠

The heart of our Dare to Dream mentorship program is to walk alongside foster youth as they navigate life's challenges, by:⁠⠀
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• Offering advice, encouragement and wisdom⁠⠀
• Guiding through milestones & teaching life skills⁠⠀
• Becoming a trusted outlet and resource⁠⠀

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The goal is for youth to be engaged and to feel supported and equipped to navigate life during and after foster care. Our mentors are advocates, teachers, guides, role models, valued friends, and available resources.⁠

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Our waitlists have been growing rapidly, and there is a clear need for additional community support for our city's foster families and youth.⁠ Sign up to receive our emails and follow us on social media to stay in the loop about current needs and volunteer opportunities.

Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but everyone can play a role in this mission. And we hope you'll join us!