I
have recently made the huge move to Austin, TX! I was given the most incredible
opportunity to be the Program Director and Foster Parent for a pilot program,
Legacy House.
Legacy House provides young women
transitioning out of foster care a safe home environment where they are
supported physically, emotionally and spiritually, with the hope they will
achieve sustainable, personal, academic, and independent
living goals. These young women will work
towards completing high school, moving on to college or a technical school,
employment and then into safe, sustainable independent housing.
 |
| Empowering young women to unlock their own life legacies |
They
moved me here and I have hit the ground running since March 16th! I have been working closely with my Board Chairwomen
to get this program off the ground. These past two months have been filled with
developing mission, vision, logo, program goals and objectives, program
manuals, website, strategic planning, meeting possible girls, becoming a
licensed foster parent, setting up the home, etc. I am thrilled to be a part of
structuring this new, one of a kind, unique program for young women
transitioning out of foster care.
I
have realized that God has called me here to care for the orphan, just like he
did when I spent time in Uganda. Sometimes, they are in our own backyards. Through the years working at Tanager Place, I witnessed so
many young women in foster care bounce around in the system, never experiencing
permanency and ultimately walk away with no plan for the future, hopeless and
without meaning. Young women in foster care have all odds against them and
without someone taking their hand, believing in them and teaching them the
necessary life skills they become part
of the grim statistics of poverty, homelessness, sex trafficking, prostitution
and incarceration.
It was time to bridge the gap for
these young women! The gap—residential foster care to independent living—is a
crucial, transitional time for these young women. This is why Legacy House was
created! These young women can come live in a beautiful, residential
neighborhood…in a HOME! It is safe for us to say that this type of program has never
been done before with this type of collaboration and support!
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
I signed on for this position knowing that
there were no funds for salary, due to being a brand new Pilot Program. Being the Program Director and Foster Parent is more
than a full-time job. Not only am I living in the home with the girls,
investing in them, assisting them to achieve their goals and providing
emotional support; I am also working on program development, fundraising for
Legacy House, meeting partners and creating ways to sustain and grow this
program. Our hope and desire is that this program will be able to be replicated
many times over in the next couple of years.
I
am asking you, for this first Pilot Year, if you would come on board and be a
financial partner, supporting me as a full-time urban missionary for the orphan
right here in Texas!
I need to raise $25,000 for my
salary for this first year as I work to sustain this program. I am looking for
significant anchor partners ($2000-$5000) and monthly partners ($25, $50, $100).
Would you consider being a financial partner? All donations are tax-deductible
Your financial support will
communicate to these very special young women that we believe in them and are
for them.
·
29%
of the children exiting the foster system each year are in some way being
sexually exploited,
·
50%
of aged out foster teens will become homeless within the first year
·
3%
attain a college degree
Will you help me
help them?
Visit my personal support page from
the Legacy House website
·
Click on “Consider Supporting Kari”
·
Enter Credit Card Information
I hope that you decide to come with me on this wild, crazy, exciting journey!
Thank you and many blessings!
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