The Shins Share Their Foster Journey
Natalie has always been passionate about helping kids. She first became involved with Boys & Girls Aid as a sponsor for our first annual Hops ‘n’ Scotch event in 2016. It was at this event that Natalie knew she wanted to do more. Natalie is now a member of our Board of Ambassadors and an amazing foster parent along with her husband. She decided to share their story with us.
As a little girl I dreamt of owning or running a foster care agency someday. But as life should have it, that wasn’t the direction it took me. Even then, my heart was always drawn to helping those less fortunate. My first experience with Boys and Girls Aid was attending their annual Hops ‘n Scotch event in 2016. This was exactly the type of organization I was looking for and was quickly drawn to their mission to support and help kids find their forever home.
After volunteering for several months and attending other events, I reached back out to the staff because I wanted to do more. I was introduced to a now former Board of Ambassadors Chair and was quickly welcomed to serve on their team. It has been an honor giving financially as well as firsthand sharing their mission and the stories of so many that have been changed with my community. But after a year and a half, I still felt like it wasn’t enough.
“What are we doing to help them be the best they can be?”
My husband and I met serving the homeless under the Burnside Bridge. We adopted our dog when he had no home. It was only fitting to open our hearts to an alternative option when we were unable to have kids of our own. We attended a Foster Talk, held by Boys & Girls Aid, to learn more information. By January of 2019, interviews and training classes were under way to become foster parents. Within five months, we got the seal of approval! We were able to do some weekend relief care for other foster families while we were waiting for our placement. This is a great way to go if you can’t commit to full time care, for anyone considering it.
Then the day came when we got the call. He was about to age out of the system, at risk of becoming another statistic. But Boys and Girls Aid’s determination and relationship with DHS gave him a fighting chance. Instead of starting his Senior year looking for a place to live on a seasonal job’s income (or worse, homeless), he came into our home with a huge smile on his face (literally jumping up and down in the street as I pulled up to get him). There are days that are challenging for sure! But we see every day as a gift to give him; to inundate his life with acceptance, love, and hope. All things he has been lacking for far too long. It still makes my heart swell every time he calls me “mom”. We have only had our son for 4 months but our lives are forever changed in the best way possible.
So many people thank me for what we are doing, but it is my hope that with my story, people realize that they, too, are just as capable. Boys and Girls Aid is so supportive. They give you all the tools you need to succeed, and a whole community to do life with. There are so many kids that need a safe home, loving parent(s) and the fighting chance at life. It might mean you have to adjust some things, but knowing the long-term impact you could have on a child’s life is all worth it! These children will one day grow up and have a lasting impact on our communities and our world. What are we doing to help them be the best they can be?
Support Children in Foster Care
Twenty Years of Caring for Children in Foster Care