Tuscaloosa Angels

Tuscaloosa Angels supports foster families and foster youth in multiple ways. Expert foster care volunteers are matched with foster families through the organization’s Love Box program. One foster family, the Smiths—who, along with their biological children, have opened their home to many foster and adopted children—found they needed extra support when they welcomed a foster child with special needs. The Smiths hadn’t fostered a child with these types of needs before and found they needed more help than usual.Photo collage of two children holding boxes. Their Love Box volunteer, who happened to be a speech therapist, stepped in to assist the child with speech and language development. She also provided in-home care services once per week, granting the Smith family needed respite. “Mrs. Smith told us they’d considered no longer fostering because it’d been such a hard year,” said Lauren Hurn, executive director. “But the fact they had that volunteer who had such a bond with the child and provided so much support allowed them to continue as a foster family.” Dare to Dream: Nurturing brighter futures Dare to Dream, another program offered by Tuscaloosa Angels, recognizes the unique challenges faced by foster youth and pairs them with a one-on-one mentor. Mentors and mentees meet every other week to set goals and work toward a fulfilling future by addressing practical and emotional needs. Fundraiser gifts free up dollars Tuscaloosa Angels holds a fundraiser golf tournament each year. Hurn wanted to provide participants with swag bags, and although the organization received many donated items from sponsors, it was still in need of bags to hold the items. Thanks to a 4imprint one by one grant, Hurn was able to order tote bags plus pens to slip inside. “Our organization is 100% funded by donations and fundraising. We don’t receive any government money,” Hurn said. “Using the grant for the bags and pens freed up other dollars to stay with programs like Love Box and Dare to Dream.”

For more information about Tuscaloosa Angels, please visit https://www.tuscaloosaangels.org/ opens in new window