On any given day, an estimated 428,000 children are in foster care in the US. Each year, nearly 30,000 children age out of the foster care system with no permanent home or familial support to turn to. May is National Foster Care Month, a national movement dedicated to ensuring bright futures for foster youth and celebrating those who make a meaningful difference in their lives. For the second year in a row, Beyond, in alliance with its beneficiary Give Back, is honoring National Foster Care Month, to help raise awareness about the important cause.
One scholarship recipient is Give Back scholar, Tim. Before he was born, Tim’s parents perpetually faced issues in their relationship that only became worse during Tim’s childhood. Eventually, they were unable to care for him and he was removed from their home. Now, with the opportunities Give Back has brought to him, Tim hopes to pursue a career as a stockbroker.
“I’ve been given a new chance on my future, one that I would not have anything close to without Give Back,” Tim said. “It gave me a chance to show the person I am.”
The Give Back program is vital for foster teens like Tim, who otherwise may never have the opportunity to receive a college degree. In 2018 alone, 57 percent of Give Back’s selected scholars had experienced foster care, homelessness, or the incarceration of a parent. Beyond is proud to help Give Back provide disadvantaged youth the chance to transform their futures as first-generation college graduates.
The Give Back and Beyond teams are proud to participate in the annual observance of National Foster Care Month, with the intention of building awareness about foster care initiatives. It is a time to pay tribute to the dedicated parents, counselors, and law enforcement officials working to provide sustainable success for foster youth. Every partnership with Beyond fuels the hope and potential of Give Back scholars like Tim.
To learn more about how Beyond and Give Back are helping to impact the lives of students, visit giveback.ngo or check out Robert Carr’s new book, First Chance: How Kids With Nothing Can Change Everything.
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