A blue banner for National Foster Care Month. An illustrated hand with a heart in its palm is on the left. Text reads 'Find Your Something...'.

MAY IS NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH

May is National Foster Care Month! As part of New Hope's mission, we believe in bringing the love of Jesus to our neighbors. We are partnering with Project Belong, a faith-based foster care advocacy program, and their initiative called Don't Go Alone, which supports youth who are aging out of foster care and have not been adopted.

In Fairfax County’s high school class of 2026, there are 14 students in foster care who are graduating from high school without a permanent family. Project Belong, along with the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, is helping to host a graduation party for them over the summer.

We want to create a care package for each graduate, filled with gifts and supplies to help them as they get started in adult life. Many of these teens will be transitioning to independent housing and need basics to set up an apartment.

We can help them get settled in their own place and feel like they are not forgotten. Our goal is to collect $200 per care package, or $2,800 total. You can donate a share of the package or gather with a group of friends to sponsor a full package together. We accept donations in any amount, and every dollar goes towards the students!

FIND YOUR SOMETHING… 

Four ways to walk alongside foster families and youth aging out of care this month. 

A graphic with the word PRAY in white text and a black line drawing of praying hands on a bright blue background with circles.

PRAY

Pray for foster and adoptive families as they travel the long and difficult road to creating a family or helping a child reunify with their birth family. Pray for children in foster care to get the help they need by working in our hearts to provide care and community. Pray for parents who have been separated from their children. 

PRAYER PROMPTS
A graphic with the word MENTOR in white text on a blue background, next to a black line icon of a handshake that forms a heart shape.

MENTOR

Connect with Don’t Go Alone, the mentoring program at Project Belong for teens who aged out of foster care and need a supportive, committed adult to be a friend and guide. Contact Margaret Hoffer at dontgoalone@projectbelongva.org to learn more. Training is provided!

BECOME A MENTOR
A graphic on a blue background with the word VOLUNTEER in white, next to a line drawing of four hands clasped together symbolizing teamwork and community.

VOLUNTEER 

Thank you, New Hope! Because of your incredible willingness to serve, we now have enough volunteers to fully staff the graduation party celebrating foster youth graduating from high school. Your support will help make this event a meaningful and memorable celebration for these graduates as they reach an important milestone and prepare for their next chapter. 

The word GIVE in white text next to a line art icon of hands holding a heart with a dollar sign inside, on a bright blue background.

GIVE 

Thank you, New Hope! Your generosity allowed us to reach DOUBLE the amount of our fundraising goal! We will bless the students with gifts to help them move into their first apartments and support them as they begin college, career training, or work. Through your gifts, these resilient young men and women will know they are celebrated and recognized for their hard work to finish school. Thank you!