Foster care stopped being an abstract idea to me when it became personal.Watching my brother move through group homes showed me how easy it is for children in the system to feel unseen, not because people don’t care, but because so much is happening at once. I noticed how the smallest things mattered most: familiarity, comfort, and knowing someone had thought about him before he ever walked through the door.
Growing up with ADHD, I knew what it felt like to be overlooked in a room full of people. Seeing my brother experience that feeling on a much larger scale solidified something in me, no child should feel invisible during the hardest moments of their life.That belief is what led me to start Hope You Can Hold.
When a child enters foster care, they often leave their home with very little and step into an unfamiliar situation. Through Hope You Can Hold, I create “You Are Not Alone packets” filled with handwritten letters, coloring pages, and hand-sewn toys that are placed into children’s intake bags so they receive them on their very first night in care.These items may seem small, but to a child who feels overwhelmed or forgotten, they send a powerful message: You matter. You are seen. You are not alone.I partner with organizations like “The CALL” to help deliver these kits to children entering foster care and speak with students and community groups about kindness, inclusion, and noticing those who may feel overlooked. What began as a small idea has continued to grow, and Hope You Can Hold is currently in the process of becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing it to expand its reach across Arkansas.
As a teen in the Miss America Organization, service is more than something I do it’s something I live out. My goal is simple: to make sure no child feels forgotten during one of the most uncertain moments of their life.
Because sometimes, hope doesn’t come in big gestures. Sometimes, it’s something small you can hold.
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This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.
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