Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York (Little Flower) hosted their first-ever FOSTERING HOPE virtual fundraiser on Thursday, April 29 via Zoom.
Together with their guests, Little Flower raised over $70,000 to support their programs and services for children in foster care and people with developmental disabilities.
Little Flower recognized inaugural Youth Ambassadors of Hope, Kailey Perkins and Laura Lee, of the Young Entrepreneurs Scholars. Kailey and Laura were recognized for their work with the youth in the residential treatment center on Little Flower’s Wading River campus. Kailey and Laura conducted virtual entrepreneur workshops with the children, teaching them the basics of launching and running a business using a bakeshop theme.
The event, sponsored in part by DIME Bank and Fluent, Inc., and in collaboration with Together We Rise, included a design activity in which guests used design kits that were delivered to them before the event, to create images of hope and inspiration on panels that will be attached to duffle bags. The bags, filled with comfort items and necessities, will be distributed to Little Flower’s foster children and residents.
Guests also heard from Little Flower alumni, staff, and youth currently in care. A Little Flower youth in foster care shared that focusing on her future gives her hope, “hope for channeling my inner strength and achieving success.”
“It is because of this caring and inspiring community that we can continue to offer innovative programs and services to our children, families, and residents and instill hope for a brighter tomorrow. I am touched by the support they’ve shown us tonight. I look forward to seeing the joy on the faces of our kids and residents when they receive the inspirational bags,” said Corinne Hammons, Little Flower’s President & CEO.