Thu 10/25 @ 6PM
On Thu 10/25, Fostering Hope will be hosting its 3rd annual Fostering Hops benefit. The event will coincide with the first opening phase of the Van Aken District (3341 Tuttle Rd), a mixed-use lifestyle destination in Shaker Heights. Attendees will be served delicious beer from Sibling Revelry Brewing by guest bartenders. There’ll be a silent auction, food trucks and a graffiti artist. Live DJs will be on the scene, including local youth talent and special appearance by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ DJ Floss. Apparel and footwear retailer Xhibition will feature a VIP area with a DJ experience.
“Thanks to the generosity of Sibling Revelry Brewing, our last two events have been held inside the Sibling Revelry taproom in Westlake. But we’ve outgrown their space,” exudes Nicole Shefrin, executive director of Fostering Hope. “This year, with the help of Xhibition, we’re taking the party into the streets of the new Van Aken District.”
This annual fundraiser supports Fostering Hope’s mission of enriching the lives of children living in foster care and residential treatment, by providing unique experiences and giving the community opportunities to profoundly impact a child’s life. This year, Fostering Hope is expecting to serve over 1,000 children through programming centered on childhood experiences, heath & wellness and community involvement. These programs include Hope in Balance, Holiday Gift’n Greet, Hope Grows Here and Footpath to Hope.
“We are grateful for the ability to continually share our mission and increase awareness of the challenges local foster youth face,” says Nicole. “Foster youth are the invisible victims in our society. Raising awareness in our community is vital for change.”
Since 2013, the number of children in foster care in Cuyahoga County is up 43%, with issues such as the opioid crisis contributing to the increase. “These awesome, amazing kids end up in the foster care system through no fault of their own,” Nicole explains. “We aim to be the bright spot in their day, to make sure they can still experience the fundamental joys of childhood through some of the toughest times of their lives.”
“This fundraiser allows Fostering Hope to impact the lives over 1,000 foster youth here in Cuyahoga County every year. For example, our Journey Bag program ensures children in foster care have luggage and not trash bags as they move through the foster care system,” continues Nicole. “We fill these bags with comfort items and necessary toiletries. Through Journey Bags we send a message to foster youth that they matter and they aren’t trash.”
Tickets can be purchases here.
[By Kendall Embrescia-Hridel]