Dear Fostering Connections Supporters,
I hope you are having a great start to the 2023 year!
January went by quickly. We celebrated the 2022 year with our annual New Years Board Retreat and recognized board members for their leadership and support. I am so thankful for the leadership of our board of directors and all they do to support Fostering Connections.
I spent time making my vision board and setting goals for the year. My personal word of the year is connection; building new relationships and strengthening existing ones. Our team has been working to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones to grow our reach and impact in the Northeast Florida community.
The Fostering Connections 2023-2024 Strategic Plan has been launched. 2023 programming begins this month. This year, we will be continuing to grow our existing educational programs and add new programming.
We are so excited to launch a second monthly Foster/Adoptive Family Meet Up for St. Johns/Jacksonville Foster/Adoptive Families and quarterly Teen Talk events. Both the Foster/Adoptive Family Meet Ups and Teen Talks are opportunities for youth and their families to connect and build relationships through shared experiences.
Career Readiness Academy registration opens in February. Read more in our newsletter updates.
Night of the Arts, our largest fundraiser of the year, is on May 13! General ticket sales are live and silent auction will go live this month. Stay tuned for sponsor spotlights. All proceeds support our educational programs and enrichment grants. We look forward to seeing all of our supporters there!
What's your word of the year? Do you have a goal this year to support youth impacted by foster care or trauma by giving through philanthropy or volunteerism? Let's meet for coffee to see how we can partner together this year to meet your goals of community giving. I look forward to connecting with you soon.
Kind Regards,
Aubrie Simpson-Gotham
Founder & CEO