Foster Village Memphis, 2025 Growing the Village is Sweet campaign

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Joshua Conley, Executive Director of Foster Village Memphis, who highlights the nonprofit organization's mission, efforts, and impact. Foster Village Memphis, established in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2019, aims to support foster families and caregivers and those who want to help by meeting practical needs and providing resources and holistic support beyond the system. Joshua explains that the organization works to address the gap between children in need of foster care and the available homes, offering support to families and creating opportunities for community involvement. He highlights the organization's expansion across multiple counties and its initiatives, including support groups, Welcome Packs, meal deliveries, and advocacy events. Joshua also shares statistics on the number of children in foster care and the current home deficit, emphasizing the need for more foster and kinship families in the region. Joshua discusses the challenges and rewards of foster care. He shares personal experiences as a foster and adoptive parent, emphasizing the reciprocal benefits and the importance of supporting both foster children and their biological families. He introduces a campaign called "2025 Growing the Village is Sweet" and talks about the role of lemonade in this context, symbolizing turning lemons (difficult situations) into something positive through resilience and support. The campaign launched in June and runs until August 23rd, with proceeds supporting foster and adoptive families. He explains that the campaign aims to involve children in meaningful service activities, with various ways for individuals and organizations to get involved year-round, including drives for back-to-school items, Christmas events, mentoring, and packing Welcome Packs for families. Joshua encourages listeners to visit the website fostervillagememphis.org, follow them on social media, and sign up for their newsletter to learn more and get involved. Visit https://www.fostervillagememphis.org to learn more and to get involved with Foster Village Memphis.