Your donations to Hearts to Homes may reach farther than you realize!
Meet Sara Scott, a former foster care youth who had just graduated from college in Westchester County. Sara applied and was accepted into Seton Hall University’s 14-month accelerated nursing program in Nutley, New Jersey. She remembers feeling both excited and terrified – excited to continue her education and pursue a future career, but terrified because there was no housing available for the program.
“How could I afford to buy all the necessities needed to furnish an apartment for the first time?” Sarah recalls.
After reaching out to different foster agencies for help, she was referred to Hearts to Homes for assistance.
Hearts to Homes’ assistance generally happens in the geographical area that constitutes New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. However, like Sara, some individuals aging out of foster care want to attend college or continuing education programs out of state where they need to find their own housing. Some youth may decide to stay out of state after finishing their degree, and others may find a job in a different state or relocate to live near extended family.
Our mission at Hearts to Homes is to help foster youth as they transition into independent life by providing furnishing support, so sometimes we can provide that support outside of our normal area of operations. If an individual is associated with a foster agency we work with, our support follows them. So far, we’ve provided virtual housewarmings for recipients in New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, Louisiana, and upstate New York!
Sara remembers being surprised that she was able to receive furnishing assistance in New Jersey. “I wasn’t quite sure how I would pick up big items but [Mary Theresa] explained that the items would be delivered to me either by the store directly or a volunteer. I just couldn’t believe it… the fact that they were willing to drive an hour to deliver things to me in another state was unbelievable.”
She goes on to relay the impact of this support, made possible by your donations.
“For most of my time in foster care I received used items. Getting new things wasn’t normal for me. I can’t explain how good it felt to move into my apartment and have all new things. I was starting an intensive nursing program, and I didn’t have to worry about furnishing my apartment and where I would get the money to pay for all of these items. Hearts to Homes was a life saver.”
Sara has since graduated from her nursing program and moved into her second apartment. She says all the items she received from Hearts to Homes made the trip. “Without them, I certainly wouldn’t have a fully furnished apartment.”
In cases like Sara’s, Hearts to Homes ensures that former foster youth in need are cared for and supported. The process and vendors may be slightly different when fulfilling furnishing needs elsewhere in the country, but the same magic is possible with donations from supporters like you!