About
We provide foster kids the resources to succeed and the experiences of being a kid
Mission
Fostering Change is a recognized 501(c)3 organization that is committed to providing a sense of belonging and respect for foster children in the local community.... Founded by adults who have been impacted by the foster care system, Fostering Change works in conjunction with local foster agencies to provide additional supports, supplies, and enrichment for children and teens in the foster care system. Fostering Change helps foster children thrive by forging families from community.
New Beginnings
Growing up in the foster care system through most of my teen years, I knew the feeling of being an outcast, not belonging, and feeling as if no one really cared because how could I expect someone to care for me when my own flesh and blood didn’t. I was blessed with an AMAZING foster mother who showed me how love really should be. She fought for me harder than anyone in my life, up to that point, had.
Her name is Darlene Parisi. It is because of her that I have become who I am today. Being a single women in her 50’s when I moved in with her back in 1996, in a 3 bedroom house in Gardner, MA, she was a tiny Polish woman with a heart of gold and the strength of mountain. But she was strict, and she was fierce! But, she had to be. She took SIX teenager girls at all times, by HERSELF! Talk about strength!!
She fought for each of her girls. She religiously took money out of her own pocket to supplement the stipend she got from the State to give us girls everything. From an amazing Christmas (I still remember the year I got a pager and a Nike Starter Jacket), to back to school clothes, to making sure that the her Seniors in high school (like I was) got our class ring, yearbook, and got to attend Prom, just like all the other kids.
Because of what she did, I learned that love comes from your heart, not your blood ties. The community that I grew up in helped shape me as a person, and showed me that when people with a shared passion and commitment come together, they can accomplish anything.
So, here I am, 21 years later, with an amazing group of people who have been affected by the foster care system (either as a child or parent), who have agreed that there is so much more we can do to help these kids have the most fulfilling lives, the most fulfilling experiences, and learn that regardless of blood connection, they are loved and there are people who want to see them reach for the stars and beyond.
I hope you will stay and follow us on this journey. We need your support in every way possible.