Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Richardson
Hi Amber, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I had a great upbringing; loving parents, three amazing brothers, and one beautiful sister. I am the youngest of five. My parents worked hard to provide us with the best opportunities on a teacher and in-home daycare salary. I was fortunate to experience a variety of sports. Through athletics I got to see a small portion of the world through my soccer adventures. However, when I went off to college I realized there was so much more to the world that I was not aware of. Admittedly I was ignorant, naive, and sheltered so to speak. I would attribute that to a narrow perspective and lack of diverse experiences. I learned quickly that all around me there were needs in our community that I wasn’t informed or educated about. Some of those social and health deficiencies included food insecurity, homelessness, addiction, and needs within the child welfare system. I spent my senior internship at Youth Emergency Services. They are committed to the rights and holistic needs of youth and young adults who face housing insecurity within our community. During that internship I realized I had a heart for child welfare issues and wanted to get more involved. At that same time, my husband Matt and I had friends who had just taken placement of their first child and it felt right to learn more about foster care and to see if that road was a good fit for us. Shortly after, we became licensed foster parents in 2007. It was during that summer that our foster care journey officially began. It forever changed the trajectory of our lives.
Shortly after being licensed we welcomed our first little one into our home. Sadly, he came to us with a single black trash bag bearing all of his belongings. They were worn, torn, and ill fitting. He was 14 months old and we were his 4th home…. Read that again. This experience bothered me to my core. Fast forward – we grew our family. Trey was adopted shortly after we welcomed him into our home. I gave birth to our daughter Jayda in 2008. We welcomed Demetrius in 2012 who was later adopted in 2014. I gave birth to our youngest daughter Berkley in 2015. During all these years of growing our family we became strong advocates in the foster care community, often telling parts of Trey’s story and our experiences as a way to raise awareness about the needs in the foster care community. When you know better, you do better and we were committed to sharing that with others. We learned quickly that his story was not unique and children often enter care with either a trash bag or nothing. We welcomed two more boys in 2019 making us a family of eight! Still lingering in the back of my mind was Trey’s story and how he entered care. I wanted to do more to help those experiencing a similar story. Some may argue that because Trey was only 14 months old and has no memory of the trash bag it seems odd that I care so much. To that I will say, you are correct, he doesn’t remember the trash bag but his body has kept score of his trauma and all of his placements and that in itself is hard to bear. Whether 14 months, 4 years, or 14 years old, no child should be treated with that lack of love and dignity. Since then we have taken in other placements whether long term or for respite care and the issue still remains. Hopefully we can all agree that a trash bag sends the wrong message to children in vulnerable situations that need our love and care more than ever.
With our lived experiences I dreamed of providing basic needs and opportunities for children in foster care that were rooted in love. As I was scrolling through instagram one day I found a nonprofit in Florida that did just that and realized that this dream wasn’t unrealistic, unreasonable, or impossible. On Thanksgiving Day in 2019 my husband’s Aunt Susan and Uncle Pat came to visit our two new little guys in our home. That day they gave us a gift that would change our lives forever and would make this dream possible in more ways than one. In 2020 our little boys returned home, the pandemic shut down my job at Orangetheory Fitness so I set off on this journey called Foster Love. Our mission would help provide basic needs and opportunities for children in foster care. It started with collection drives, moved to our basement where we provided care packages for porch pickup, then to a pop-up model where we served 120 children. That experience taught us that there was a need in our community. In May 2021 we moved from our basement to our first storefront in Downtown Ralston where we are currently located.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While I am thankful for the opportunity to do what I do, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. In the beginning it was pretty uncertain whether this dream would become a thriving organization. Despite the uncertainty and no location to call home I was determined to make this happen, some way and somehow. With the unexpected financial gift from Susan and Pat it gave me the courage to work towards making this a reality. The first big step was having Matt finish our basement. We turned a portion of it into Foster Love’s basement boutique. The space consisted of 300 square feet dedicated to Foster Love. Having minimal space was not ideal but we made the most of the situation.
Our first attempt to bring our mission to the foster care community was done by providing care packages available for porch pick up amidst the pandemic. Foster parents could put in a request for a child and we would fill the need as best we could. The downfall of this model was the lack of “clients choice” and the ability to create a memorable shopping experience nurtured in love and dignity. We knew this model wasn’t a long term option.
We continued to share our mission on social media with the hope of finding a brick and mortar. It was a struggle because naturally commercial real estate is expensive. Plus, we were working on an extremely minimal budget so it seemed damn near impossible. In the meantime, our neighbor Laura Schwartz was the Executive Director of The Papillion Community Foundation. She graciously offered their space for a pop-up model. We used this model for three shopping days in the beginning of 2021. We loaded up all of our clothing, racks, and baskets from the basement onto our trailer and set up a really cute and welcoming boutique for children to shop. The response from the foster care community was overwhelming. These experiences were a testimony to the need for consistent and ongoing support for children and families.
In May 2021 we found a small brick and mortar to call our next home. With only $10,000 raised since 2020 we decided if nobody ever gave Foster Love a financial contribution we could at the very least make rent for one full year. The hope was that the community would provide new and like-new clothes if nothing else and we could stay afloat. Matt so graciously refinished the new space and made my design and dream come to life by July of 2021. Thankfully the community rallied around our mission and we have been able to maintain consistent programming since then with the help of operating funds. However, as a nonprofit executive there aren’t too many days that go by that I am not worried about how we are going to continue the work. Funding is an ongoing need to operate and donations can be uncertain so I think the lack of financial security will always be part of the struggle unfortunately. Nothing is guaranteed or promised.
The story doesn’t end there though. In 2023 we were notified that our current location would be demolished in the near future. That felt like a punch in the stomach and it came shortly after finding our storefront which put us in a tough position as a startup organization. We used that information as an opportunity for growth and development. It encouraged us to put together a 3-year business plan which would guide us through the next chapter of relocating. Despite the bumps, the community has been so good to us!
Finding strength during the struggles got us to where we are now. And with that, we have BIG news to share!
It’s an honor to announce the future location of Foster Love to those I love and to those who have been a great support to me and to Foster Love. With the help of Werner and their philanthropic efforts, we will be relocating less than one mile from our current home. We are thankful for Werner’s partnership and willingness to work with our needs and budget so we can continue to serve and support more children and families experiencing foster care. With their support and partnership, we will have the opportunity to grow our space, programming and the ability to impact more lives. As a nonprofit that values commitment to community and inclusion for all, we are thankful to align with another business that takes pride in those same values. Moving our mission forward with their help is an honor and pleasure.
It’s hard to put into words how I feel about a dream manifested and realized in such a short amount of time. My family, team, and I are so excited about this next chapter in our journey.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the Founder and Executive Director of Foster Love. We are a 501c3 organization currently based out of Ralston, Nebraska. We serve Omaha and the surrounding areas primarily but our resources are available to any foster, relative, or kinship family in Nebraska or Western Iowa. Our mission is to provide basic needs and opportunities for children and families impacted by foster care so they feel confident, empowered, and valued.
We are known for providing experiences that look and feel like love. Human dignity is essential in helping children develop into well-rounded and successful adults. When we are treated with dignity, it can help children feel worthy and build their self-esteem. Children in foster care especially need essential items to help them feel safe, secure, and loved. This is where Foster Love comes into play. We have the privilege of providing some of these basic items that can really make a difference in their lives. Too often children arrive with a trash bag (like our oldest son did) or no belongings to their name. We have the ability to be a bright light during challenging and unfortunate life circumstances.
I am proud of the culture I have been able to create at Foster Love. It is one built on inclusion for all; children, caregivers, staff, and volunteers alike. We adapt the environment to make everyone feel welcomed. Each time a child visits the boutique, takes an art class, or attends an event, they are treated with the utmost love and respect. We go out of our way to make a child feel safe and seen. They will always belong at Foster Love no matter what.
A unique fact about Foster Love is we provide resources to all the children in the home as long as there is a current placement. There is enough division and separation in the world as it is. I don’t want to be part of that so we made it part of our mission to include every child in the home for any type of programming we offer. As a parent and caregiver to many children at different points in our life (adopted, biological, in care) it made sense to make sure nobody ever felt left out in any way. Everyone positively benefits from this standard of care when all children are included.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I have learned so many lessons, it’s impossible to choose just one. My little family is incredible. Doing this journey with them by my side is the best thing ever. They have taught me that they are worth fighting for even if it means nobody understands our journey or the reason behind the fight for a better life for all children. My husband Matt is my secret weapon that I don’t mention enough. He is my greatest volunteer, cheerleader, and go-to person. I love his heart and the way he makes me feel seen and supported.
I have great friends and teammates who have stepped up and been a great help to moving our mission forward. Our team is full of compassionate, caring, and kind individuals. I really do have the greatest dream team.
Last but not least, the community is great! People want to genuinely help a good cause. I’ve learned that most of the time all you have to do is ask. As an introvert, this was hard for me in the beginning but I have since leaned into my ability to share the story I am passionate about and invite others to support the work we do so we can provide the best for all children. Sharing our story has put us in a great position for growth and I’m proud of that because it ultimately benefits those we help support. I genuinely enjoy what I do and I think it shows in the standard of care that we offer and provide at Foster Love. It only takes one quick tour of our space to realize that we are different in the best kind of way. I’m embracing that about myself and Foster Love.
Pricing:
- No
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fosterlove402.org
- Instagram: @fosterlove402ne
- Facebook: @fosterlove402ne
Image Credits
Katie Sharpe Images