Our Story
The Fostered Gift began many years ago as a dream in the heart of a young girl in foster care. A young girl who promised that someday she would find a way to help children like herself. Cofounder Shannon Leach was in foster care until the age of eighteen and soon afterward pursued a bachelor’s degree in social work. Her work provided many opportunities to give back to children like herself; however, it also gave her opportunities to see the gaps that existed in a worn and dated system. She began to look for ways to address those gaps.
Especially for waiting kids. There was a distinct gap that existed for children who found themselves unable to return home due to a crisis that remained, no matter what age or location. These children experienced many unknowns as they waited to hear the answers to where they would sleep next or how they would get what they needed. These moments of delay left a child already experiencing a traumatic crisis in an even more heartbreaking situation. Workers did all they could to narrow the wait, but a system is still just a system.
After many years of working in the field, the gaps continued and the barriers remained unchanged. The waiting, the lack of places for a child to go, and the unknown next steps continued to weigh heavy on children in the moment of a life-changing crisis. Shannon wanted a way to impact those gaps—a way to change the memory for children who suddenly found themselves unable to return home—a way to give them something positive in one of the worst moments of their lives.
She found a way. In February 2022, the dream became a reality when The Fostered Gift was born. This mission-focused, direct service, on-call response to provide items of comfort and need to a child in their hardest moment did not solve all the problems, but it was a move in the right direction. It was an opportunity to change the message of a moment that a child would live with forever. It was an opportunity to bridge the gap for a child.
Our Services
Learn more about the services that TFG provides for the children we serve and the first responders that serve them.
Gift Squad Team
On-call services that deliver wanted and needed items to waiting children in crisis.
Christmas on Your Own
Fostered gifts for a youth recently aged out of foster care.
Our Board and Officers
These leaders develop and evaluate our policies, service strategies, and goals as they guide our organization to be transparent, humble, and mission-minded.
SHANNON LEACH
Board President, Co-founder
CARRIE GROSS
Board Vice President
COURTNEY CARNEY
Board Member
DAPHNE WADDELL
Board Treasurer
JENNIFER HALL
Board Secretary
GLENICE MCKENZIE
Board Member
BRANDY PARKER
Board Member
Our Teams
Each one of our teams works within our organization and our community to keep TFG on mission. Our appointed, volunteer directors pave the way for our services to get straight to the kids that need them.
SHANNON LEACH
Community Relations Director
This team works to develop partnerships and education about foster care within our community to strengthen the bridge that connects to the children we serve.
JENNIFER HALL
Gift Squad Services Director
Our gift squad team provides direct services to children entering foster care including collection of items needed, on-call response, and delivery to a child in need.
CARRIE GROSS
Development Director
Our fundraising and events team helps gather the resources we need to serve and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in our mission.
DAPHNE WADDELL
This team offers support in all things numbers and helps guide our service decisions throughout the year.
OPEN POSITION
IT Director
This team keeps us moving with the technology assistance we need to keep our eye on the ball and our feet on the ground.
Become a Part of the Team
Interested in volunteering or joining our leadership team? Find out more about places you can serve.