Impact Story
Love Box® is…
Research indicates that it takes about 50 hours of interaction to move from an acquaintance to a casual friend, around 90 hours to become good friends, and more than 200 hours to become best friends. It takes quality time to develop a close friendship, and for best friends, it typically requires an even greater investment of time. Deep, meaningful connections are fostered through time and effort.
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We are in the business of deep meaningful relationships.
The Hughes family knows this first hand. With 9 children under their roof – an incredible mix of biological children, adopted children, and children in their care ranging from 8 months to 17 – they requested support from our Love Box® program. They were looking to be matched with a volunteer who would walk alongside them on their foster care journey. In order to support them at the level we know leads to transformation – we needed a special setup. Our incredible Case Manager, Julia, went right to work. Three months ago, she matched the family with an incredible volunteer couple, Tara and Bill – and the group affectionately referred to as The Grandma Brigade. Together, they stepped in to offer wrap-around support.
659 hours later: Deep, meaningful connections have been made.
This is Love Box®. Relationships built through our Love Box® program are transforming the foster care experience. These relationships are built over hundreds of hours of time spent together, and hundreds more are alleviated through the radical support delivered inside the box, and outside of it.
For the Hughes family, Love Box has been:
- Family get togethers to get to know each other talking and sharing about their journey
- Countless meals delivered so mom and dad could worry about one less thing
- Birthday party celebrations and gifts for the kids
- Deliveries of diapers, wipes, and supplies for the baby over and over again
- Hours-long family playdates, complete with tea parties, bubbles, yard games, mini ball pits, holding babies and playing with the kids
- Grocery gift cards and supplies
- A spa gift card to celebrate Mother’s Day
- Handwritten cards and candy for the kids to encourage them and make them feel valued
- Showing up with flowers to attend Hazel’s music performance and cheer her on
All of this – in just three months. 659 hours of consistently and intentionally showing up – and with no end in sight.
The Love Box® is a vehicle to create and nurture consistent, long-lasting, and powerful relationships.
For the Hughes family, Love Box® has changed everything.
This is what sets us apart. We are not in the business of bandaids. We are in the business of transformation. This is the power of our programs. We measure our impact in TIME. Time spent together consistently means relationships are being formed and have the potential to be permanent. Relational permanency leads to normalcy. Normalcy leads to foster homes staying open, and children and youth having the steady ground to realize their powerful potential and live out their dreams. Our programs breed hope.
Our programs are changing foster care. And our entire community is better for it.
Love Box is standing in the gap
Love Box is radical, consistent support
Love Box is showing up over and over again
Love Box is telling a foster family and every child in it: you matter, and I’m not going anywhere
Love Box = transformation
Can you imagine the impact over another three months? How about a year? It’s pretty spectacular – and your support makes it all possible. Whether you volunteer, donate to our mission, or support our cause by engaging with our content, we’re better because of you. Thank you for your belief in this critical, life-changing work!
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