cialis arial, sildenafil sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;”>HOPE4Kids Run & Festival to bring attention to the needs of Ventura County foster youth by showing unique stories at Foster Gallery hosted by RaisingHOPE and Foster VC Kids
and arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;”>The 4th annual HOPE4Kids Run & Festival (H4K) is a county-wide community effort to raise money and awareness for foster youth in Ventura County. The event, which includes a 5K, 10K and Kids Mile, is hosted by RaisingHOPE Inc. and is set to take place on Saturday, April 23 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Camarillo Community Center Park, 1605 E. Burnley St., Camarillo, Calif.
As a way for attendees to visualize the need for foster families across the county, HOPE4Kids, along with Foster VC Kids, a program of Ventura County Children & Family Services, will feature a gallery of foster youth. The gallery will include mini biographies with the youth’s first name, age, hobbies and interests. Visitors will be given the opportunity to learn about some of the children’s stories, and will also be able to speak with licensed social workers on how they can get involved. Social workers from Foster VC Kids and Foster Family Agencies (FFAs) will be in attendance to answer any questions, including how to become a licensed resource family.
“We are looking forward for our foster youth being featured in this year’s Foster Gallery,” expresses Elizabeth Thasiah, Program Manager of Recruitment, Development and Support at Foster VC Kids. “Our hope is that each child’s individual story will inspire attendees to become a part of the resource family community. HOPE4Kids is a really fun way to bring VC residents together through a run and festival, to not only help fund important activities and supplies for foster youth, but also help shine a light on our recruitment efforts.”
The free festival will feature 50-60 vendor booths where attendees can shop and receive other information on services in the community. The festival will also include community performances, a silent auction and food trucks. For the younger crowd, H4K will offer a Kidzone with fun attractions such as face painting, a video gaming truck, bounce houses and a rock wall, as well as various performers.
In 2015, the event raised $63,000 for foster youth. 100 percent of the proceeds go to assist hundreds of foster youth with orthodontic care, extracurricular activities, sports, camps, arts and more. Funds also benefit youth who are transitioning out of the foster care system.
“It is such an honor to be able to host this community event to bring awareness to the needs of the most vulnerable children in our community,” says RaisingHOPE Founder and HOPE4Kids Race Director Tami Barnett. “Every year HOPE4Kids grows, as does our community’s awareness of children and families in the child welfare system. Hundreds of children are served by the funds that are raised from this event. We look forward to seeing our community get involved and our hope is one day every child has a loving home.”
H4K is sponsored by RaisingHOPE, Inc., Foster VC Kids, Living Oaks Community Church, Capstone Direct Mortgage, Defending the Fatherless, Chic Fil A (Thousand Oaks, Ventura Oxnard), Sturges Insurance and Financial Services, and Dark to Dawn and Judge Quality Painting.
H4K is an all-volunteer community partnership between the county, non-profit organizations, local churches and for-profit businesses. For more information visit, www.raisinghope.org.
About Ventura County Human Services Agency, Foster VC Kids
Ventura County Human Services Agency (VCHSA) strengthens families, supports self-sufficiency and promotes safety, health, and well-being. All of their service areas operate and perform at the highest level to meet the needs of individuals, families, and the community by providing assistance, aid, and protection for foster youth and beyond. VCHSA demonstrates the ability to work in multicultural environments and ensures that policies, programs, and actions communicate respect for the dignity of all people. Visit www.fostervckids.org for more information.
