Each month in 2021, Rise Above is giving a teen or young adult in foster care a shopping spree! We’ll pick one youth at random to win a gift card(s) worth $500 for apparel! The drawing is open to any teen, age 14 to 18, who is currently in foster care in Massachusetts, and any young adult 18-23 still involved with Massachusetts …
College Care Packages Spring 2021
UPDATE: Because of COVID-19, our College Care Packages looked a little different this year. We sent out more than 200 gift card college care packages instead of our traditional snacks and hygiene packages: Do you know or work with a young adult who spent time in foster care in Massachusetts, is continuing their education in any way beyond high school and …
Virtual Candy Making Class
We delivered chocolate, ingredients, aprons and kitchen tools to 100 youth experiencing foster care. Youth also received on-demand instructional videos made just for them by Chef Josh Engel, guiding them in making three delicious types of chocolates. “We are loving this! Just made the strawberry cheesecake bark, we can hardly wait until it is done chilling,” a foster parent told …
Bikes for Elijah and Devon
Elijah, age 12, and his brother Devon, age 16, assemble their new bikes. “I found out after we assembled them that Elijah had never learned how to ride! So, that afternoon we went down to a local office parking lot to work on it, and, within an hour, he was riding on his own. Since then he’s gotten even more …
“Football helps me do better on school work”
“Thank you Rise Above for helping me buy football stuff,” Jandel wrote to us. “I played football many years before being in foster care and I am happy I can still play. I like to play defense but this year I play both offense and defense.” Jandel added, “Playing football helps me do better on school work.”
Snow Day Kit
This winter, Rise Above gave snow day kits to 200 foster families! Each box included snowball makers, a snowman making kit and snow paint, as well as hot cocoa, a storybook, games and window crayons. …
New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge
Do something daring and caring to kick off 2021! Jump in the ocean or a lake. Roll in a snowbank. Take a cold shower. Go for a winter’s day jog. Brave the cold and do something where you live that’s a little (or a lot) daring to help us raise funds for children in foster care. To join in the …
Support for remote learning needs
How can we help with remote learning needs? Workspace: small desk and chair, lamp, etc. Headphones or earbuds with microphone Sensory learning items Technology: printer, graphing calculator, laptop or tablet (if not being provided by school) Traditional supplies: paper, pencils, markers, etc. To request help: Foster parents, social workers or anyone in a child’s life can make a request using our regular …
Virtual yoga just for kids in foster care
Rise Above is pleased to offer a yoga series designed just for children in foster care! Each class will include breath work, movement exercises, and meditation. Children will receive access to three virtual sessions that they can watch whenever they’d like and as many times as they’d like. In addition, Rise Above will also ship each child a yoga mat …
The need for Rise Above is greater than ever.
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a serious impact on youth in foster care we serve and is compounding their trauma. Social distancing has torn away the network of supports- therapists, coaches, social workers, teachers, guidance counselors, psychiatrists- that youth in foster care depend on for stability. No longer being able to have visits with biological family members, including siblings placed …