-by Nancy Bowman 

Families who open their doors to foster children in Tipp City, Monroe Township and Bethel Township have others who, in turn, support them including the Tipp City Foundation.

The foundation has awarded several grants during the past 18 months to support a growing foster care network in area homes.

Those recipients have included Seeds of Hope and Isaiah’s Place, both with offices in Troy.

A $1,345 grant was awarded to Seeds of Hope to support its Basic Needs Bags to help foster families and their children get off on the right foot.  This was the first grant to Seeds of Hope by the foundation.

Isaiah’s Place was awarded two grants. A $5,000 award supported training of new foster families in Trust-Based Relationship Intervention and created sensory rooms in their homes. A grant of $2,770 was awarded for a foster home recruitment plan and to double the number of foster homes in Tipp City and Bethel Township.

Seeds of Hope, a nonprofit organization operating from 1100 Wayne St. in Troy was created “to help support foster families and kinship families as well as local single moms in need,” said Katie Vasil, co-founder with Kristy Inoa.

Among items provided are new and gently used cribs, toddler and twin beds, car seats, clothing, baby items, diapers and other hygiene items. 

“As foster families we need to be prepared for birth-teen, boy or girls and sometimes multiple children at a time. Being a foster parent is hard so we want to take away some of the burden by providing basic supplies,” Vasil said.

The Basic Needs Bags are canvas bags filled with clothing, hygiene items, diapers, underwear, new sheets and other items. “These are very helpful for new placements as most children come into care with very little,” Vasil said.

The organization tries to focus on Miami County and surrounding Miami Valley, but does not turn away other foster families in need.

Anyone interested in learning more can visit the Seeds of Hope Facebook page and message the page or email seedsofhope.org.

Isaiah’s Place is a foster care agency that licenses and supports foster parents on their fostering journey. Families are supported in three  ways: transformative training, competent case management and consistent community support.

The recruitment effort included hosting fostering forums, engaging some area churches and updating marketing materials. That effort bore fruit and Isaiah’s Place believes that will continue, said Paul Hemminger, Isaiah’s Place assistant director.

The Trust-Based Relationship Intervention, or TBRI, teaches healthy relationship interventions that build trust using neuroscience data, Hemminger said. 

“TBRI has three sets of principles: empowering, connecting and correcting,” he said. “TBRI has months’ worth of content, resources and materials to help build up our foster parents’ toolkit to be the most grounded, confident and equipped foster parents to build trust through loving awareness and action.”

The TBRI grant also has had success, Hemminger said. “It has invigorated our parents and staff and has resulted in greater healing for our kids.”

Anyone interested in becoming a foster family can call 937-335-3701, email phemminger@isaiahsplace.com and kbrubaker@isaiahsplace.com or visit www.isaiahsplace.com/fosterparent.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

  • Donating online here.
  • Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
  • Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

  • Silver Sponsor – Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
  • Bronze Sponsors – Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
  • Friend Sponsors – Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
  • Media Sponsor – Tippecanoe Gazette

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