BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — There is little to no certainty in a foster child’s life. Sports, hobbies, and education outside of the classroom help to develop a sense of normalcy, and one local nonprofit is working to help kids in Idaho’s Foster Care System focus on fun and their future.
Sports programs, financial employment training, and mentorship are a few of the things the Freedom Youth Foundation provides as they work to impact the lives of foster children. The nonprofit began after founder, Shane Hanson, spent time in Serbia.
Shane said, “The trip to Serbia was a humanitarian effort through the US Embassy in Serbia that brought together about 150 kids and Novi Sad Serbia, and it was my job to use basketball as a way to have them get together and get along because they there’s a genocide issue.” He said the trip encouraged him to start a movement here in Idaho, and during the 26-hour plane ride home, he came up with the idea.
The nonprofit, originally called Progression Athletics International, has grown in the past 13 years, but even through some of their changes, the goal of helping kids in need has stayed the same. Shane’s dedication to Idaho’s foster youth has given kids the ability to experience things they might otherwise miss out on. Things like going out to Top Golf, bowling with a group, even sports camps, and the nonprofit says these experiences are so special to them.
Shane said, “To see their faces light up, and watch them get comfortable, and be able to open up during these events, it’s amazing.”
In addition to fun events, the nonprofit wants to help prepare kids for the future. Shane is passionate about teaching kids financial literacy, to help set them up for the rest of their lives. He said, “We welcome them into our office to teach them how to write resumes, how to how to do mock interviews, how to think about life after high school.” He said, “I want to have a conversation with them and try to prepare them so they’re making smart decisions, and they’re not going to be anchored down for a long period of time with financial debt or poor decisions.”
Freedom Youth has relied on community partnerships to host these classes but they’re looking forward to opening their own building in October. Mary Irby, the Director of Operations said, “We’re super excited about that, and just all of the possibilities that our new space is going to offer us.”
The office will meet more than one need, some of the space will be used for Parker’s Closet, a store for foster kids. Shane explained the importance of it, he said, “These kids don’t have the opportunity to get new clothes. there’s a lot of opportunity to get hand-me-downs and used clothes, but really, if we all think about it, if we’re getting hand-me-downs our entire life, we feel like a hand-me-down.”
A recent community project they have worked on is helping to remodel the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s new housing facility in Payette. Irby said, “It was very institutional looking. It looked like a hospital, it was dark, and the colors were not good. We just stepped in and we had amazing volunteers to help us make that happen.”
Freedom Youth Foundation is encouraging people to volunteer, to help them continue making these opportunities a reality. If you’re interested in volunteering, click HERE.
