Causes: Children & Youth, Foster Care
Mission: Connect With a Wish works to connect the wishes and needs of children in Virginia Beach foster care with the generosity of our community. We provide the resources and support needed to give these children the opportunity to grow into positive and productive members of our community.
Results: Connect With A Wish March 2014-CurrentWishes- We have granted over 300 wishes ranging from a new suit, boxing classes, braces, pro sports games, music lessons, etc. Placement Referrals We provide items needed for successful placements of children into foster homes, kinship care homes, or in order to confirm a permanent placement. Handle With Care Program We supply overnight bags filled with comfort items, to ease the difficult transition for children being removed from their home and placed into foster care. The bag and items are the children's to keep. Clothes Closet We provide youth in foster care with clothing, with the goal that no child in care should repeat clothes within a week of school. Birthday Brigade We brighten the day for over 270 children in foster care, each year on their birthdays, giving them a bag filled with party supplies & gifts. Supporting Success We provide needed items for older youth & young adults who are moving out or aging out, along with support at Independent Living meetings. Connect to Careers We provide support with resume writing, interview workshops, connections to employers in the community, and much more. Boys & Girls Youth Groups We hold monthly gatherings for teen girls & boys in foster care. Both include guest speakers, self-esteem & team-building skills, career planning, and much more. Field Trips Laser tag, hayrides, sporting events, escape rooms, college tours, etc. Prom Event Local teen girls in foster care receive dresses, shoes, jewelry, makeup, up-dos, professional portraits, and a huge dose of confidence! Easter Baskets In 2022 we provided 118 baskets to children in foster care. Summer Camps In 2021 we sent over 23 kids to a variety of camps. Music, science, horseback riding, overnites, etc. Back-to-School Pep Rally We supply a backpack filled with school supplies and hold a pep rally for over 300 kids each year. Winter Coat Drive We provide winter coats each year for approximately 200 children in local foster care. Holiday Project We grant Christmas Gift wishes for over 150 children in local foster care each year. Santapalooza Holiday Bash for over 200 children in local foster care & their families complete with gifts, food, music, photo ops, and SANTA!
Target demographics: Connect With a Wish works to connect the wishes and needs of children in foster local care with the generosity of our community. We provide the resources and support needed to give these children the opportunity to grow into positive members of our community. We serve not only children in the Virginia Beach foster care system but their potential and current foster families, those children deemed old enough to "live independently" within the system, those aging out of the system, those children at risk of entering the foster care system and kinship families. We also serve children & foster families in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News.
Direct beneficiaries per year: 200+ children and youth
Geographic areas served: Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads
Programs: CWW provides each child in local foster care a Wish. We encourage wishes that have a long-lasting effect on the child's life and offer hope, nurture a dream, or promote future success. Our Placement Referral program provides needed items for the successful placement of children into foster homes, kinship care homes, or in order to confirm a permanent placement. CWW provides every child removed from his or her home with a Handle With Care bag. These bags contain comfort items as well as necessities. These bags are theirs to keep. Our Clothes Closet program provides these children and young adults with enough clothes to attend school for a week without repeating items. Our Birthday Brigade program ensures that every child in Virginia Beach foster care is remembered and celebrated on their birthday. Connect With a Wish also facilitates Youth Groups for teen boys and girls in foster care. We take them on field trips, host guest speakers, and provide a safe space where these teens can interact socially and engage in sensitive topic discussions. Our Supporting Success program provides for the needs of those in independent living situations or aging out of the foster care system. CWW assists in setting up their apartments as they move out on their own for the first time. Our newest program, Connect to Careers, assists Fostering Futures youth population navigate entering the workforce. We hold resume workshops, host job fairs, and help connect the youth with employers in the community.
Mission: Connect With a Wish works to connect the wishes and needs of children in Virginia Beach foster care with the generosity of our community. We provide the resources and support needed to give these children the opportunity to grow into positive and productive members of our community.
Results: Connect With A Wish March 2014-CurrentWishes- We have granted over 300 wishes ranging from a new suit, boxing classes, braces, pro sports games, music lessons, etc. Placement Referrals We provide items needed for successful placements of children into foster homes, kinship care homes, or in order to confirm a permanent placement. Handle With Care Program We supply overnight bags filled with comfort items, to ease the difficult transition for children being removed from their home and placed into foster care. The bag and items are the children's to keep. Clothes Closet We provide youth in foster care with clothing, with the goal that no child in care should repeat clothes within a week of school. Birthday Brigade We brighten the day for over 270 children in foster care, each year on their birthdays, giving them a bag filled with party supplies & gifts. Supporting Success We provide needed items for older youth & young adults who are moving out or aging out, along with support at Independent Living meetings. Connect to Careers We provide support with resume writing, interview workshops, connections to employers in the community, and much more. Boys & Girls Youth Groups We hold monthly gatherings for teen girls & boys in foster care. Both include guest speakers, self-esteem & team-building skills, career planning, and much more. Field Trips Laser tag, hayrides, sporting events, escape rooms, college tours, etc. Prom Event Local teen girls in foster care receive dresses, shoes, jewelry, makeup, up-dos, professional portraits, and a huge dose of confidence! Easter Baskets In 2022 we provided 118 baskets to children in foster care. Summer Camps In 2021 we sent over 23 kids to a variety of camps. Music, science, horseback riding, overnites, etc. Back-to-School Pep Rally We supply a backpack filled with school supplies and hold a pep rally for over 300 kids each year. Winter Coat Drive We provide winter coats each year for approximately 200 children in local foster care. Holiday Project We grant Christmas Gift wishes for over 150 children in local foster care each year. Santapalooza Holiday Bash for over 200 children in local foster care & their families complete with gifts, food, music, photo ops, and SANTA!
Target demographics: Connect With a Wish works to connect the wishes and needs of children in foster local care with the generosity of our community. We provide the resources and support needed to give these children the opportunity to grow into positive members of our community. We serve not only children in the Virginia Beach foster care system but their potential and current foster families, those children deemed old enough to "live independently" within the system, those aging out of the system, those children at risk of entering the foster care system and kinship families. We also serve children & foster families in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News.
Direct beneficiaries per year: 200+ children and youth
Geographic areas served: Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads
Programs: CWW provides each child in local foster care a Wish. We encourage wishes that have a long-lasting effect on the child's life and offer hope, nurture a dream, or promote future success. Our Placement Referral program provides needed items for the successful placement of children into foster homes, kinship care homes, or in order to confirm a permanent placement. CWW provides every child removed from his or her home with a Handle With Care bag. These bags contain comfort items as well as necessities. These bags are theirs to keep. Our Clothes Closet program provides these children and young adults with enough clothes to attend school for a week without repeating items. Our Birthday Brigade program ensures that every child in Virginia Beach foster care is remembered and celebrated on their birthday. Connect With a Wish also facilitates Youth Groups for teen boys and girls in foster care. We take them on field trips, host guest speakers, and provide a safe space where these teens can interact socially and engage in sensitive topic discussions. Our Supporting Success program provides for the needs of those in independent living situations or aging out of the foster care system. CWW assists in setting up their apartments as they move out on their own for the first time. Our newest program, Connect to Careers, assists Fostering Futures youth population navigate entering the workforce. We hold resume workshops, host job fairs, and help connect the youth with employers in the community.
2492 North Landing Road Suite 102, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757-337-2657
Children & Youth
Virginia Beach
