(I kept names out of this post for the safety of the child… please contact me directly for more information about sending donations or her registry)

A and I met in 2001 in a kickboxing class at Oregon State University.  To say ‘we hit it off right away’ would be a lie.  I was annoyed that she was not taking the class more seriously and, as she tells the story, I “gave her the evil-eye the whole time”.  We later realized we were both in the co-op system and would likely be attending many of the same events.  Over time, we found we had a lot in common and slowly our friendship grew.  Fast forward a decade, we are now the best of friends and find each other supporting one another through all the ups and downs that this stage of life has to offer.

In December, A suprised me with the news that she had applied to become a foster parent.  A is a beautiful, single, 28 year old woman living in a small studio apartment downtown.  However surprised I was in that moment, nothing makes more sense to me now.  You see, A currently works as a social worker working with troubled youth and before that was the director of a home for teen moms.  When you hear A talk about her job, it is immediately apparent how big her heart and passion is for the children she works with daily.  As good as she is at her job, it has always been clear that A wants nothing more in life than to be a mom.  The decision to become a foster parent came after a meeting with her client, a young child, who did not have a safe place to return to after their meeting.  In that moment, she realized that she had more than enough love, knowledge, and support to open her heart and home to a child, like this one.  She also knew that they timing was never going to be perfect, so why not start now.  And so the process began.

Last night, she got the call.  Friday afternoon, a child will arrive at her home.  Baby is a 1 year old baby boy who is now entering his 4th home in 10 months.  Baby’s major struggle at this point is attachment.  This is a topic that A is well-studied and very passionate about in her work.

Because A wasn’t sure what age child she was going to be welcoming, she is frantically gathering the supplies and equipment she will need before she meets Baby T for the first time on Friday afternoon.  This is where you come in.  (You should know that A does not know that I’m sending this letter out).  She is living on a social worker’s budget and any extra money she gets for fostering this child will go directly to daycare.  I would love to gather up any extra baby supplies, boy clothes, diapers, and baby food to help ease the burden of the cost of caring for Baby.  She has some big items to buy over the 24 hours including a crib, stroller, and carseat, so I’m hoping we can all help with everything else she will need.

If you have anything to donate, you can either send directly to her (by contacting me for her address) or you and I can coordinate getting together.  Also, she has set up an Amazon Registry.  For safety reasons, please email me for that link.  Jordann.Kearns@gmail.com

Thank you for your time and generosity!  I look forward to telling you more about how Baby is doing.
~Jordann

Finishing her ultra triathlon last summer