karen b. simon - a place where hope floats
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photo by steed media service
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Executive Director, Building and Restoring Hope Inc.
After witnessing the overt neglect of children who were in foster care systems throughout the United States, Karen B. Simon decided to incite change with the creation of Building and Restoring Hope Inc. Open since 2006, the group has created a new model for foster care.
“We provide group homes for girls between the ages of 12–18,” Simon says. “We want to change the way foster care homes are [run] by making the system better.”
Building and Restoring Hope also works to restore self-esteem and provide a family-oriented haven for the girls in their care.
“There are a lot of homes where kids are not well-kept and they have high rates of runaways. We encourage the girls by giving them a supportive environment and instilling core family values,” explains Simon, adding that girls who attend college or enter the workforce can continue to receive guidance years after leaving the group homes.
“We give the girls a few more tools so that they’ll be ready to take on the responsibilities of life,” Simon continues. “With the normal foster care system, the kids are in one day, and the next day they’re out. Our goal is to give kids a secure and inspiring place to call home.”
-amir shaw
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