PROVO, Utah – Utah First Lady Abby Cox spent Saturday in Provo as part of her “Show Up” initiative. She and about a dozen volunteers handed out thank you kits to foster families in Utah County recognizing them for their hard work.
“It was really emotional,” said Cox after handing out several kits. “Any of these families that we come into and that we thank are overwhelmed because many of them have never been thanked. Many of them never felt important.”
Each care thank you kit included donations of products or discounts from over 20 different companies across the state.
“Each of these bags were tailored for their specific region,” added Cox. “So your bags will get what is regional for them.”
“To be able to support these families today, as each of them came to get their bags, it was amazing to see their light and joy,” said foster parents Leisha Anne Corbett. “I say, ‘Hey, I’m being recognized, I’m doing something incredible.'”
Corbett and her husband have been foster parents for three years.
“It was a great opportunity to meet so many children and their diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences,” she said. Last year the two raised 19 children. “We knew there were children here on earth who were going through difficult times, who needed a home, needed a place to call home, needed a family to learn from and grow from . “
Lindsay Keading, communications director for Raise the Future, said there are more than 2,000 children living in Utah’s care system at any given time.
“There are currently just over 1,200 foster families in the state,” she added. “There is always a need for foster families, relatives, adoptive families, mentors. So that people in the community can really support all of the children currently in the care system in Utah.”
She encourages more people to consider becoming foster parents, but said there are many other ways people can help.
“Help prepare a meal for them. See if you can help clean their house. See if you can help them with errands or purchases,” Keading said. “You know, every little thing can make such a big difference.”
According to the Raise the Future website, foster children with a steady adult are 110 percent more likely to go to college, twice as likely to marry and seek mental health support, and half as likely to be homeless in their lifetime.
“It’s really important that we all work together, and that’s exactly what Utahns are doing,” said Cox. “That’s what we’re good at, really gathering together and wrapping ourselves around these families.”
For more information on how to become a foster parent, visit utahfostercare.org
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