TIGARD Ore. (KPTV) – With Love Oregon, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting foster care and children in foster care, is teaming up with InRoads Credit Union to provide hair kits to children.
The basic kit includes the usual shampoo, conditioner, and other amenities, but we also offer kits for kids with curly or coarse hair.
“We have pictures, we have deep conditioner and shampoo,” said Venissa Gerberg, executive director of With Love Oregon. “It has a hood for night sleeping.”
Nearly 150 kits were dropped off at With Love Oregon Tuesday afternoon. Gerberg said she wants foster families to be intentional about respecting a child’s culture and hair.
See also:
VPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who allegedly used a fake account on the dog-sitting app Rover to break into secure locations and commit theft.
“We want them to understand the importance of culture, the importance of hair, and to be really proud of your crown,” Gerberg said.
Garberg says demand for these kits is high. The idea behind the idea came from a With Love Oregon executive, who Gerberg said is a person of color.
“She would often be stopped in the store when families of color were in the store caring for children,” Gerberg said. “They ask, ‘Can you help me? Can you help me figure out how to take care of their hair?’ She says, ‘That’s a gap that we can step in and fill.’ I recognized that.”
With Love Oregon told FOX 12 they want to help foster families provide a safe and caring environment for children in their care. And for Gerberg, this is personal.
“Not only am I an adopted child, but I have also been a foster parent for 14 years,” she said. “We have found that our foster families are saying a big ‘yes’. They have made such a huge sacrifice and we want to provide support and reassurance in any way we can. Masu.”
See also:
Local programs are expanding across the Oregon Coast, bringing arts and STEM education to school districts too small to offer those classes.
Gerberg said in September alone, With Love Oregon served 151 children. Thanks to community partners like InRoads Credit Union, every child who requests a hair kit, including a curl kit, will be able to get one, Garberg said.
“With the number of families seeking assistance reaching record numbers, we need all the help we can get from our community,” Gerberg said.
With Love Oregon provides all the supplies foster families need to welcome children into their homes. From mattresses to clothing, diapers, stuffed animals, books, toys and other comfort items, With Love Oregon volunteers are ready to help whenever you need it.
Gerberg said With Love Oregon is accepting new and like-new donations. For more information on how to join With Love Oregon, click here.
Copyright 2024 KPTV-KPDX. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
