76% of children in foster care are there for solvable poverty-related issues.
Let’s look at the impact:
76%
of child removals are due to
unmet basic needs
188,560
children entered foster care in 2020 for preventable causes
74%
of children
never make it back home
SOURCE: Annie E Casey Foundation KidsCOUNT Data Report
Public Transportation
Not having access to reliable and timely transportation removes a family's freedom of choice when it comes to healthcare, employment, daycare, education, housing, and the practice of their faith.
Live on $2 a Day
Poverty puts children at significant risks. Poverty-related issues contribute to 76% of foster care entries. Imagine if we could alleviate these poverty-related issues? How might the future for that child look different? What impact could it have on that family? How would our community benefit for 76% fewer families involved with foster care?
Experience Life Below the Line
One in 5 children in our community live below the poverty line. And unless you've lived it, the impacts of poverty can be hard to imagine.
That's why we're inviting you into this challenge to experience one aspect of your life for at least one day...
Below the line.
Read the case studies and choose one that resonates with you. Then invite some people to join you in the experience.
Everyone has something to learn and you can help support the cause all at the same time!
FAQs
The Answers You Need
Data was collected from a few key, reputable sources: The Annie E. Casey Kids COUNT Data Center, Voices for Virginia's Kids, Virginia Department of Social Services, and Greater Hampton Roads Connects
Great question! A peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraiser, sometimes called a team fundraiser, is a grassroots fundraising approach where individuals raise money on behalf of a cause or organization they're passionate about. It's a fantastic way to mobilize your personal network to support the common good. In a peer-to-peer fundraiser, participants create personal fundraising pages and then reach out to their friends, family, and colleagues to raise awareness and ask for donations. It often involves campaigns like this one, where supporters can contribute directly to the cause.
Thankfully, this is not an all-or-nothing type fundraiser. We certainly hope you meet your goal, but no matter what you raise, every penny will go to support the efforts ECHO is making to alleviate the impacts of poverty, stabilize families, and prevent the need for foster care.
If a specific fund or program is specified, 100% of dollars donated go to that particular fund or program. If no fund or program is specified, the donation will be placed into the general fund to be distributed as directed by ECHO's finance committee.
Yes! Every dollar donated by you or donors to your fundraiser is fully tax-deductible in accordance with IRS guidelines. A donation receipt will be sent to the donor immediately and that donor may access the record of their gift at any time on our donor portal and download transaction receipts as needed for tax or record-keeping purposes.
Of course! And we hope you do! If you're getting close to your goal or have exceeded your goal and would like to set a new target, you can easily do so by logging in to your Fundraiser Dashboard. A link was emailed to you when you setup your fundraiser. If you have any trouble or need a question answered, please reach out to randall@wearetheecho.org or 757-453-5819.
We LOVE that you're thinking in this direction! There are a number of ways you can get involved. Here are just a few: 1) Join our Street Team and help us locate hidden resources in the community; things like free meals, or clothes closets, or free rides to grocery shop, etc. 2) Rally your coworkers and schedule time to come bundle diapers. 3) Invite your church to host a Trauma Informed Care training for your ministry leaders and volunteers. This is just the beginning. To get connected, send an email to hello@wearetheecho.org.